Star Wars Saga Edition [SECR] Preview #3 is Up

[Plane Sailing]

Well, interesting that the sample character has Force Training (x2), so I wonder what each selection of the Force Training applies to...

I'm not sure if you are wondering about the general or the specific, so I'll mention for onlookers

For example, a player who wants to create an urban Force-user might select the scoundrel class, choose a few scoundrel talents, dip into the Alter talent tree for a few more talents, take the Force Training feat a few times to learn Force powers, and mix and match the use of the Force with the features of the scoundrel class.

thus one might assume that of the 4 force powers known, two of them come from Force Training feats.

Other points of interest:

a) he has 8 heroic levels, and is apparently CL (challenge level?) 9 (but considering the Han Solo stats, that might just be an error?)
b) the death star trooper has 3 nonheroic levels and 1 heroic level, and is CL2
c) Jensari defender defences look pretty high:
Defenses Ref 25 (flat-footed 23), Fort 22, Will 20

Just a flying guess, but I wonder if defences are something simple like +level +class bonus? The difference between the highest and lowest in each case is pretty consistent (much more so than in D&D or any other d20 based game).

edit - there were only 5 posts when I started writing - I'll have to think quicker!

 

[gribble]

I'm a bit saddened by the apparent low number of skill "points". I also want to see how "class skills" work and if you suddenly gain a +5 bonus for taking even one level in another class.

Looking at the characters we've seen so far: the Jensaarai has 2 trained skills at 8th level (presumably 2 base, -1 int, +1 for human); Chalkazza has 4 at 1st level (presumably 4 base, -1 for int, +1 - perception - for the acute senses talent); Han has 7 trained skills at 9th level (presumably 4 base, +2 for int, +1 for human); and the death star trooper - which might be misleading being a NPC - has 2 (1 base for nonheroic class?, +1 for human). So it appears that you *don't* get new trained skills as you increase in level or multiclass automatically. I'm banking on talents increasing the number of trained skills you have (probably on a 1/1 basis).

The Defense doesn't seem too high to me, actually; right now, it looks like it's based on a skill, and it only scales at 1 per 2 levels (slower than most BAB values) but does start higher.

Where do you come to that conclusion from? Assuming the starting values are around +3/2/1, it looks like the base values increase (across the board) at 1/level (i.e.: by 8th/9th level they are +12/9/8 or +12/10/10).

 

[Plane Sailing]

Things I've noticed so far from the stat blocks:

• Armour adds to Reflex Defence only - I was expecting it to add to Threshold.

Why do you think that?

ceremonial armor (+7 armor) doesn't seem to key into the Reflex defence at all (if it did, then the Jensaarai Defender would have a basic reflex defense of 18 without the armour - lower than the will defence? I think unlikely!)

I could imagine the +7 armour being called out there because there are some circumstances that it will help against (e.g. threshold against injury) and other circumstances it won't (e.g. threshold against poison perhaps). This makes it easy to apply it when you need it, and not when you don't.

I'd imagine that the stormtrooper armour gives +x armour too, but they just didn't include it in the minis stat listing - after all, they say:

We aren't revealing all the specifics of the new stat block yet, so keep watching this web site for more previews of the new edition

.

So it could easily have just been left off the statblocks on the minis page.

 

[nerfherder]

Why do you think that?

ceremonial armor (+7 armor) doesn't seem to key into the Reflex defence at all (if it did, then the Jensaarai Defender would have a basic reflex defense of 18 without the armour - lower than the will defence? I think unlikely!)

I could imagine the +7 armour being called out there because there are some circumstances that it will help against (e.g. threshold against injury) and other circumstances it won't (e.g. threshold against poison perhaps). This makes it easy to apply it when you need it, and not when you don't.

I'd imagine that the stormtrooper armour gives +x armour too, but they just didn't include it in the minis stat listing - after all, they say:

.

So it could easily have just been left off the statblocks on the minis page.

Good call - I think you're right.

 

[Plane Sailing]

With the consolidation of all the other skills, it seems very strange if they have still got a whole range of knowledge skills as implied by the Han Solo statblock.

If pseudo-medieval Bards can be well read enough to have 'General Knowledge', I wouldn't have thought it would be difficult to have a single 'Knowledge' skill that covers all aspects of knowledge in a general way (i.e. how well read you are). Talents could then improve knowledge specialties and stuff to provide any necessary specialisation.

Cheers

 

[LoneWolf23]

I like how this new system makes it easier to design new Force user traditions.

Suddenly, my idea of a post-Trilogy setting where the Yuzaang Vong invasion never happened, and instead the Jedi Order splintered into various sub-orders and cast-off traditions across the Galaxy, is becoming more and more feasible....

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I guess this is one of the "fits the films" moments. Even unarmored chars have a chance to live through a firefight.

But D20 Modern does this too, without the shafting.

 

[jonrog1]

I wouldnt say the Defenses are based on a skill, but just on a ferociously fast progression. Because assuming a base 11 -- then the Soldier 1 and Scout 1 give us some very familiar +2/+0/+0 and +2/+1/+0 starting values.

Hiw sad is it, by the way that even though they're listed Reflex/Fort/Will in the preview, I LITERALLY, completely unconsciously order them as Fort/Ref/Will. Interesting how your brain winds up mapped.

I actually like the idea of decoupling or a flat value mentioned above. But I don't think they did it.

 

[Alnag]

I am bit surprised, why Death Star Trooper has marked the Human bonus feat and trained skill, but nor Han Solo neither Jensaarai Defender hasn't, although they are humans as well. Why is that? Is this marked in nonheroic characters only, or is it oversight?

 

[Plane Sailing]

Just want to say that I'm *really* pleased with the way the force system seems to be designed. It is great that 'out of the box' it covers a number of the key uses of the force that we see in the film, but which haven't been part of the official d20 books before (e.g. Sense Surroundings being the most obvious example).

I look down the list and for pretty much every example a scene from the films where it happens springs to mind. THATS what I want in a force system!