Even so, the Saga Edition has a few problems here and there. This post will point out what I feel the issues are and try to handle them. Feedback is, as always, welcome and requested.
Characters
Leveling Up
At level 1, level 3, and every three levels thereafter, you may gain either one feat or one talent. You must fulfill the prerequisites of the feat or talent you choose.
Multiclassing
Normally, when you take your first level in a new class you have the opportunity to select one of that class's starting feats as an immediate bonus feat. Instead, you may also select Skill Training in one of that class's class skills. This option lets you learn something new from your class without it having to be one of its feats.
Skills
The Climb, Jump, and Swim skills have been condensed into Athletics. If any of these skills is a class skill for your character, then Athletics is a class skill for your character.
The Jump application of the Athletics skill works differently than in the core book:
Long Jump: You may leap 1 square per DC 10, DC 15 without a 4 square running start.
High Jump: You may jump 1 square per DC 15, DC 20 without a 4 square running start.
Jump Down: You may decrease the damage from a fall by 1 square per DC 10. If you take no damage, you land on your feet.
Trained skills can be chosen from any skill, not just the Class Skills list (except Use the Force, which can only be selected if you have the Force Sensitive feat). Class skills gain your level as a bonus.
Skill Checks
Skill checks are like attack rolls, and so skills are treated with the weapons rules rather than the skill rules from SWSE Core. If using a skill untrained, apply a -5 penalty, similar to using a weapon without the appropriate Weapon Proficiency feat. Trained skills drop the penalty, and add your level (if a class skill), your ability modifier, and a +1 competence bonus for having the appropriate Skill Focus feat.
For example, a 3rd level Jedi with Charisma 12 making a Use the Force check to Mind Trick another character would roll the following:
3 (Level Bonus) + 1 (Cha mod) = +4 vs Will Defense.
This is to keep such attacks from virtually always succeeding against opponents because of +10 bonuses at low levels (Training + Skill Focus).
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Combat
Armed Advantage
An unarmed character receives a -2 circumstance penalty to Reflex defense against attacks made with a melee weapon. Characters armed with melee weapons count as unarmed when defending against lightsaber attacks unless armed with a weapon that retains its Damage Reduction against lightsaber damage. This is to reflect that during the normal course of an attack round, defending characters parry, block, and dodge incoming attacks. Without a weapon that can parry incoming attacks, the character can't properly defend against attacks and must rely entirely on dodging. Characters with the Martial Arts feat are considered armed even when wielding no weapons.
Two-Weapon Fighting
As it stands, there is no difference between wielding two One-Handed weapons or having a Light weapon in the off-hand, even though the book's text describes most Small weapons as being used often as off-hand weapons for dual-wielding fighters. So, to give the short lightsaber, knife, and short sword more of a purpose, here is a rule covering Light weapons.
When wielding two weapons, if the off-hand weapon is considered Light, the fighter gets a +1 dodge bonus to Reflex Defense for each Dual-Weapon Fighting feat possessed. One-handed weapons already have a damage advantage over Light weapons, making this a fair tradeoff. Double-weapons, such as the double-bladed lightsaber and the quarterstaff, also gain this benefit.
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Lightsaber Construction
Building a lightsaber requires the Force Sensitivity feat and proficiency with lightsabers to attempt. It's recommended that the character have at least one level in the Jedi class.
Building a lightsaber requires two steps. The first is the body and its corresponding electronics, while the second is focusing the lightsaber crystals using the Force. While it's possible to skip the second step, doing so means the lightsaber provides no Force bonus to anyone, including the person who built it.
Constructing the lightsaber itself requires a DC 25 Mechanics check. The process takes 6 hours, and taking 20 on this check increases the time to 5 days. If the check is failed, the character must spend another 6 hours disassembling and reassembling the weapon. The necessary components cost 1500 credits, and the focusing crystal can usually only be bought at incredible cost or it must be discovered. There are a few options that may increase the difficulty, but provide other benefits.
