D6 System: Wild Die, Is it really necessary?

[jamfke]

I picked up Star Wars by West End Games when it came out a long time ago in a game shop far far gone. The mechanics presented in the first edition rules was, to say the least, da bomb. It was the foundation of the current incarnation of WEGs D6 system we have today.

The only thing about the modern rules I find a little confusing is, the wild die. Why? It is meant to represent the randomness and unpredictablility we encounter in real life, right? If I'm wrong, please tell me.

My hitch is, I thought that's what rolling the dice was all about. The general randomness created by simply tossing a handful of dice is a very broad subject.

Opinions?

[NEW KID]

Yea i had the same question when i first learned the rules. Basically i thought they were just to depict real life situations, that nothing is really impossible.

[Jedi Skyler]

While I couldn't say for sure, it seems that the Wild Die concept might have been instituted to provide a random opportunity for players to have an extraordinary roll without having to spend CPs or FPs to get it. I also see the penalty for rolling a 1 as a balance for that, so it can't be said that the odds are stacked in favor of the players.

Other than that, I can't really say.

[AlexGrim]

I first encountered this type of rule in WarHammer FRP. You would roll again for damage if you rolled a 6 and made another weapon skill roll. Then you added it to the damage, another 6 would result in you rolling again for more damage. I have no prob with this concept in other games. What really got on my nerves about SW rules was when I had to deal with Haste actions, it slowed down the game and I left them out.

[jamfke]

Yes, I never fully appreciated Haste either. I never even tried to apply them. If something ain't broke, don't try to fix it.

[Jedi Skyler]

I've heard about Haste actions, but never really learned fully about them and how they're used. Needless to say, I've also never used them in game.

[AlexGrim]

When I first read about them I asked my brother, "Do I have to use this?". It was like a big bidding match before every action. How many D6 will you trade off to be quicker than the other guy? Funny thing is that I think the normal system already covered that great. If you got more D6 under that skill you are quicker and better, and your roll will reflect that.

[jamfke]

I never liked the Haste option either, and I never used it. I'm like Alex, first edition was something they should have kept as is. Though I do like scaling or die caps, just makes sense.

[Jedi Skyler]

Yeah, well, where I work, it seems that the more sense a thing makes, the more afraid of it people are, and therefore shun it...

[jamfke]

LOL, same for my work! Must be in the job description, micro-print!

[AlexGrim]

At my work(home), roleplaying at all is a new thing. Unless you count some odd N64 game. I never really met anybody at any job I had that was into roleplaying, let alone SW discussions on haste actions.

[jamfke]

I know of only a couple of folks that will admit to have played any RPG where I work. There tends to be a "red-neck" mentality there though, and if you aren't a deer hunting, beer drinking, NASCAR watching, buck-toothed, card carrying member, then you're queer!

I don't consider myself queer in the modern sense of the term, but I am weird!

[AlexGrim]

"Roleplayin? what are you? Metro?"

[jamfke]

LOL.

[netjedi]

I work at a call center supporting high speed internet. there are a bunch of geeks so anime, star wars, star trek, roleplaying, video games, pirating software, pirating movies, hacking is all common place for discussions.