Star Wars Saga Edition [SECR] Preview #2 is Up

[Odhanan]

Ohhh... the preview is nice... I like what I read. I would order it now if it wasn't already done.

 

[GSHamster]

I like most of what I see here but I still have some questions/reservations of the system.

A big concern I have with this setup is the 'what uses are Trained Only' question. While having entire skills be Trained Only didn't always make sense, it was easy to mark on the character sheet.

I'm just afraid that this setup will require charts that say "X is a Trained Only use while Y is not" for every skill in the game.

Well, they did say that higher level untrained characters would be able to do things that only trained characters could do. So that makes it sound like it's DC based, rather than "X is Trained Only Use".

 

[King of Old School]

That's just what I always wanted, a Pablo Picaso who also builds hyperdrive engines.

Does that make ANY sense at all?

It makes perfect sense for a pulpy setting like Star Wars, where characters should be well-rounded and skilled in multiple areas of expertise. Your example is a bit extreme but not beyond the bounds of reason for certain specific character concepts... and frankly, if a player is enough of a prat to play a PC like that outside of his character concept, he's not the kind of player I want at my table anyways.

So far I love everything I've seen and heard about the new edition and hope that it portends changes to other WotC iterations of D20 in the future.

KoOS

 

[nerfherder]

This rules however, allow you to choose preferred skills from the class skill list

Do we know that there is a class skill list?

Some speculation being made on the Wizards board is that all characters get 4+Int bonus Trained skills, plus Trained skills granted by Talents (like Acute Senses). This removes any problems from multi-classing, and a "Class skill list" is replaced by class Talents.

It will be interesting to see what the real system turns out to be.

 

[Relique du Madde]

Don't get me wrong, I'm all in favor of streamlining skills, but I don't think lumping every craft skill into one "make/repair stuff" skill really works out well for a long running more dramatic styled campaign (which many of the star wars games i played in became). Sure, you loose the whole skill point sink aspect of the craft skill, but in exchange you create an atmoshpere where every character with craft is the same unless they pick up a specialization feat.

Since craft/repair is becoming a unified skill so should each knowledge skill. After all if you get rid of one group of skill point sinks you should get rid of them all. That way my prequal 1st level jawa scoundrel who spent 5 years studing biology would be equally knowledgible in astro-physics and the workings Yuuzhan Vong society as he would a hut's reproductive system.

HOPEFULLY when the complete rule changes are released, Craft/Repair and Knowledge will become customizable skill arrays since that would make alot more sense then having one knowledge or craft skill that does everything at one set value.

 

[0-hr]

[qoute]Along the way, we removed some skills that were rarely used in most games. For example, we removed Craft, because traditionally the Repair skill was used to build droids, starships, and so on.[/qoute]

That's funny, in my campaing I got rid of Repair instead and my game runs much better without it. I changed Pilot, Repair, and Computer Use - all part of my endeavor to fix a good system rather than throw it out for a more profittable one. Still, skill simplification could be a good thing (where as I'll prefer WP/VP until the day I die (even if I have lots of vitality when I do it).

 

[Ranger REG]

Do we know that there is a class skill list?

Some speculation being made on the Wizards board is that all characters get 4+Int bonus Trained skills, plus Trained skills granted by Talents (like Acute Senses). This removes any problems from multi-classing, and a "Class skill list" is replaced by class Talents.

It will be interesting to see what the real system turns out to be.

Well, I am speculating there has to be a list of skills that are more closely associated with the class-by-profession. It's not like a character who join the military service because he wants to become a world-class actor.

 

[Ranger REG]

Since craft/repair is becoming a unified skill so should each knowledge skill. After all if you get rid of one group of skill point sinks you should get rid of them all. That way my prequal 1st level jawa scoundrel who spent 5 years studing biology would be equally knowledgible in astro-physics and the workings Yuuzhan Vong society as he would a hut's reproductive system.

I'm speculating that with knowledge skill, you can choose a specialty and you get the benefit of rerolling the Knowledge skill check.

Which brings another question: Is rerolling better than adding bonus?

 

[JohnSnow]

I'm speculating that with knowledge skill, you can choose a specialty and you get the benefit of rerolling the Knowledge skill check.

Which brings another question: Is rerolling better than adding bonus?

Statistically speaking, rerolling is better than most bonuses you'd be willing to grant. Because the reroll's not an and probability. It's an either-or. If the character passes the first one, he won't reroll. But if he doesn't, he can try again.

You've basically improved his chance of success at a given task, without making it possible for him to do things that are more difficult. So basically, the reroll means his skill is more reliable, but not that he's "better."

Take the DC 40 example. A character with a skill bonus of +22 will succeed 15% of the time (a roll of 18, 19, or 20). If he's got a reroll, he'll succeed 28% of the time, or almost twice as often. So that's the rough equivalent of a +3 to his skill check (where he succeeds on a 15-20).

The kicker is that a DC 43-45 checks are still completely beyond him. Whereas if you granted him that +3 bonus to double his chance of hitting DC 40, he'd have a 5-15% chance of success.

That's a BIG difference.

 

[Hjorimir]

I'm really loving the direction they are taking the game! I know that everything comes down to personal tastes, but I really appreciate their efforts to streamline the game as much as possible. The faster I can generate the NPCs the more time I can spend developing plot and that's much, much more enjoyable for me as a GM.