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<blockquote data-quote="briand" data-source="post: 6737215" data-attributes="member: 64442"><p>I've been kicking this idea around for a minute, being a big fan of both SWSE & the new D&D, but I haven't really had the time to mess with it too much, so I'm psyched to see what you come up with. A couple thoughts:</p><p></p><p><strong>I'd consider bumping the blasters down to 2d# damage instead of 3d#.</strong> In 5E, ranged attacks add your Dexterity modifier to damage, which they did not in SE. Having blasters do three dice of damage <em>and</em> add an ability bonus is going to make melee even more of an underpowered and un-fun choice than it was in SE.</p><p></p><p><strong>GET RID OF THE USE THE FORCE SKILL.</strong> My #1 biggest problem with SE by far. Taking the Skill Focus (Use the Force) feat for a 1/2 level + Charisma modifier + 10 bonus to use your Force powers pretty much broke the game. If you leave Use the Force as a skill, you're gonna see a lot of Scoundrel 1/Jedi X builds to get Expertise (Use the Force) and it'll be all over again. Sticking with the spell saving throw and attack formulas used by the caster classes in the 5E PHB will save a lot of headaches.</p><p></p><p><strong>Proficiency bonus or a second ability modifier to Defense (AC)?</strong> There's some merit to both. I get not wanting to get back on the 3.5/SE/4E treadmill, but mathematically the two methods aren't that far off from one another. Assuming one character starts with a 16 in Dexterity and a 16 in their class' other Unarmored Defense ability (easily done at 1st level with the standard array and an optimal species choice) and bumps them with their ability score improvements, and the other does so with their Dexterity and adds proficiency, here's how the two stack up over the levels where they'll both increase for a single-classed character:</p><p>[CODE] Ability Proficiency</p><p>Level Method Method</p><p>1st 16 15</p><p>4th 17 16</p><p>5th 17 17</p><p>8th 18 18</p><p>9th 18 19</p><p>12th 19 19</p><p>13th 19 20</p><p>16th 20 20</p><p>17th 20 21</p><p>19th 20 21[/CODE]</p><p>The proficiency method gets off to a slower start, but catches up by 5th level. From there on out it raised Defense just a little ahead of the two-ability method until 17th level, where it caps out 1 point higher than the alternative.</p><p></p><p>I'd say the strongest case for the two-ability method is that a precedent in the core rules (barbarian & monk) is always a nice thing to have when homebrewing. It also supports a little role enforcement—nobles will almost <em>always</em> have a good Charisma, Jedi will almost <em>always</em> have a good Wisdom. This can be a good thing or a bad thing. Good in that it will help define the PCs into neat niches, which can be helpful. Bad in that playing the Charismatic Scoundrel is a "worse choice" (balance-wise) than playing the Smart Scoundrel, which can kinda suck if you like playing characters that go against rules-defined archetypes.</p><p></p><p>There is one big reason I'm firmly in favor of the proficiency bonus method instead of the two-ability method: a Scoundrel 3/Scout 3/Soldier 3 will not have ANY ability score improvements at all, since you get those based on class level and not total character level. That character will not have seen its Defense/AC increase at all over 9 levels, which I don't like. That said, maybe that character should just strap on some armor. I dunno. I think proficiency + Dex is overall easier and less wonky.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="briand, post: 6737215, member: 64442"] I've been kicking this idea around for a minute, being a big fan of both SWSE & the new D&D, but I haven't really had the time to mess with it too much, so I'm psyched to see what you come up with. A couple thoughts: [B]I'd consider bumping the blasters down to 2d# damage instead of 3d#.[/B] In 5E, ranged attacks add your Dexterity modifier to damage, which they did not in SE. Having blasters do three dice of damage [I]and[/I] add an ability bonus is going to make melee even more of an underpowered and un-fun choice than it was in SE. [B]GET RID OF THE USE THE FORCE SKILL.[/B] My #1 biggest problem with SE by far. Taking the Skill Focus (Use the Force) feat for a 1/2 level + Charisma modifier + 10 bonus to use your Force powers pretty much broke the game. If you leave Use the Force as a skill, you're gonna see a lot of Scoundrel 1/Jedi X builds to get Expertise (Use the Force) and it'll be all over again. Sticking with the spell saving throw and attack formulas used by the caster classes in the 5E PHB will save a lot of headaches. [B]Proficiency bonus or a second ability modifier to Defense (AC)?[/B] There's some merit to both. I get not wanting to get back on the 3.5/SE/4E treadmill, but mathematically the two methods aren't that far off from one another. Assuming one character starts with a 16 in Dexterity and a 16 in their class' other Unarmored Defense ability (easily done at 1st level with the standard array and an optimal species choice) and bumps them with their ability score improvements, and the other does so with their Dexterity and adds proficiency, here's how the two stack up over the levels where they'll both increase for a single-classed character: [CODE] Ability Proficiency Level Method Method 1st 16 15 4th 17 16 5th 17 17 8th 18 18 9th 18 19 12th 19 19 13th 19 20 16th 20 20 17th 20 21 19th 20 21[/CODE] The proficiency method gets off to a slower start, but catches up by 5th level. From there on out it raised Defense just a little ahead of the two-ability method until 17th level, where it caps out 1 point higher than the alternative. I'd say the strongest case for the two-ability method is that a precedent in the core rules (barbarian & monk) is always a nice thing to have when homebrewing. It also supports a little role enforcement—nobles will almost [I]always[/I] have a good Charisma, Jedi will almost [I]always[/I] have a good Wisdom. This can be a good thing or a bad thing. Good in that it will help define the PCs into neat niches, which can be helpful. Bad in that playing the Charismatic Scoundrel is a "worse choice" (balance-wise) than playing the Smart Scoundrel, which can kinda suck if you like playing characters that go against rules-defined archetypes. There is one big reason I'm firmly in favor of the proficiency bonus method instead of the two-ability method: a Scoundrel 3/Scout 3/Soldier 3 will not have ANY ability score improvements at all, since you get those based on class level and not total character level. That character will not have seen its Defense/AC increase at all over 9 levels, which I don't like. That said, maybe that character should just strap on some armor. I dunno. I think proficiency + Dex is overall easier and less wonky. [/QUOTE]
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