Dueling Sabers Feedback & Discussion

[Naaman]

How much say does the character/player get in the result? Was Anakin "surprised" when he chopped off Dooku's hands? Both Mace Windu and Yoda disarmed Palpatine. Was it a result of a randomized roll and chart consultation, or did skill and deliberate action play a part?

Obi-Wan chopped off three of Anikin's limbs. We know that he is fond of doing so as we have seen him do it several times... how does he always roll the same result on the chart?

Im not knocking it. I just dont understand why the player's intent to knock down or push back or decapitate or whatever should be less influential on the "effect on the target."

Let me go back and re-read...

[Naaman]

So Ive finished page 3 so far and it seems I misunderstood the original intent.

Pending the rest of the content in the thread, I would like to see this streamlined A LOT. But I love the idea.

Ive played with ideas for form 4 in particular and I struggle to come up with something that expresses the unity of acrobatics and saber combat fluidly.

The discussion on Ahsoka I found particularly interesting, especially with regard to stunts.

Ive also posted a few ideas about the seven forms, and reading through the first few pages has inspired me to revisit the ideas and try some new things.

[CRMcNeill]

[lurker]

[lurker]

Ok, how about this:

A Jedi can elect to limit the damage if they desire. Maiming or severely wounding an opponent instead of automatically killing them. If the Jedi so chooses, the opponent will live but be unable to continue the duel (or combat) and is at the mercy of the Jedi. The specific results will be narrated by either/or the player and the GM.

However, If a Jedi has at any time during the duel (or combat) called on the dark side, he will be unable to hold back the desire to deliver the killing stroke. This will more than likely open the Jedi up to a point(s) of corruption

If the Jedi at anytime during the duel failed a willpower check, he will have to make a willpower check (base difficulty of moderate, + 1 per every willpower check the Jedi was forced to make during the duel) in order to avoid feeding into the built up frustration from the duel and delivering a killing blow. If the will power check is successful, the Jedi can choose to either maim or severely wound the opponent, as above; however, if the will power check fails the blow will be a killing stroke. This my sadden the Jedi, but will not automatically open the Jedi up to corruption.
_________________
"And so I am become a knight of the Kingdom of Dreams and Shadows!" - Mark Twain

Forgive all spelling errors.

[CRMcNeill]

I'm hesitant to mandate character action without giving them an opportunity to avoid it with a roll.
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[lurker]

[Naaman]

What happens if the character is not a Jedi? Can they choose to maime even if they are angry? Can a sith EVER choose to maime? Dooku maimed both Analin and Obi-Wan...

[CRMcNeill]

[CRMcNeill]

[lurker]

[Naaman]

The real point of my question was to address the issue of emotions overruling conscious.

Its wel within the spirit of Star Wars to hold Jedi to a higher standard. But the ideas presented above suggest that being a Jedi somehow makes a person less able to make choices.

That is, when a darkside point is on the line, why all of a sudden does willpower pop up? A regular person who is fighting angry may not be at risk of earning a darkside point. But does that mean he cannot choose to maime? Whereas a Sith is always being powered by his passions, and yet Dooku maimed twice in a row. He could have easily killed Anakin instead of shoving him back.

He WAS about to kill Obi-Wan, so that maiming may have been simply incidental. But Anakin was easy pickin's.

[lurker]

You know, I think we are closer on this than we think.

Anyone can self limit before they toss the dice. Jedi, Sith, Gray, or whatever. Call on the dark side 100 times, it doesn’t matter. Self limit for maiming or disarming before the dice are tossed and you don’t have to worry about killing the opponent.

It is only when one has called on the dark side that he has to truly worry about it. They willingly embraced, even for a second, evil and hate. So, when in the heat of the battle they may forget to hold back that fraction that is the difference between disarming, maiming or killing. Even then, as I mentioned above, if they self limit before tossing the dice (showing that the player has kept his wits about him so the character has too kept his wits about him)they are in control enough to not kill the opponent it they want to.

Also, a Sith or a Dark Force user will only be an NPC, so the GM can ‘self limit’ when he wants. Remember the cardinal rule, ignore the rules for a good narrative. Unless you are allowing a Sith or Dark user to be played, you can focus on the narrative you want and just worry about the Jedi (player) needing to remember to self limit before the dice are tossed. If the story is better by the Sith maiming the player and then taunting him for a bit, he self-limited. If the Jedi player bit off more than he should have – trying to duel Vader and not disengaging when he had a chance – then the Sith doesn’t self limit and the dice fall where they will.

However, if you are allowing a player to be a Sith or Dark Side user, … it is way outside my style of playing. It would be your game, so house rule it as you feel right.
_________________
"And so I am become a knight of the Kingdom of Dreams and Shadows!" - Mark Twain

Forgive all spelling errors.

[Naaman]

Yeah. I think that if the player perccieves that his character is about to die, or suffer some terrible fate, then he may be more tempted to call on the dark side. The GM could even offer freebies to simulate the "easy way."

If the character, for example, were stuck in a situation where death was immenant and certain, and he cannot figure out how to solve the problem, the GM might say something like: "Force Lightning could get you out of this" (or drain energy or some other power that grants automatic dsp).

If the player is out of Force points, thee GM could offer a Force point in exchange for a moderate control roll, and then, when the total is rolled, the GM could describe the surge of fear/anxiety/anger etc that is powering him. At this pooint, the character should be subtly offered a chance to decline the bonus...

[CRMcNeill]

I think there is an aspect of being connected to the Force that escapes not only non-FS characters, but ourselves as players. We can intellectually understand the concept of being able to control and interact with an energy field like the Force, but to actually feel it? I can't even imagine the sense of power that would come with being able to do what Jedi do. I think the Jedi's potential to lose control in this situation has nothing to do with them being mentally weaker, but rather it is because, in that moment, they can feel the Force offering power beyond anything we can imagine, and in that moment, a Jedi is sorely tempted to reach out and take it. That's why Willpower comes into play: because it is how the Jedi says no and steps back from the power that is being offered to him.
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index