Dueling Blades Upgrade

[CRMcNeill]

Here's my Dueling Blades upgrade. The major difference is the addition of offensive and defensive options, as well as allowing the character to select between Fast or Strong technique options. I'll be working on the saber forms next, using this system as a template (as some forms obviously gravitate more towards speed or strength, or offense or defense).

I am less interested in special moves than I am on their effect on gameplay. IMO, many special rules could be rolled in together and represented merely by penalties or bonuses on dice rolls.


Dueling Blades


Step 1: Determine Initiative as normal


Step 2: The winner chooses either Attack or Defend, and both sides select between Balanced, Fast, Strong, Very Fast, and Very Strong (Note: Adepts of certain lightsaber Forms will be limited to specific choices depending on the limitations of their Form).

Effects: The selection of Attack or Defend simply decides which character will be using which chart for their success results (like the coin toss at the start of a football game, it merely determines field position). The choice of Balanced, Fast, Strong, Very Fast or Very Strong, however, provides benefits to one’s combat rolls. In addition, the various Forms also provide their own bonuses to combat, depending on their emphasis.

Balanced - No special bonuses either way
Fast - +1D to Lightsaber (does not reflect an increase in skill, but increased speed, offsetting MAPs), -1D to Damage
Strong - +1D to Damage (This bonus can also be applied to or against Knock Off Balance results), -1D to Lightsaber
Very Fast – As Fast, but +2D to Lightsaber and -2D to Strength
Very Strong – As Strong, but +2D to Strength and -2D to Lightsaber


Step 3: Roll Lightsaber again for combat result on the following tables:

Attacker Success:

0 - +3 = Stalemate (Neither side gains or loses any advantage)

+4 - +7 = Force back (The attacker's blows are so well placed and powerful that the defender must retreat, often in a direction they'd rather not be heading. The attacker, with the gamemaster's help, determines the direction based on the surroundings and combatant's placement. The loser might be steered toward another obstacle: a wall, chasm, trap, another opponent, etc.)

+8 - +11 = Knock off balance (The attacker manages to knock the defender off balance, either through heavy blows, fancy maneuvering, or forcing the loser onto unsteady ground. This effectively "stuns" the defender, inflicting a -1D penalty against all actions for the next round only. The defender can still act, but at a significant disadvantage)

+12 - +15 = Wound (The attacker strikes a blow on the defender. Roll damage rules normally. If the defender was knocked off balance the previous round, the -1D penalty also applies to Strength rolls to resist damage. Alternately, the defender may choose to direct the damage against the attacker's weapon, or even use an unarmed attack.)

+16 or more = Trick (The attacker is so skilled and overpowering that they successfully execute a Trick on the defender.)

Defender Success:

0 - +3 = Stalemate (Neither side gains or loses any advantage)

+4 - +7 = Shift (The defender's parries are so well executed and skillful that they adroitly avoid the attacks and move back out of the way or to either side. The defender, with the gamemaster's help, determines the direction based on the surroundings and the combatant's placement)

+8 - +11 = Power Block (The defender forcefully rejects the attacker's efforts, forcing them back and off balance. This effectively stuns the attacker, inflicting a -1D penalty against all actions for the next round)

+12 - +15 = Wounding Parry (The defender subtly alters his defensive stance so that the attacker is wounded in the course of his offense. Resolve damage normally. The defender chooses how much damage was inflicted, within the range indicated by the damage roll. Alternately, the defender may choose to direct the damage against the attacker's weapon, or even use an unarmed attack.)

+16 or more = Trick (The defender so outclasses the attacker that they successfully execute a Trick.)

Note: The winner may always choose a lower option, no matter how high they roll. A good fighter knows how to produce the desired effect, whether it’s to maneuver an opponent into a tenuous position or wound him just enough.


Tricks:

Disarm – Winner knocks the loser’s weapon out of their grasp and send it flying several meters in a random direction (Use Grenade Scatter rules). Loser must make a Move action to reach their weapon, and picking up the weapon qualifies as a full action (i.e. attempting to move to the weapon, pick it up and return to combat in the same round incurs a -2D MAP). In addition, if the attacker ends up between the weapon and the loser, the loser will have to figure out a way to get around the winner to retrieve his weapon. Force adepts may side-step this difficulty by using Telekinesis to retrieve their weapon.

Feint & Kick – The winner delivers a blow that knocks the loser off balance and sends them stumbling 3D meters in a direction of the winner’s choosing. The loser must travel the full distance before stopping, even if it means they go off a ledge or into a beam grid or minefield.

Knockdown – Winner is knocked to the ground. Standing takes a standard action, and until the character stands, they are limited to Cautious movement only, and all actions are performed at -3D

Throw – As Knockdown, but the loser takes Damage when they hit the ground. Damage is winner’s Strength -1D (plus any modifiers from Lightsaber Forms or Force abilities). The winner may choose to reduce the damage inflicted within the scope of the damage roll.

