Whats the point in Lightsaber damage mods..

[ZzaphodD]

I just looked through the Lightsaber Combat Forms pdf when something struck me..

Whats the point in gaining a +1d bonus (or having a -1d penalty) to lightsaber damage?

Lightsaber damage is (usually) 5D+Control, so 10D and above is not very uncommon. This means insta-kill except if fighting AT-AT or something..

So, whats the point in putting effort into a technique that gives you a +1D bonus? This also goes for the crystal rules with bonuses to damage. Whats the point? Am I missing something when it comes to resisting lightsaber damage (for jedis I mean)?

[Ankhanu]

It depends on how your games are played, I suppose. The way the game is designed, players don't tend to play powerful Jedi... they can get powerful, but it should take a lot of time. By my experience, most GMs offer up more CP rewards for playing than is recommended, teachers in the Force are more readily available than perhaps they should be, and other factors that let players become pretty strong, with die pools rivaling those of the movie heroes. While this is possible, it should take years of play, given suggested CP gain, training time (something often ignored), teacher availability, etc.

With weak Jedi, a +/-1D is somewhat more evident than with a powerful Jedi... mind you, the crystal rules and such are all house rules that players have come up with to add flavour. Sometimes flavour overrides useful

Out of curiosity, what technique grants a +1D bonus?
_________________
Hotaru no Hishou; a messageboard about games, friends and nothing at all.

Donate to Ankhanu Press

[ZzaphodD]

[garhkal]

Well, when jedi are fighting those who have high strengths, such as barbells, wookies etc, and the are on force points, that 10d damage (6d control, 5d lightsaber -1d for maps) does not look so overbearing.
_________________
Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[ZzaphodD]

[Ankhanu]

[ZzaphodD]

[ZzaphodD]

[garhkal]

[ZzaphodD]

[Ankhanu]

Like I said previously, the +1D things are largely for narrative flavour, more than rolling benefit... though they do apply when a non-Jedi or a Jedi not using LSC wield the weapon too, so it becomes more significant in that case. I'm really not sure that altering the rules to make them stronger (which is what you're implying, may not be what you mean by altering the rules) will affect cases not assisted by the Force more than it will with Force assistance; which is something to watch for.

More of the issue is, as you note, with LSC, not with the power levels of the house rules. Though as written, the LSC bonuses do nicely mirror what we see in the original trilogy where lightsabers slice through enemies like a forced air blow torch through warm butter... It's effortless for Obi-wan, Luke and Vader to slice through enemies, and that's nicely portrayed by LSC. Yeah, it makes Jedi damage power houses compared to regular characters... but, well, that's how it is
_________________
Hotaru no Hishou; a messageboard about games, friends and nothing at all.

Donate to Ankhanu Press

[atgxtg]

Well, there are a couple of options/house rules that could make the befnit more useful.

For example, if the GM limits "bonus" dice from Control based on the difference between the attack and parry (like in the SpecForces book). I find that this mimics what we see in the films a bit better than the hit/cut in two, method that is common to the RPG.

[Ankhanu]

[jmanski]

TESB: Luke hits Vader in shoulder, Vader moans.
TESB: Vader cuts off Lukes hand
TPM: Maul stabs Qui-Gonn
ATOC: Obi-Wan cuts off Grievous' arms individually
ATOC: Dooku slashes Obi-Wans leg and arm, and cuts off Ani's arm
ROS: Obi-Wan slashes Ani THREE times cutting off legs and an arm

There are probably more but I'm just shootin' from the hip.
_________________
Blasted rules. Why can't they just be perfect?

[Whill]