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Thread: Coda Characters

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2001
    Location
    Brockville, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    4,394

    Coda Characters

    I don't know if this has already started, but I thought it could be fun and interesting. I here by open this thread for people to post new or converted CODA characters. I thought I would start with the character I am currently playing in the ever famous Venture game.

    Name: Solon
    Species: Vulcan
    Rank: Lieutenant
    Position: Assistant Operations Officer, USS Venture

    Str: 7 +0
    Agi: 6 +0
    *Int: 10 +2
    *Vit: 6 +0
    Pre: 6 +0
    Per: 9 +1
    Psi: 4 +0

    Quickness: +2
    Savvy: +1
    Stamina: +0
    *Willpower: +2

    Renown: 2
    Courage: 3
    Initiative: +2
    Defense: 7

    Species Abilities:

    Bonus Edge: Skill Focus (keen hearing)
    Bonus Edge: Psionic
    Enhanced Rapid Healing
    Mind Meld
    Nerve Pinch

    Profession: Starship Officer, Operations (Ops Officer)
    Professional Abilities:

    Starship Duty (Operations)
    Station Proficiency

    Skills (just to make it easy, i'll post only the total)
    Enterprise: Administration +3
    Space Science: Astrophsyics +7
    System Operation +5
    Engineering: Systems +3
    Science: Social +3
    Knowledge: Culture +3
    Knowledge: Law +2
    Knowledge: History +2
    Knowledge: Vulcan +2
    Language: Vulcan +3
    Language: Standard +2
    Unarmed Combat +1
    Athletics +0
    Computer Use +2
    Ranged Combat: E. Weapons +0
    Science: Physical +2
    Science: Planetary +2
    Repair +3
    Dodge

    Edges: Curious, Ally, Promotion 2, Bold
    Flaws: Pacifist, Arrogant

    Used the conversion rules post here by Don. I think they have a tendency to low ball the attributes. Not sure how many advances this goes to either. Had to fudge a 2 points so he could keep his post on the Venture.

    Anyway I would like to see other peoples try at the chargen rules or conversion rules. Also, let me know what you think of the above, but please if you tell me "I'm out in left field" say why.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    Hainburg, Germany
    Posts
    1,389
    One aspect where your character conversion falls short of a "true" Coda character are the Species Skills.
    With an Intellect of 10 you should get 20 picks for Species Skills (sidebar, page 85). That would be a dramatic increase to several of your skills.

    Next on the list are Attributes: Any ICON character that hasn't spend many Development/Experience points on attributes will end up with lower values then a COD character created with the pick method.
    The pick method generates characters with an attribute average of 8.33. To get the same result from a converted ICON character you need an average (ICON) attribute of 3 with 2 edges at +1 (if I have done my math right).

    Physical and Planetary Sciences would receive a +2 from your Int in CODA, which is the total value they have after conversion. As science skills can't be used untrained (except with the right abilities, e.g. the science officer's "Journeyman") as a Coda character Solon would either lack these skills or he would have had to gain some skill levels (from personal development or buying the skills as nonprof. skills). If he had done the later he would have a total skill (including Int modifier) of at least +3.

    The same goes for Computer Use as well: Can't be used untrained, so Solon would have had to spend some picks to use it. As this is a professional skill for Starship Officers a level of 2 or 3 is the least I would expect in this skill (not including the Int bonus).

    While the conversion guidelines are quick and dirty they have IMO several shortcomings. If you have a time for it I'd strongly suggest recreating a character with the Coda rules, instead of a simple conversion.

    I have converted my own character and then recreated her and the later produced a much better character. Here's what I did:
    First I converted the character with Don's guidelines.
    Then I created the same character from scratch including personal and professional development, using the pick method for attributes.
    Next I spent as many picks as it took to bring this new character to the same level in skills, reactions, attributes, edges and professional abilities the conversion produced.

    That last step gave me a number of advancements I then used to recreate the character from scratch again. While trying to stay as close to the "feel" of my Icon character I didn't try to come up with an exact conversion, but something that made sense for the character and the new rules. I think the end result is much closer to what my character might look if she had been played with the Coda rules for the last 3 years, instead of Icon, then the conversion gave me.

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