Entangle – The winner entangles the loser in curtains, hanging wires or vines, or their own clothing. Results are determined by the degree in which the loser is entangled. If temporarily blinded, the loser suffers -4D to all actions. If one or both arms are trapped, the loser suffers -1D (one arm) or -3D (both arms) to Dexterity. If the loser’s legs are immobilized, they suffer -2D to all actions, and they cannot move. Penalties are cumulative if the character is entangled in more than one fashion. All penalties last until the character can disentangle themselves, with difficulty and time varying with the degree of entrapment (GM’s decision).



Thoughts?
_________________
"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

[CRMcNeill]

OK, I'm looking at a few little revisions here.

First, I'm going to put in a rule that whoever won initiative in the current round gets a +1D bonus to initiative the next round.

Secondly, I'm considering dumping the Fast / Strong / Balanced style selections and making such selections strictly a part of the stats for the various Forms.

Now, as far as the Seven Forms, I'm thinking that I will make the basic Lightsaber skill the equivalent of Form I (Shii-Cho), with no special bonuses or penalties. It will, however, be used as the prerequisite for Forms II-VII, which will be treated as advanced skills. Generally speaking, the Seven Forms will have following advantages, in the form of Dice bonuses:

Form II (Makashi) - Bonus to Lightsaber in Melee Combat only

Form III (Soresu) - Bonus to Lightsaber in Defense only

Form IV (Ataru) - Bonus to Lightsaber and/or Movement (Running & Climbing/Jumping)

Form V (Djem So) - Bonus to Lightsaber on Attack and deflecting blaster fire

Form VI (Niman) - Bonus split between Lightsaber and Persuasion / Intimidation

Form VII (Juyo) - Bonus to Lightsaber in general, but requires a Moderate (+5 Difficulty per each of the Juyo adept's DSPs, if any) Willpower check every round to avoid giving in to the character's darker emotional impulses. This form is also an "Advanced" Advanced skill, in that its prerequisites include minimum dice in Forms II-V.

Form VII+ (Vaapad) - Requires Juyo as a prerequisite, and has similar bonuses. However, the Willpower difficulties are at Very Difficult because the practitioner is not only indulging in his own darker impulses, he is also drawing from the darkness of his opponent and redirecting that darkness back out at its source. In game terms, the Vaapad practitioner receives a +1 pip bonus for each of his opponent's Dark Side Points.

The theory I'm working on here is that, as Advanced skills, Forms II-VII require double CP cost to advance. As such, from a purely skill dice perspective, it would make little sense to bother with the higher level forms. What I propose as an incentive in the rules to make the Forms more attractive is this; as the practitioner improves his skill dice in a given advanced form, the practitioner receives a bonus of 1D+1 for every 1D by which he improves the advanced skill. However, this bonus can only be applied to specific combat scenario defined by the Form's specialization. This bonus is to reflect the fact that the Jedi is focusing on a specific area of lightsaber combat, and as his skill level progresses, he surpasses the skill level of a lightsaber generalist in his specific area, while lagging behind in others.

For example, a Jedi who has a Lightsaber of 6D and the Form II Advanced skill at 4D can revert to standard Lightsaber for dealing with ranged weapons. However, when facing an opponent with a lightsaber, his 4D in Form II becomes much more potent. At 4D, the Form II practitioner receives a bonus of 5D+2 that can be used only against Lightsaber and Melee Combat opponents. For any form of ranged defense, the Form II practitioner rolls only his base skill at 4D, and would be wise to switch to a form better suited to dealing with ranged weapons.

Thoughts?

EDIT:

I've decided to keep the Fast / Strong / Balanced options with restrictions:

Very Fast is only available to Form IV and Form VII adepts

Very Strong is only available to Form V and Form VII adepts
_________________
"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

[CRMcNeill]

Variations:

Rather than make separate Lightsaber Forms reflecting dual lightsaber use and such, I decided to make a distinction between Lightsaber Forms and Lightsaber Variations. The Forms, while built around combat with a lightsaber, actually represent a holistic approach to combat itself. The Variations, on the other hand, merely change the weapon being used. The three primary Variations are:

Shien - Wielding the lightsaber in an unorthodox fashion, granting a +1D bonus to Lightsaber due to opponent's lack of familiarity with the exotic style.

Jar'Kai - Dual lightsaber combat. The Jedi can fight with two lightsabers without incurring an MAP, and may divide his Control-based Damage bonus between the sabers, subject to declaration before the attack.

Lus-ma - Lightstaff or Double-Bladed Lightsaber combat. The Jedi gains a +1D bonus to Lightsaber, and may divide his Control-based Damage between the Lightstaff's blades, subject to declaration before the attack.

[Author's Note: Lus-Ma is mentioned only in Labyrinth of Evil as a lightsaber combat technique taught to General Grievous and his Magnaguards, with little or no description. However, since Lightstaff Combat lacks an official name, and the Magnaguards all wield staff weapons, I decided to splice the two together].

