Star Wars Saga

[Loincloth of Armour]

One house rule I DID add to Saga Edition was that you could only remove 1 DSP per level with your force points; this allows for one minor transgression per level without the whole "I will chuck force lighting 5 times this game and just drop 'em at the end."

I allow my Force-sensititve players to access dark-side talents like dark rage and revenge (I think they're called), whenever they like (if dramatically appropriate). But, if they don't have the talent it costs them 1d4 Dark Side points each time. That way they have to be careful about using the Dark Side as they can fall even if they don't want to, and its often a lot harder to get rid of the Darkness.

I also allow them to pull out Force Lightning as well, but that's 2d4 Dark Side points. Because, as we all know, evil gets all the cool toys.

 

[Kaffis]

Ships seem to be stated up a lot like characters. That's neat and odd. My group is now looking to buy a used ship and I've learned that wookiepedia is an evil, evil site. There is just way too much out there I'm not familiar with and that wouldn't be a bad thing if the information was a little more solid. I know the source material is vague so the entries are written the same way but it makes it tough to determine what is and is not going to be available in a slightly earlier time period.

After seeing the Serenity RPG (for all its faults) do this successfully, I fully expected any new Star Wars starship stats to be clearly derived from character stat methodologies. And, frankly, I think that it's really helped, especially when you extend that philosophy into some of the maneuvers and such, too -- when you can say to a player "an attack run is the ship version of a charge" it instantly becomes that much more accessible, rather than feeling like learning two games at once.

 

[masshysteria]

I allow my Force-sensititve players to access dark-side talents like dark rage and revenge (I think they're called), whenever they like (if dramatically appropriate). But, if they don't have the talent it costs them 1d4 Dark Side points each time. That way they have to be careful about using the Dark Side as they can fall even if they don't want to, and its often a lot harder to get rid of the Darkness.

I also allow them to pull out Force Lightning as well, but that's 2d4 Dark Side points. Because, as we all know, evil gets all the cool toys.

I like this idea. I used a similar house rule in the RCR version. It makes the dark side a little more tempting. I just gave a dark side point, but I like the 1d4 because there is a little gamble to how much you actually slide down the dark side slope.

 

[pawsplay]

I allow my Force-sensititve players to access dark-side talents like dark rage and revenge (I think they're called), whenever they like (if dramatically appropriate). But, if they don't have the talent it costs them 1d4 Dark Side points each time. That way they have to be careful about using the Dark Side as they can fall even if they don't want to, and its often a lot harder to get rid of the Darkness.

I also allow them to pull out Force Lightning as well, but that's 2d4 Dark Side points. Because, as we all know, evil gets all the cool toys.

I've always considered Force Lightning to be a Sith secret, not something you can do just because you're mad. Darth Vader doesn't have the ability, and Darth Maul never demonstrates it. Sidious and Dooku are phenomenonally powerful.

 

[Loincloth of Armour]

I've always considered Force Lightning to be a Sith secret, not something you can do just because you're mad. Darth Vader doesn't have the ability, and Darth Maul never demonstrates it. Sidious and Dooku are phenomenonally powerful.

I understand what you're saying and agree with you on some level. (There will never be something like electric judgement in my campaigns.)

However... in the Revenge of the Sith that runs through my mind, Anakin does his flip over Obi-Wan, and the Jedi only cuts off the Sith's legs. Anakin falls to the ground, screaming, dropping his lightsaber. Obi-Wan holds his own saber up, about to strike him dead, but pauses. In that moment Anakin taps into his rage and uses his left arm to throw Force Lightning, forcing Obi-Wan to strike and sever the last of Anakin's still living limbs.

Obi-Wan gives his, "You were my brother!" speech, and raises his lightsaber again, pausing again... but Anakin uses his mechanical arm to push himself aside before the blade can descend... and that push slides him down the hill toward the lava. Cue deep south char-broiled Sith.

 

[possum]

I allow my Force-sensititve players to access dark-side talents like dark rage and revenge (I think they're called), whenever they like (if dramatically appropriate). But, if they don't have the talent it costs them 1d4 Dark Side points each time. That way they have to be careful about using the Dark Side as they can fall even if they don't want to, and its often a lot harder to get rid of the Darkness.

I also allow them to pull out Force Lightning as well, but that's 2d4 Dark Side points. Because, as we all know, evil gets all the cool toys.

I have a similar, but much more harsh house rule like that. You want to go into a rage or use Force lightning? OK. That's one dark side point for the privelage, one for the evil act, and one for the standard penalty.

 

[Spatula]

Gaining a random number dark-side points is a good idea, I think... The big problem with the SAGA rules on the topic is they are too predictable. You can go right to the edge and not go over, if you so choose. Well, the other big problem, aside from the ease of removing dark side points. Why is spending a force point to lower your dark side score a swift action? Are they expecting you to use it in combat?

I suppose the other disappointment would be the lack of enticements for jedi to even consider succumbing to the dark side. You have to spend precious character resources (force powers, talents) in order to gain any benefit from using the dark side. I think the rules are a bit too talent-happy - a number of talents should be available to anyone in my opinion (like severing strike, in addition to some of the dark side stuff).

IIRC, someone on these boards once mentioned that he actively tried to tempt force users over, offering all sorts of one-time mechanical benefits if the character would commit evil or act out of hate or fear. That struck me as being very clever.

 

[nerfherder]

- or the attack result is less than 10, then the grenade even fails to make it to the square.

Yes, good catch (no pun intended!). That's another one from the erratta.

 

[Nifft]

Gaining a random number dark-side points is a good idea, I think...

Agree. I'd even change the range to 1d4-1, so there's a 25% chance you could "get away with it" at no cost to your soul.

My players would be more tempted to use that than a power that had even a small guaranteed cost.

IIRC, someone on these boards once mentioned that he actively tried to tempt force users over, offering all sorts of one-time mechanical benefits if the character would commit evil or act out of hate or fear. That struck me as being very clever.

Yeah. Sort of like Evil Action points which choose when you can use them.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Crothian]

There doesn't seem to be difference between used and new ships. Aside from the price that is. I can't see any reason why someone would by a new ship over a used one. One can have a small fleet of YT-1300s or one new one. And they all have the same game mechanics.