Malvoren Character Creation

[Dinne]

First time helping one of my players make one of these little critters. Looks interesting and plenty of ability to add in neat little snags in the story for them to fix.

The first problem we came across is their latent psychic abilities. It says that they pick 3 from sensitive or physical, with a bold underlined OR! (hehe) ..continuing it says also they get to pick psychic abilities after each level plateau. The player posed an interesting question, "Does this mean I have to pick physical or sensitive every level or do I have to stick with the same category..it appears I'll run out of abilities if I stick to one." So I am pretty sure it can be changed per level. Unless we both read it wrong and you get to pick from both categories for the abilities indiscriminately.

The second problem was reading the text for the creature's native language and native literacy skills. Language: Native Tongue (trade 4 and Techno-Can at +30%) I don't know if this means that you can have 5 native languages or that you have to choose between a native language and 5 common language (non-native). I was quite confused by the text in world book 30.

The third issue is more relative to the skill Weapon Systems. It says that the Malvoren has 95% skill use on Weapon Systems they are melded with. The issue I have with this is that I am not sure how to apply this percentage in the game. Does this mean the character will roll to see if they know how to use the system once melded? Seems that the description says they already know how. It begs the question of what do you use the weapon systems skill roll for anyway? For repairing and maintaining? If you guys could help me with trying to flesh out what the weapon system skill % should be applied to, it would be awesome. <3 My players love to use their little skills when they can, to gain extra experience, and it actually makes the game more fun for them because of the challenge.
Thanks in advance!

PS: I apologize for any Maloren's that may read this post for referring to them as creatures and critters.

[Dinne]

Thank you for the response! Don't take my questions as not being ever thankful. ^.^

Language: Native Tongue (Trade Four and Techno-Can at +30%)
Literacy: Native Tongue (Trade Four and Techno-Can at +20%)

If it was just as simple as just give them a native language it would have just said so, right? I mean what does trade four and techno-can mean?? I have no idea why that's there or the significance. It reads like it's saying "Trade 4 languages and the Techno-Can language at +30%." If that's how it reads.. what would that mean anyway??


Weapon Systems is on pg320 of RUE within Pilot Related category. :0

[Nekira Sudacne]

First time helping one of my players make one of these little critters. Looks interesting and plenty of ability to add in neat little snags in the story for them to fix.

The first problem we came across is their latent psychic abilities. It says that they pick 3 from sensitive or physical, with a bold underlined OR! (hehe) ..continuing it says also they get to pick psychic abilities after each level plateau. The player posed an interesting question, "Does this mean I have to pick physical or sensitive every level or do I have to stick with the same category..it appears I'll run out of abilities if I stick to one." So I am pretty sure it can be changed per level. Unless we both read it wrong and you get to pick from both categories for the abilities indiscriminately.

also chooses 3 psi powers from senstive or healing starting at level one and each level thereafter

That means that each level you can pick 3 from one or the other, but can alternate on levels as you please.

The second problem was reading the text for the creature's native language and native literacy skills. Language: Native Tongue (trade 4 and Techno-Can at +30%) I don't know if this means that you can have 5 native languages or that you have to choose between a native language and 5 common language (non-native). I was quite confused by the text in world book 30.

It means that both trade 4 and techno can are native languages. You don't get to "picK". you always have trade 4 and techno can as native languages. Note the double entry is for langugae and literacy: the are distinct skills. even if you are a native speaker, you are still illterate by default unless your OCC or RCC ALSO provides literacy. this one does.

So you start with only two native tounges, and you have no choice, they are always trade 4 and techno-can.

If you think that "Trade 4" means you can trade something for 4 native languages, no, Trade 4 is one of the five major languages in the Three Galaxies in Phase World setting. so "Trade 4" is actually the name of their native language.

The third issue is more relative to the skill Weapon Systems. It says that the Malvoren has 95% skill use on Weapon Systems they are melded with. The issue I have with this is that I am not sure how to apply this percentage in the game. Does this mean the character will roll to see if they know how to use the system once melded? Seems that the description says they already know how. It begs the question of what do you use the weapon systems skill roll for anyway? For repairing and maintaining? If you guys could help me with trying to flesh out what the weapon system skill % should be applied to, it would be awesome. <3 My players love to use their little skills when they can, to gain extra experience, and it actually makes the game more fun for them because of the challenge.
Thanks in advance!

PS: I apologize for any Maloren's that may read this post for referring to them as creatures and critters.

Weapon system skill provides a +1 bonus: you have to roll it successfully before you can actually attack. failure means you don't acheive a good lock-on.

so yes, you do have to roll 95% every time you want to apply the bonus, and if you fail you lose the bonus.

[Giant2005]

Regarding the Psionics, you can choose any combination of S4ensitive or Physical powers at each level as long as you do not exceed three (ie. You could level up and choose 1 Sensitive and 2 Physical if you choose).
The word "Either" would be required to denote that you could only choose from one or the other. The word "Or" only signifies that you get a total of three powers rather than using "And" which would imply three powers from each. It is underlined to ensure reading errors aren't made and people don't mistake it for an and, and take more powers than they should.

