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Old 04-19-2014, 03:26 PM   #1
sarastro
 
Join Date: May 2009
Default Yet another take on Jedi powers

So I've been watching The Clone Wars series on Netflix and it's inspired me to try to start putting together a Star Wars Jedi campaign set during the period right before the rise of the Empire. I love the thought of whirling light saber combat, but don't like the idea of having to handle parrying beam weapons. My idea instead was to build a gadget based Damage Resistance advantage, based on the light saber. I'd be curious to hear people's thought on the build below!

Jedi blaster shield: 45pts
  • Damage resistance 36 @ 5 pts/level
  • Force field +20%
  • Hardened +60%
  • Can't wear armor -40%
  • Directional -20%
  • Limited (Energy weapons) -20%
  • Force power -10%
  • Gadget limitations
    • DR 15 -10%
    • Inconvenient to replace -15%
    • -6 Size modifier -10%
    • Can be stolen -30%
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Old 04-19-2014, 04:17 PM   #2
Phantasm
 
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: On the road again...
Default Re: Yet another take on Jedi powers

There's an easier way to do the parry blasters: treat a blaster bolt as moving the same speed as a bullet, and treat it as a Technique built up from the -5 of Parry Missile Weapons. Or roll against Precognitive Parry (and no Jedi worth his lightsaber should be without this skill) to block the bolt.

The lightsaber (Basic Set/Ultra-Tech Force Sword, gear!) is stated in the lore as having the inherent ability to absorb/deflect blasters; I tend to treat this as being able to handle blasters up to the same dice as the lightsaber (8d, akin to what Hevy and other Gatling-blaster users are tossing around).

You might be interested in my own SW game site, which although set in the KOTOR/SWTOR era is still suitable for Clone Wars stuff as well; the technology's stagnated over the 3600-4000 years between KOTOR and Clone Wars (or progressed farther after KOTOR only to regress during the Dark Age leading to the Ruusan Reformations in 1000 BBY). Of particular interest should be the eight lightsaber styles (starting on page 5) and the other document I made for Force Powers.

Hope these help.
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Old 04-19-2014, 04:21 PM   #3
Phantasm
 
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Default Re: Yet another take on Jedi powers

I'm curious, how many points are you giving your Jedi players? I'm running 450 points in my game, and the Jedi seem underpowered compared to the Clone Wars cartoons. (Mind, I'm running a game with Jedi and non-Jedi working side by side, so I don't want the Jedi to outshine the others.)

My Jedi templates tend to run 300 points before Force Powers.
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"Life ... is an Oreo cookie." - J'onn J'onzz, 1991

"But mom, I don't wanna go back in the dungeon!"

The GURPS Marvel Universe Reboot Project A-G, H-R, and S-Z, and its not-a-wiki-really web adaptation.
Ranoc, a Muskets-and-Magery Renaissance Fantasy Setting
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Old 04-19-2014, 08:24 PM   #4
sarastro
 
Join Date: May 2009
Default Re: Yet another take on Jedi powers

I'm thinking 400pts should be just about right, though the PCs are going to be newly "promoted" padawans, rather than full Jedi knights or even masters. The idea I have is to put them in command of a small detachment of clone troopers and a naval vessel in an isolated part of the Outer Rim territories. I might even have them make clone trooper characters, too, to run on adventures that the Jedi would be overpowered for.

As for using the existing precognitive parry being easier than a prebuild advantage, I have to disagree. I have no desire to roll a million dice every combat as things bog down when the droid armies open file. With my advantage approach, the PCs will only have to worry about being shot at if they either run into more powerful weapons than basic blaster rifles, like a droideka, or if they lose their light sabers.
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Old 04-20-2014, 12:39 AM   #5
Celjabba
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Luxembourg
Default Re: Yet another take on Jedi powers

Only problem I can see is : Can you change at will the side protected by Directional ?
I seem to remember Jedi easily parrying bolts coming from behind, in an 'over the shoulder' move, covering a retreat.
May be a video-game only move, however...

Otherwise, it should work.

Myself, I would go with a no-nuisance-roll perk on precognitive parry to cut down on the number of dice rolls.
(A Jedi or Padawan deemed 'battlefield-ready' should have that skill at 16.)

Your build however has the advantage of working against surprise attack, as long as they aren't concealed from the Force. Appropriate in setting, I think.

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Old 04-20-2014, 05:54 AM   #6
Randyman
 
Join Date: May 2009
Default Re: Yet another take on Jedi powers

Quote:
Originally Posted by tbrock1031 View Post
(Mind, I'm running a game with Jedi and non-Jedi working side by side, so I don't want the Jedi to outshine the others.)
Therein lies the rub. Even the various writers of the EU have had to go out of their way to make non-Force-users "on-par" with Jedi when portraying mixed groups. IMO, the best depictions of non-Force-users in Star Wars has been when there were no fully-trained Force-users in the story, so the "balance" issue was absent within that context.

Put another way, if non-Force-users are BigDamnHeroes, fully trained Force-users are Superheroes. Trying to make them "balance" is like putting Batman in the Justice League - the non-Force-users need to bring something to the table that the Force-users can't; even then, the Force-users will still "outgun" the others one-on-one. The Prequels pretty much showed this - it took a major Xanatos Plot to take down the Jedi using non-Force-users as the weapon.
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