d20 Star Wars -- if you were writing a 3rd Edition, what would you change?

Kwalish Kid · Jan 28, 2003

I think that VP/WP is a good mechanic, and would introduce it to any D20 modern or sci-fi setting game.

Moridin, what would you do to the stun setting?

TheAuldGrump · Jan 28, 2003

I would make the Perorm skill more widely available, it seems silly that only the Noble class has acsess to it as a clas skill. Perhaps Scoudrel, maybe a few others.

The fact that in 1st edition SW d20 the example character who had perform did so by writer's fiat despite the fact that the class did not normally have access to it should have rung a bell in the writer's mind.

The Auld Grump

Mustrum_Ridcully · Jan 28, 2003

I'd agree with nerfing Force users, except for a gigantic disadvantage: opposing Force users. For example, "I detect a disturbance in the Force" is all it takes sometimes to ferret out your secret mission to the Outer Rim.

There is a Force Defense and Force Stealth power, if I recall correctly, and they can work quite well against this.

And this just makes the Jedi switching between to modes:
extremely useless (no power, no use) and extremely powerful (full power, full use, the rest watches the jedi fly, dissipating or deflecting blaster shots and dealing 5d8 points to everyone he approaches, or mind tricking and charming any noncombat encounters.)

I a agree that Jedi are very powerful according to the movies.
In the books and the first movies, their power where hampered by the fact that a Jedi using his power to often increases the risk to go to the Darkside. But unfortunately, this concept doesn`t work well in the book.
The Jedi in the later movies seemed more powerful than any "civil" person.
But, maybe this is not really the right thing to see it: Maybe the Jedi are all extremely high level - they begin their training before most people ever go to school...
So, the powers might be okay, but they should be gained much later in game ...

And maybe - who knows - Force User should first be a Template (Force touched?), not a class ... according to everything we know, if you aren`t born with Force Powers, you can never develop them...

Mustrum Ridcully

Shard O'Glase · Jan 28, 2003

Personally for Jedi if I were to do them in a class system like d20, I'd break the standard molds a bit. I'd give them 2 separate BAB charts, a dediated force power/lightsaber chart and a everything else chart which they'd suck at. I'd give them suck saves across the board, a suck defense bonus since i'd keep force powers as spending vitality I'd keep them with good vitality scores. I'd then develop force powers that improve saves, and improve defense bonus.

That way they'd normally suck, but if they tapped into the mojo they'd rock. and as I said I'd remove all the force power feat that give an acutal power like force whirlwind and turn them into skills, spreading their skills out even more.

Geoff Watson · Jan 28, 2003

I'd change Wounds/Vitality/DR back to Hit Points, and use the Modern Massive Damage Threshold rule. Reduce weapon damage a bit (two dice instead of three).

Geoff.

KDLadage · Jan 29, 2003

Geoff Watson said:
I'd change Wounds/Vitality/DR back to Hit Points, and use the Modern Massive Damage Threshold rule. Reduce weapon damage a bit (two dice instead of three).

Geoff.

Would you then rule that HP were used to fuel the Force abilites? THis would tend to insinuate that the Force injures the user, would it not?

LostSoul · Jan 29, 2003

I would open up the classes so they work something like Call of Cthulu - pick a bunch of class skills and defensive/offensive option and you're off to the races. Then I'd make the Force-using classes Prestige Classes.

Geoff Watson · Jan 29, 2003

KDLadage said:
Would you then rule that HP were used to fuel the Force abilites? THis would tend to insinuate that the Force injures the user, would it not?

Subdual damage. It would be functionally the same as Vitality.

Geoff.

humble minion · Jan 29, 2003

KDLadage said:
Just as the topic states, I want to know what you would change. I have been trying to encorporate some of the d20 Modern ideas into the game and this topic came to my mind...

A few things...

Stun settings do subdual damage, definitely.

Fix Fear. Make it equivalent to the cause fear spell in D&D or something. The current version is broken beyond belief.

Beef up capital ships, so a star destroyer can no longer be taken out by a volley or two from a squadron of x-wings.

I'd leave the Force Adept as is - the way I read the Star Wars universe is that every in every mainstream galactic planet, force-sensitive children are recruited by the Jedi. This is one of the oldest and strongest laws of the republic. Without training, a force-sensitive is merely a normal person with uncanny luck (Leia, Ep 1 Anakin). Force Adepts only come out of isolated societies with a non-Jedi force tradition to train them. And this tradition will probably be shut down as soon as the Jedi hear about it. This isn't to say that there won't be force adepts from technological planets, but the majority will be the primitive type.

Try to work move object, force strike and force grip into a single Telekinesis skill, that operates with a Strength based on your skill check result.

Try to make melee/lightsaber combat more mobile. Don't ask me how! One house rule I'm using in my game is that anyone who fails their save against a force strike or force lightning is also subject to the equivalent to a bull rush, with an effective str equal to the save DC of the attack.

De-emphasise projectile weapons, flechette guns, etc, etc. Give armour double DR against them, make their ammunition obselete and hard to find, etc. I just don't like the idea of everyone running round with slugthrowers, just cos the Dark Jedi won't be able to Deflect their own shots back. SW characters should use blasters, damn it!

I haven't seen the 1st Ed abstract space combat rules, but I'd consider a step back in that direction. The hex/square based space combat system has a distractingly 2d, mechanical, bland feeling to me.

Leave VP/WP as they are. But ban improved critical. The system makes it too powerful.

The classes work, especially with no multiclassing penalties. Leave them be. But give the poor damn tech specialist a few goodies!

Lost of these are becoming house rules in my campaign. Comments?