Curved Hilt: The curved hilt lightsaber changes the weight and balance of a lightsaber such that it is easier to wield one-handed, and was especially favored by practitioners of the Makashi style of lightsaber combat. The odd shape was difficult to set parts into correctly, however, leading many Jedi to focus on creating the more simple standard lightsaber. Creating a curved-hilt lightsaber adds +5 to the construction DC, and the weapon adds a +1 equipment bonus to the user's Dexterity, for the purposes of attack rolls or Reflex Defense.
Double-Bladed: A double-bladed lightsaber is a formidable weapon, associated with the Sith due to its combat-oriented nature. There are two methods for creating one of these weapons. The first is to construct a single hilt that projects lightsaber blades from both ends. This adds +5 to the construction DC. This method doubles the cost of components. The second method is to construct two separate lightsabers that can be joined together with a magnalock. This process doesn't increase the build DC, but does require undergoing the construction process twice, and each lightsaber must have a 250 credit magnalock component added (for a total cost of 3500 credits). Both methods double the construction time, since the builder is making two lightsabers instead of one, and require undergoing the focusing ritual twice, using one crystal per blade.
Dual-Phase: The dual-phase lightsaber has a switch or toggle capable of extending the lightsaber's blade immediately, rather than using a focusing dial to adjust. This increases the build DC by +5, but allows the user to switch the blade's length as a swift action. A dual-phase lightsaber not only grants the user reach when in extended mode (at the expense of a -1 attack and Reflex Defense penalty against adjacent opponents), but also grants a +2 circumstance bonus to use the feint application of the Deception skill in combat.
The second, and final, step is to attune the focusing crystal using the Force. This creates a bond between the lightsaber and the person creating it, granting that user special bonuses when wielding the weapon. Focusing the crystal requires spending a Force Point and making a DC 25 Use the Force check, meditating and shaping the crystal as necessary. The process takes another 6 hours, and taking 20 increases the time to 10 days. On a failed check, the Force Point is lost and the user must spend another 6 hours focusing the crystal again.
When focused properly, the crystal grants a bonus to the creator depending on the type of crystal being used. The standard adegan crystals from the caves of Ilum grant a +1 bonus to attack rolls with the lightsaber, as do synth-crystals forged with the Force. Other crystal types, outlined in the Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide, grant other effects, such as dealing stun or ion damage rather than energy, adding to damage rolls, or granting bonuses on the use of the Deflect or Block talents. These crystals are more rare after the Empire's destruction of most major crystal caves, and so require GM permission to obtain.
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Equipment
Weapon Ranges
The ranges presented in the Saga Edition core rulebook seem to be a bit extreme, possibly presented under exacting technical definitions of the term 'point blank range'. Under Pistol ranges, for example, Point-Blank is 20 squares. Each square is 1.5 meters or about 5 feet. That means 100 feet is point-blank range for a pistol. I'm pretty sure that's not right at all. At least, so far as range penalties for targeting something go, that shouldn't be it. So until I can get a better method going, here's the new set for weapon ranges:
All weapon ranges found on Table 8-5: Weapon Ranges on page 129 of the Saga Edition core book are to be halved, with the exception of Thrown Weapons.
Weapon Group: Maximum Point-Blank/Short/Medium/Long Ranges
Heavy Weapons: 25/50/125/250
Pistols: 10/20/30/40
Rifles: 15/30/75/150
Simple: 10/20/30/40
Thrown: 6/8/10/12
Retractable Stocks
There are a few oddities in the Ranged Weapons section of the Saga Edition core rulebook. Repeating blaster rifles seem far underpowered as compared to standard blaster rifles. Since they're more expensive, heavier, and have a Military availability instead of Restricted availability, I've decided to alter their rules somewhat.
Blaster carbines, rifles, and pistols may have retractable stocks. The cost of a retractable stock is included in the credits listing for carbines and rifles, and adding a retractable stock to a pistol costs an extra 100 credits. A weapon with a retractable stock may only be fired in autofire mode (if it has that firing mode) with the stock extended. Weapons marked autofire-only may be braced (reducing the -5 autofire penalty to -2). Weapons with a single-fire capability may not be braced, and have a -5 to autofire attacks as normal.
