SWSE Web Enhancement

[wingsandsword]

Okay, Wizards has posted the first web enhancement to the Star Wars Saga Edition rules:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=starwars/article/sagaenhancement1

The Outlaw Tech talent tree for Scoundrel, and the Tech Specialist feat (a bonus feat for Nobles and Scoundrels).

Notably, the Tech Specialist feat reintroduces mastercrafting back to the game.

Thoughts?

 

[MrFilthyIke]

Awesome WE, I want more like this one.

 

[Randolpho]

Very cool. Printed and bookmarked.

[Edit: Anyone know when wizards will put up some RSS feeds?]

 

[Starglim]

Interesting choice.

 

[wingsandsword]

Interesting choice.

Well, it does restore the missing "Tech Specialist" archetype to the game, since Fringer was folded into being a talent tree of Scout, Jedi Guardian and Jedi Consular became Talent trees of Jedi, now Tech Specialist is a bonus feat for Scoundrels and Nobles.

Interesting choice to make it a Noble bonus feat though, since Nobles don't get Mechanics as a class skill and thus have to multiclass with Scoundrel, Scout, or Soldier to get the skill.

It's a pretty big feat in terms of the abilities it gives a character. If you're trained in Mechanics, it's a pretty solid choice given how many options it gives you.

Maybe they anticipate a RCR style Tech Specialist being a multiclassed Noble/Scoundrel.

For the two biggest Star Wars examples of Tech Specialists given in the RCR era, Noble would work for Raithe Sienar (presumably multiclassed with Scout to get Mechanics), and Scoundrel would work for Ghent, so maybe that's why they gave it to those two classes.

 

[Donovan Morningfire]

Interesting choice.

Well, over on the WotC boards, there's been an excessive amount of whining about how Tech Specialist characters got screwed over by SECR, since there were no rules to let them do what they did in RCR. This web enhancement is an attempt to appease those people. Overall it seems to be working.

 

[Destil]

For the two biggest Star Wars examples of Tech Specialists given in the RCR era, Noble would work for Raithe Sienar (presumably multiclassed with Scout to get Mechanics), and Scoundrel would work for Ghent, so maybe that's why they gave it to those two classes.

I think the reasoning is that your more dedicated engineers would have mostly noble levels and your more rogue tech types have mostly scoundrel levels, as was shown with the example PCs. It's a pretty nice boon for both, though.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Well, over on the WotC boards, there's been an excessive amount of whining about how Tech Specialist characters got screwed over by SECR, since there were no rules to let them do what they did in RCR. This web enhancement is an attempt to appease those people. Overall it seems to be working.

Not forgetting that these rules were written for SECR but cut for space, so it is sorta restoring what was originally supposed to be there!

 

[Nifft]

Well, over on the WotC boards, there's been an excessive amount of whining about how Tech Specialist characters got screwed over by SECR

From my experience trying to make a viable Tech Specialist, characters of that class were screwed over in every d20 edition...

Pleased with the WE, -- N

 

[comrade raoul]

Wow, Tech Specialist is broken. For one feat and a bit of time and money, you and all your friends get offensive, defenses, and skill bonuses, along with better vehicles and droids. (If you're a droid, it's even better.)

Here are two house rules. Collectively, I think they make the feat a bit more sensible, yet still really worth taking.

• When you take Tech Specialist, you learn a number of modifications equal to 1 + your Intelligence bonus. (Thus, a Tech Specialist with an Intelligence of 16 can choose four modifications.) You can take Tech Specialist more than once, choosing an additional number of modifications equal to 1 + your Intelligence bonus each time. (Thus, Tech Specialist lets you learn modifications in the same way Force Training lets you learn Force Powers.) You can't choose a modification more than once.
• Whenever you attempt to apply a modification to an item, you must expend a Force Point. (You expend the Force Point whether or not you succeed at adding the modification.)