Alternate D6 - D20 Conversion System

The following rules offer an alternative to the Conversion Guidelines presented in the Star Wars Roleplaying Game. The basics are the same-converting dice codes to D20 numbers-but this takes a different route to arrive at what may feel like a more "playable" character.

Step 1: Convert Ability Scores
Use the chart on page 309 to convert the character's D6 ability scores to D20 ability scores.

Step 2: List Character's Skills
Make a list of the character's skills as they are written in the D6 system, including the dice code.

Step 3: Convert Dice to Ranks
Convert the dice in the character's dice in the governing ability (Dexterity, Knowledge, Mechanical, Perception, Strength, and Technical) to their D20 equivalent, again using the chart on page 309. Then convert the ranks in the skills, and subtract the ability's D20 equivalent from the skill's D20 equivalent.

An Example -
A Knowledge score of 2d+2 equals 13 in the D20 system. To convert Alien Species 6D+2 to the equivalent number of ranks, convert the 6D+2 to 25, then subtract 13 (the governing ability's converted number), for a total of 12.

Step 4: Convert Skill Names
Convert the character's D6 skill names to D20 skills or feats, using the chart on pages 310-11. At this point, don't worry if two or more D6 skills convert to the same D20 skill.

An Example -
According to the chart, Alien Species converts to Knowledge (alien species).

Step 5: Calculate Force Skill Totals
If the D6 character has Force skills, total the converted numbers for their Force dice (Control, Sense, and Alter). Divide the total evenly among the entire list of Force skills - even the ones you dropped. (Or, with the GM's permission, divide them in any combination you like.)

Step 6: Eliminate Modifiers
Subtract the ability modifier for the governing skill from the number of skill ranks you arrived at in Step 3.

An Example -
Knowledge (alien species), with 12 ranks, is based on Intelligence. The character's Intelligence score has converted to 13, which provides an ability modifier of +1. So you subtract 1 from the 12 ranks, for a total of 11.

Step 7: Combine Skill Ranks
After reducing the skill ranks, check for duplicated skills: D6 skills that converted to the same skill in D20. Find the highest-ranked of these for a given skill, and keep that as the "primary" skill. Then average the scores of the remaining skill of the same name, and add the result to the primary skill.

An Example -
A D6 character with many skills that equate to Pilot under the D20 system has Pilot +24, Pilot +20, Pilot +20, Pilot +6, and Pilot +4. The Pilot +24 is the primary Pilot skill. The average of the remaining Pilot skill ranks is 12.5 (20+20+6+4=50/4=12.5), so the total Pilot score is +36.

Step 8: Adjust for Feats
If the D6 character has many skills devoted to piloting different starships (starfighters, space transports, and capital ships), subtract 4 from the converted and combined Pilot skill total for each such skill.

A character with a total Pilot skill of +36 had the D6 skills Capital Ship Piloting, Ground Vehicle Operation, Repulsorlift Operation, Space Transports, and Starfighter Piloting. Because three of these are specifically starship skills (which equate to the various Starship Operation feats in the D20 system), the character subtracts 4 from his Pilot skill total for each of them, reducing his Pilot skill total down to +24.

Look at the character's resulting skill ranks. Look for skills that are considerably higher than the rest.

The character's Knowledge (alien species), at 10 ranks, is still lower than his Gather Information skill, with 16 ranks (even after trimming out the Charisma modifier).

Give the character Skill Emphasis or a similar "additive" feat (Spacer, for example, or Trustworthy, in the case of Gather Information) to help lower the total. If you give the character Skill Emphasis, subtract 3 from the total number of ranks for the affected skill. If you give the character an additive feat, subtract 2 from the rank total for the affected skills. If the total is still considerably higher, don't forget that you can give the character both Skill Emphasis and an additive feat for the same skill (Skill Emphasis: Gather Information and Trustworthy, for example).

Step 9: Determine Character's Level
Identify the character's skills with the highest ranks (after reducing them for feats and abilities). Mentally subtract 3 from this number. The result is the character's overall level.

Step 10: Find Lowest-Ranked Skills
Much as you did in Step 6, identify those skills that are considerably lower in rank than the rest. These skills you can flag as being most likely "cross-class" skills-skills that the character didn't advance as far because they were more expensive.

Step 11: Determine Character's Class(es)
The remaining skills-the higher-ranked ones-are the character's class skills; determine from your list which class the character is. If the character has a large number of highly-ranked class skills that come from two or more classes (say, more than three), the character is most likely multi-classed; break down the character's total number of levels between the various classes you've identified. Look for class abilities as the break points for how many levels of a given class the character should have.

If the character's ranks in his cross-class skills are too high for the character to be legal, you might simply cut them down to the highest level they could be and "take the loss," as it were. If this is a tremendous cut, consider giving the character a Skill Emphasis in the skill, or even multiclassing for one level into a class that has the skill as a class skill.

Step 12: Calculate Total Skill Points
Calculate the total number of skill points your character has according to his class(es) and level(s). Don't forget to add in bonus ranks for Humans.

Step 13: Calculate Skill Points Spent
Total up the character's skill ranks (as determined by the end of Step 6) to see how many skill points he should have. Don't forget that some are cross-class, which count as double the number of skill points.

Step 14: Compare Skill Point Totals
Compare the figures from Step 10 and Step 11. If the number from Step 10 is higher than the number from Step 11, you have more skill points to spend. (You might consider buying ranks in Listen, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot-skills for which there are no direct equivalents in the D6 game.)

If the number from Step 11 is higher than the number from Step 10, you have two options:

A) If it's a small number, increase the character's Intelligence score to make up the difference; or

B) Shave points off your total number of skill points (drop skills that can be used untrained if they have really low ranks, cut down the ranks in skills the character rarely uses, or cut off a percentage from all the character's skills). (You may need to combine these options for optimal results.)

Step 15: Adjusting Feats
If you have too many feats for your class, level, and species, try cutting feats like Endurance, Fame, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Quickness, Run, Toughness, or Weapon Focus-unless they're vital to your character's concept.

If you have too few feats for your class, level, and species, try adding Skill Emphasis or additive feats like Alertness, Persuasive, Trustworthy, etc. (especially if you had a hard time paying for all your skill ranks), or giving the character "next-step" feats (Rapid Shot for a character who has Point Blank Shot, for example, or Mobility for a character who has Dodge).

Step 16: Final Adjustments
After you've converted the D6 character into D20 terms, the next steps are fairly simple: just fill in the numbers according to the species, class, level, and abilities the converted character has. Don't forget to list equipment, Force Points, Dark Side Points, and Reputation.