The purpose for having a retractable stock is to allow a rifle to be used in a single hand without penalty (reducing its size from Medium to Small), or to increase the range of a pistol (moving a Pistol into the Rifle group for range).
Armor
Characters gain a bonus to Reflex Defense from either their armor or heroic levels, whichever is greater. The Armor Defense talent from the Armor Specialist talent tree uses the rules for the Improved Armor Defense talent, which is no longer used at all.
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The Force
Force Points
Spending a Force point to aid an action gives a flat +5 Force bonus, rather than adding 1d6 to the roll. This makes things simpler and involves less die rolling.
A character trained in Use the Force may spend a Force Point as a free action to gain a single use of a Force Power not currently in that character's Force power suite, subject to GM approval. If the Force power gained is used to harm a living being, the character gains a Dark Side Point. The Force Training feat is not required for this use of a Force Point.
Characters regain one spent Force Point for every eight hours of rest, once in any 24 period.
Destiny Points
When acting in accordance with your Destiny, in addition to the normal Destiny Bonus, you gain a Destiny Point. Your heroic level is the cap for the number of Destiny Points you may have at once.
Dark Side
Force Powers with the Dark Side descriptor don't increase your Dark Side Score through use automatically, but their effects almost certainly will be at least a moderate transgression, if not major. Instead, the effects of the power are based on your Dark Side Score, as detailed in the altered powers list below.
Force Powers with the Dark Side descriptor don't need to be in your Force Suite to use them. You may call on these powers at any time. The Dark Side is quicker and easier, and as such does not use up as many of your precious resources such as feat slots.
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Force Powers
Battle Strike (Core)
For each DC you meet, you gain either +1 to hit or +1d6 to damage. The 'next attack' must be within one minute of activating the power.
Dark Rage (Dark Side) (Core)
For each DC you meet, you gain +1 to hit and to damage, plus half your Dark Side Score. The Dark Side Score bonus is not cumulative with DCs.
Force Disarm (Core)
Make a Use the Force check against a target within 6 squares and in line of sight. If you succeed against a DC equal to the target's Str +5 (+10 if they hold their items with both hands), the target drops any held items, which you may bring to your hand or leave on the ground anwhere within 6 squares of the target.
Force Grip (Core)
This power is considered an application of Telekinesis.
Force Lightning (Dark Side) (Core)
This power deals half your Dark Side Score in d6s. This damage may be distributed to any targets within a 6 square cone of effect.
Force Slam (Core)
This power is considered an applicatin of Telekinesis.
Force Thrust (Core)
This power is considered an applicatin of Telekinesis.
Move Object (Core)
This power is considered an application of Telekinesis.
Negate Energy (Core)
No.
Rebuke (Core)
This power can deflect not only Force powers, but physical and energy attacks. It is similar to the Deflect talent, but can be used without a lightsaber.
Sever Force (Light Side) (Core)
No.
Telekinesis (Core)
This power is for all basic telekinetic activities, and includes the former powers Force Disarm, Force Grip, Force Slam, Force Thrust, and Move Object. Each application will be described below.
Move Object: As the Move Object power, DC determines the size category for objects controlled. Each size category can be considered two of the next category down, so lifting one Large object is the same as lifting two Medium objects.
Force Grip: You may crush a target you telekinetically lift using Move Object, dealing the listed damage for the DC.
Force Thrust: You may throw a target 6 squares in any direction, dealing the listed damage if the target strikes a surface or another object. If the target strikes nothing, deal no damage but the target begins their next turn prone.
Force Slam: As Force Thrust, but straight down. If you reach a DC high enough, you may split the size categories such that you telekinetically lift several targets at once and slam all of them.
Vital Transfer (Core)
The target gains HP according to the DC as stated, but multiplied by your own level, not the target's. You may only use this power on a given target once in any 24 hour period.
Why isn't Force Disarm part of Telekinesis?
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