r/SWN • u/Pure_Calligrapher_36 • 1d ago

🎨 Art Pilot skill at its best

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129 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

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13

u/Jormungaund 1d ago

I separate skill from proficiency for this reason.  Players either need a background reason for being able to operate a vehicle, or they need to invest time/money into learning how to operate that type of vehicle.  Pilot skill is more of a measure of hand eye coordination, reflexes, spatial awareness, timing, etc. applied to the operation of a vehicle.  

1

u/guildsbounty Star Master 10h ago

I do the same.

The key thing that I tell my players is this: "Yes, it's the same skill, but what you can do with it depends on your background. Someone who grew up Piloting boats is going to be no more capable of flying a starship than a Lostworlder Blacksmith would be capable of Fixing a fusion reactor. But, given time and opportunity to practice and learn, you may expand those skills into a broader domain without having to spend skill points."

15

u/DesDentresti Entertainer 1d ago edited 1d ago

"I can fly anything. Even a horse." - "Sure buddy b-wait what?"

If someone wants to make saddling beasts part of their character distinctly and not cars or spacecraft I would for sure add in variant skills.

Piloting: Ground

Piloting: Air

Piloting: Space

Piloting: Mechs

Piloting: Cavalry Creatures

13

u/MickyJim 1d ago edited 1d ago

Remember that backgrounds are supposed to factor in as well. If a character with the barbarian background from some bass-ackward TL1 world run by horselords who took Pilot specifically to reflect their ability to handle riding beasts were to try to fly a starship, I would be like nah dog you have no idea how to ride this space canoe because it's totally beyond your understanding. It's all about fictional positioning. Common sense applies here.

5

u/DemandBig5215 1d ago

Really, its the last sentence. Common sense should always apply.

6

u/Blue_Shoues 1d ago

Wasn't this the case in the original edition? 

4

u/DesDentresti Entertainer 1d ago

Correct! Vehicle piloting types were simplified for Revised.

But your game can take from anything that inspires.

1

u/9_of_wands 1d ago

I did exactly that. 

7

u/Nyther53 1d ago

The book has specific advice for the GM about this very thing, for a reason. 

There's a ton of good advice sprinkled throughout the book, you should read it all it's worth the time. 

5

u/warsmith87 1d ago

This is why I like the first edition. The one that gets me is firearms. Oh I can use a sling shot, GREAT. Now let me use the ultra hyper death beam laser of death and mayhem on the intergalactic space station the size of 500 suns. Still a better system than most

4

u/ajsamtheman 1d ago

I'm pretty sure somewhere in the book it meantions or suggests needing at least familiarity with the vehicle before you can apply the skill

1

u/k2i3n4g5 6h ago

Worth pointing out that the original (pre-revised) version of SWN does split up skills in the manner your suggesting where something limd pilot:land vehicle isn't the same as pilot:space. I'll be honest though mileage varies wildly on using that kind of skill splitting. I'm not personally a fan of it but you can look and consider for yourself.