There are other variations that cover Lightwhip combat techniques, as well as other, more esoteric weapons, but this description deals strictly with Lightsaber Combat.

Variations are not learned like skills. Instead, if a lightsaber practitioner wishes to learn a variation, he must pay 10 Character Points to gain the benefits provided by the Variation to the basic Lightsaber skill only. Once the Variation has been learned, the character may apply the Variation to the Advanced Forms at half the basic cost (5 Character Points).

Disciplines:

Unlike Variations, Disciplines are learned as a separate skill, focusing on some aspect of combat related to Lightsaber combat, but usually with a broader, more flexible scope. They are considered Advanced Skills, with Lightsaber as a prerequisite, but are improved like normal skills (i.e. normal CP cost). However, they function more as Dice Pools than actual skills. The two primary disciplines are:

Sokan - Tactical training; using the dueling environment to one's advantage. In the event of a Wild Die success by the Sokan practitioner or a Wild Die failure by his opponent, the Sokan adept can choose to spend either all or a portion of his Sokan skill dice on his initiative and combat rolls in the next round. Once the dice is expended, it is no longer available to the character until the duel ends. Because Sokan is based on proper positioning of one's opponent to take advantage of the environment, a successful Force Back or Shift result on the combat chart results in a greater chance of a Wild Die result in the following round (1-2 instead of 1 for Wild Dice Fail, 5-6 instead of 6 for Wild Dice Success). This bonus is cumulative for multiple successful Force Backs or Shifts, but drops to 0 again on a Wild Dice result.

Trakata - Deception techniques, primarily using the lightsaber's unique ability to deactivate and instantly reactivate, but also a blanket term for Jedi using deceptive techniques at critical moments in battle. On a successful initiative roll, a Jedi may apply all or part of his Trakata skill dice as a bonus to his Lightsaber skill roll that round. Once the dice is expended, it is no longer available to the character until the duel ends.

[Author's Note: I know these both seem like two separate skills that basically do the same thing. However, the key is that they both achieve the same general result (a temporary combat advantage) by different techniques. A practitioner of both Sokan and Trakata will be looking both at the dueling environment for possible advantages and at possible ways that he can "cheat" and trick his opponent into mistakes, and each bonus reflects the different area of specialization.]


Thoughts?

EDIT:
Additional Discipline:

Form Zero - This was more of an ethical principle than an actual lightsaber combat technique, the idea being that the Jedi should use their lightsaber as a method of last resort, and attempt to defuse a problem by non-violent means. In game terms, Form Zero is developed like a normal skill, and its Skill Dice is used as a dice pool, which is available as a one-time bonus to Persuasion or Intimidation. Once the dice is expended in a given situation, it cannot be reused, but it is immediately regained at the end of the confrontation. Opponents who have beaten the Form Zero practitioner in the past have a +2D bonus to resist Persuasion or Intimidation attempts. Those who have fought him to a draw or inconclusive result have +1D to resist.
_________________
"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

[CRMcNeill]

Additional Variations:

These are drawn from the Wookiepedia article on Lightsaber Combat.

Telekinetic Lightsaber Combat - This technique allows the Jedi to use Telekinesis to control his blade from a distance without incurring a MAP. Unlike the other variations, Telekinetic Lightsaber Combat need only be learned once, at the basic level.

Mounted Lightsaber Combat - Allows the Jedi to wield his Lightsaber while riding on an animal or in an open-top vehicle. In game terms, the Jedi does not incur a MAP for using Beastriding or any Vehicle Operation skill in the same round as Lightsaber and Lightsaber Combat.

Trispzest - Developed by Jedi with natural flight abilities, this variation allows the Jedi to apply lightsaber combat techniques to airborne battles. As such, Trispzest has also become popular with Form IV practitioners, who often utilize leaps and flips that allow them to utilize Trispzest's aerial combat techniques. In game terms, this technique allows the Jedi to use Lightsaber in the same round as a Move action that involves aerial movement (either flight or leaping) without incurring a MAP.
_________________
"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

[CRMcNeill]

Here's my idea for Tricks. I'm going to create an expanded list of tricks, and allow the character to learn a trick for every 1D they have in their combat skill. This will be similar to the Martial Arts Techniques list featured in RoE, but the character will only be able to use them if he gets a Trick result on his Dueling Blades roll. Others will be used for more general use, specifically Stealth Strike, Blind Fighting and Zero-G Combat, but if I can find other, more appropriate ones, I'll include them.

I could really use some discussion here on this. Do you think I'm making it too complicated here, in that I should just stick to the basic Dueling Blades? I'm on the verge of writing up four different result tables, based on whether the winner is using Strong or Fast, or is Attacking or Defending, and I'd like some input.
_________________
"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

[Bren]

[CRMcNeill]

[CRMcNeill]

What I may end up doing is, as I write up rules for each of the seven forms, I may include a Dueling Blades success chart for each form, reflecting the combat style of each. And of course, each form would also have advantages and disadvantages for certain combat situations...
_________________
"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

[Bren]

[CRMcNeill]