[Dog_O_War]

Weapon system skill provides a +1 bonus: you have to roll it successfully before you can actually attack. failure means you don't acheive a good lock-on.

so yes, you do have to roll 95% every time you want to apply the bonus, and if you fail you lose the bonus.

To this: No.

It says Weapon Systems provides a +1 bonus to strike when using Heavy (MD?) Weapons.

There are no qualifiers otherwise. You don't need to roll Weapon Systems every time you fire a weapon that qualifies for this bonus, unless you're firing it as a weapon system.

[42dragon]

Weapon system skill provides a +1 bonus: you have to roll it successfully before you can actually attack. failure means you don't acheive a good lock-on.

so yes, you do have to roll 95% every time you want to apply the bonus, and if you fail you lose the bonus.

To this: No.

It says Weapon Systems provides a +1 bonus to strike when using Heavy (MD?) Weapons.

There are no qualifiers otherwise. You don't need to roll Weapon Systems every time you fire a weapon that qualifies for this bonus, unless you're firing it as a weapon system.

Nekira is correct. Weapon Systems is a skill used for firing vehicle mounted weapons, including operating the controls, sensors, targeting, tracking, ect. On a succesfull skill roll you get a +1 to strike.

That said a Malvoren with a natural 95% skill, most GM's wouldn't make you roll for each shot and would just give you the +1 to strike, unless the sensors or systems were damaged.

[Dog_O_War]

Nekira is correct. Weapon Systems is a skill used for firing vehicle mounted weapons, including operating the controls, sensors, targeting, tracking, ect. On a succesfull skill roll you get a +1 to strike.

That said a Malvoren with a natural 95% skill, most GM's wouldn't make you roll for each shot and would just give you the +1 to strike, unless the sensors or systems were damaged.

I am slipping - Nekira, I apologize - I was thinking Weapons Engineer. Completely my fault.

[Nekira Sudacne]

Apology accepted. Everyone makes mistakes!

If you have a GM that really does award 25 XP for every legitmate skill use, then using this on every turn to rack up +1 and +25 XP is a very good way to go.

[Halapo of Wu]

As a GM with a mid-level Malvoren in the group, here is what I found....

Pros:
The melding with weapons, armor and power armor is powerful but not really game breaking. Remember this is at the expense of an OCC.

Gaining the appropriate skills to use melded weapons, armor, war-machines ( tanks/planes, deathhead transports... ) Again, at the expense of an OCC.

The "Linked Fire" is definitely on the line of game breaking, depending on how powerful the other players are. At lower levels it was crazy, seeing as he was able to fire 3-5 weapons to the other players 1. Lower lvl NPCs were typically a one shot 50-80 MDC. Since the RCC mentions they favor combat, this players skills were very combat orientated, the most of all the other players. He typically had one more action then them per round as well. He was the BIG GUN...

Psionics. Not to powerful, but defiantly used a lot, since it was his only way to counter magic. Since nearly any RCC/OCC cold have the same abilities, these don't overshadow his natural abilities.

Cons:
Magic. Cant use it, starts with little understanding of it. Also a huge weakness... In the book it says when a Malvoren melds with armor, it becomes a living part of him. EBA and power armor provides such nice magic protection because it is made of "Non-living MDC". In other places in the books on spell casters and armor, it mentions they favor bone/hide and other natural armors because it cause less interference with magic. As GM, I took this to mean a touch on the Malvoren armor was the same as touching the Malvoren's natural body. We had some debate about if that effects bionic lungs and eyes, "IE making them living Bionics actually made them weaker to magic? Say a magic gas attack or cloud of slumber" but we did settle that melding with weapons and armor did negate the insulating effect of EBA, Power Armor and Robots ( Robots retained some of their resistance due to the size/distribution of spell effects).
In short, the melding allowed a magic conduit to the Malvoren himself. Spells like Possesion and Charm have become his biggest downfalls, over his "weaker" but normal EBA teammates.

Also in the same vein, he simply wont use any type of magic escape. Trying to escape/run/avoid enemy NPC's while in a large robot/power armor with a pile of guns on it, not very easy.

Lastly, if you see 4-6 enemy contacts, and one is carrying twice as many weapons... Who is your primary target? He spends a lot of time repairing his gear.

[Adventus]

Weapon Systems is on pg320 of RUE within Pilot Related category. :0

I stand corrected.

Still, if it's applied as it's written in the RUE, it would only give a +1 to strike (except for hand-held weapons) regardless of what % the character has - which seems ridiculous to me.

There's a user here named Nekira Sudacne who is a whiz at this stuff. If she doesn't respond to this thread, you might want to PM her and ask her about it.

In Ninjas and Superspies, Revised, it gives a +2 bonus.

[Nekira Sudacne]

Weapon Systems is on pg320 of RUE within Pilot Related category. :0

I stand corrected.

Still, if it's applied as it's written in the RUE, it would only give a +1 to strike (except for hand-held weapons) regardless of what % the character has - which seems ridiculous to me.

There's a user here named Nekira Sudacne who is a whiz at this stuff. If she doesn't respond to this thread, you might want to PM her and ask her about it.

In Ninjas and Superspies, Revised, it gives a +2 bonus.

Yes, but sinse Malvoren are not a N&SS race, that hardly seems applicable here. Unless you are playing one in a N&SS game, you would use the Rifts version, which is only +1.