Scum & Villainy question here. So one of my players will be playing a xeno and on page 57, under starting ability it states:
“If you want to play a xeno (a member of an alien species) with a decidedly exceptional physique or abilities, you can replace your playbook starting ability with the following: Xeno: You may spend stress (0-2) to perform an inhuman feat only members of your species can do.”
On page 296 however, under Xenos in Play, it says to discuss what sort of things we can expect their xeno abilities (plural) to do with some guidelines for 0, 1 or 2 stress abilities.
My question is this: for a xeno character, mechanically, do they simply have the option to replace their starting playbook ability with a predefined stress-costing xeno ability or should they be fleshing out a whole host of differing-stress-cost abilities they can use on top of their playbook abilities? This really was not clear to me in the book.
Thanks in advance for any clarification y’all can provide.
Both are options, and both are up to you and your table to agree upon (which is the stance we are instructed to take with advanced abilities and permissions in general). The first (one ability) is more of a given though – by virtue of the word “can” in the text you quoted.
Fair enough, thanks for taking the time to give me your take. I was hoping there might be some official ruling I had missed or misread as most things in the book seem to be “do whatever works for you and your group” but this will be my first time running a game of S&V so I’m not entirely sure what works and what doesn’t yet; what is balanced and what is not. I’d love to give my player some abilities to make his xeno background feel more impactful as he doesn’t want to replace his Stitch starting ability but I worry about balance or perhaps some griping from other players over him starting with extra abilities. I would love to hear how other GMs or players handled this at their tables.
I like to establish the broad strokes of species differentiators upfront and save the specifics for when it becomes relevant to the action. But I’m super comfortable with improv so YMMV.
Yeah I’m definitely happy with letting my player decide his specific xeno abilities in the heat of the moment, as it were. My question pertains to whether I let him have any in the first place as he didn’t choose to override his starting ability.
Re:balance. Yes. And I feel it’s important to discuss what rulings should be considered acceptable and which are more favorable or less for these xenotype playbooks we might want to create. I think more direction regarding what a “fair” GM ruling might look like (by stress cost, and with examples) is something we should have seen as development came to a close.
This discussion makes me realize that anecdotes of previous rulings should prove helpful to all of us. So I would provide my own if requested. JS
I’m curious to know what you mean re: development. Also if you have some anecdotes to share, I would love to read them.
oh: fixed my comment. It is a criticism.
0 stress: something minor that provides a static/passive bonus. Ex: Aquatic: Can breathe underwater as easily as air. Webbed feet. Can swim for long periods without tiring.
1 stress: something that grants a moderate benefit. Ex: Strange senses: Mark 1 stress for heightened senses for several minutes. Allows you to see further, “hear” thoughts through eye contact, sense heartbeats through walls, etc.
2 stress: Something that is potently superhuman. Ex: Fiery Surprise: Push yourself to unleash fiery inferno or hurl boiling water from your tail.
Mark should read 296-297 (which is literally this).
Jason Richer Yo! So generally if I have a player sit down and tell me about a cool xeno they want to play and say they want to take the Xeno ability I ask them the sorts of things they expect to be able to do. This helps prime the pump. It helps me understand the sort of vibe they’re going for, and gives me a chance to voice concerns in case they aren’t clear on the sort of game we’re going to play (I’ve had at least one person pitch me essentially the Silver Surfer which is rad but not 100% on brand for SaV). And often, it helps me ascertain if they really want to take Xeno or just assume that’s the right call because they aren’t playing a human.
Setting up the “powers” is just a question of giving chatting with them and giving them a rough idea of what types of stress costs they can expect incoming, so they can make good fictional decisions and not be balked or shocked when you make a ruling in the moment.
You don’t need to hash out every single thing they have (actually some surprises in a scene are great when you find out facts about that specific xeno type that you didn’t expect!) but knowing some major beats to expect helps both in the reaction of people to them, and helps them have a good idea of what they can do.
Just have a conversation. ^_^ That’s the official rule really.
Stras Acimovic Thanks for taking the time to clear some stuff up for me! You’ve answered my question in a sort of roundabout way; I was beginning to get frustrated as nobody seemed to be answering the question I was actually posing but I now understand I was being unclear and this came from a fundamental misunderstanding on my part about how the Xeno ability works.
I was viewing the 0, 1 and 2 stress cost Xeno abilities as separate special abilities whereas, unless I’m mistaken here, the “Xeno” Starting Ability unlocks the option to perform all manner of 0, 1 or 2 stress cost xeno-related feats, either discussed beforehand or in keeping with the established fictional xeno race. So if my player is really attached to his Stitch starting ability but really likes that extra xeno flair, I could theoretically tweak the rules and have him start the game with “I’m a doctor not a…” and “Xeno”; essentially two Starting Abilities.
Looking forward to dragging my long-time D&D group into the Procyon Sector. I’ve played some Blades but this is going to be the first time for most of my table playing with a different ruleset so I aim to get as many of my ducks in a row before I set the scene and we kick off our first score in a few weeks.
Thanks again, I’ll probably be back with some more questions soon!
Stras Acimovic I’d also like to add that my group were dubious of switching to another RPG, as I think a lot of D&D players are but it didn’t take long for them to get real jazzed about our upcoming space adventures once I started sharing the lore and possibilities with them. Great job on the book.
edit: I’ve also been listening to Stardancer Actual Play at work, which has been immensely helpful in getting me in the right head space for the upcoming GM duties.
You are correct on the first. The Xeno starting ability opens up the option to perform all manner of those feats ^_~
The second can be a bit problematic. You should be super careful about giving folks two starting abilities. They are sort of the “iconic” role of the person on the show, and tend to be pretty strong. Some characters are more about their xeno nature than they are about their role on the ship (Chewie is a wookie first and foremost, that’s what folks remember about him rather than he’s a copilot). Mixing that up sort of blurs the role and can definitely shift the spotlight. Just be super cautious.
Good luck!
Jason Richer, do not let Stras fool you! If you change anything in the rules Void-walking starmonkeys will appear when you least expect them (hint: they’re never expected, so expect that) and fling cosmic poo* at anyone involved! You have been warned…
*it stains through dimensions, so forget escaping by way of an alternity portal.