My SW SAGA house rules

[Plane Sailing]

OK, I've started running some SW Saga and I decided to go with some house rules from the word go. You may like them or dislike them, but since you're quite unlikely to play in one of my games I shouldn't let it worry you overmuch (although of course you are welcome if you end up in my part of Blighty one day!)

1. Dodge feat gives a flat +1 bonus to reflex defence (can't think why they didn't do that anyway, what with all the other simplification going on!)

2. Lightsabres do 3d8 damage, but don't add Str to damage rolls (I like logical progressions, it is a failing of mine... in SW unpowered weapons do 1 die damage, powered weapons (vibro weapons and slug throwers) do 2 dice damage, energy weapons do 3 dice damage. Ergo, to fit in with this progression, lightsabres will do 3d8 damage. I'm balancing this by not including Str bonus on damage rolls with lightsabres). I'm not *entirely* sold on this idea at the moment, and might change it back in the future.

3. Bonus trained skills from high Int can be drawn from the full skill list, and not just class skills (this idea blatantly stolen from Conan OGL. It makes it possible for smart characters to have that extra level of flexibility in their design, and allows for smart scout medics or scoundrel medics (for instance) rather than assuming that *all* medics must have a level of noble or soldier.)

4. Diagonal movement is 1-2-1-2 (we don't have any difficulty with that style of counting, so why worry about 2-2-2-2?)

I think that's it so far... not too bad

Cheers

 

[Nifft]

1. Dodge feat gives a flat +1 bonus to reflex defence (can't think why they didn't do that anyway, what with all the other simplification going on!)

QFT.

Seriously, look at what the Martial Arts feats give you. +1 Dodge to Reflex is NOT overpowered.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Aegir]

2. Lightsabres do 3d8 damage, but don't add Str to damage rolls (I like logical progressions, it is a failing of mine... in SW unpowered weapons do 1 die damage, powered weapons (vibro weapons and slug throwers) do 2 dice damage, energy weapons do 3 dice damage. Ergo, to fit in with this progression, lightsabres will do 3d8 damage. I'm balancing this by not including Str bonus on damage rolls with lightsabres). I'm not *entirely* sold on this idea at the moment, and might change it back in the future.

My only knock against this would be that alot of the SE rules are designed to combat STR being a viable dump stat, and this takes a big chunk of that away. Jedi can already take weapon finesse, which works on all lightsabers, and Jedi Knight has a talent that gives Dex to damage instead of Str, so this house rule either makes that talent very powerful, or worthless (depending on how you interpret the wording).

 

[Twowolves]

4. Diagonal movement is 1-2-1-2 (we don't have any difficulty with that style of counting, so why worry about 2-2-2-2?)

In my D&D games, diagonal movement has always been "1.5-1.5-1.5" and we've never had any problems....

 

[Plane Sailing]

and Jedi Knight has a talent that gives Dex to damage instead of Str, so this house rule either makes that talent very powerful, or worthless (depending on how you interpret the wording).

That is a jolly good point... which raises the question would 3d8+Str (or whatever) be too much?

 

[Owen K.C. Stephens]

That is a jolly good point... which raises the question would 3d8+Str (or whatever) be too much?

I don't think the Jedi really need a power boost. If you really want to make lightsabers deal 3 dice of damage, why not 3d6 + Str? That's an average of 10.5, as opposed to the 2d8 average of 9, but it's better than 3d8.

(If you're going for logial progression, I doubt you're interested in freaky ideas like 2d6+1d4 + Str, which is an average of 9.5)

Owen K.C. Stephens
d20 Triggerman

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[Plane Sailing]

I don't think the Jedi really need a power boost. If you really want to make lightsabers deal 3 dice of damage, why not 3d6 + Str? That's an average of 10.5, as opposed to the 2d8 average of 9, but it's better than 3d8.

I'd thought about 3d6, that would be the logical extension of energy shortswords, 3d8 is right thematically for energy longswords and remains on a par with blaster carbines which seems right too.

The counter argument is that melee weapons get to use power attack to increase their damage, while ranged weapons don't... unless I was to make it precision attack of course...

Did I mention that I'm an inveterate rule tinkerer?

BTW, I have to say that my overall satisfaction level with SW Saga is higher than for any other RPG purchase in recent years. I love the way that a whole range of things has been dramatically re-thought, and so far it is all working *really* well for us.

Cheers

 

[Kaffis]

I'd thought about 3d6, that would be the logical extension of energy shortswords, 3d8 is right thematically for energy longswords and remains on a par with blaster carbines which seems right too.

As was cheerfully pointed out to me yesterday, carbines have been errata'd to 3d6.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I thought about the following for Dodge:
+1 Dodge bonus to a single enemy.
Spend a swift action to gain an additional +1 Dodge bonus to defense against an enemy until the start of your next turn. The bonuses all stack, so you can spend a fullround gaining a +4 dodge bonus against a single opponent - which does't make much sense, because Full Defense would give you the same (if I am not mistaken) - though this wouldn't affect your AoOs and so on. And you could keep your standard action and get a +3 bonus to AC against a single opponent, which is nice. It's a bit more versatile then Improved Defenses or Martial Artist, which should make it worthwhile.

 

[Plane Sailing]

As was cheerfully pointed out to me yesterday, carbines have been errata'd to 3d6.

Interesting - is the errata being published on the wizards web site, or is it in one of the forum threads at the moment?