Lightsabers

[shootingwomprats]

Even though I GM I have not spent a lot of time looking at the mechanics of using a lightsaber. So I was curious if I am doing this right and how others do it in their games.

Just to swing a lightsaber at someone and hit requires a Difficult lightsaber combat skill roll. Meaning it will typically require an 18 or better to use. This requires a 5D in the skill to be effective with it (17.5 average). Though it says its a difficult weapon is it really a Difficult task?

Lightsaber Combat (LSB) may be activated in a single round, with a -1D MAP or done over two round without a MAP. The skill dice leftover from Sense may be added to your lightsaber combat skill roll and Control may be added to your damage. The power may be kept "up" though this is considered an action, so using the lightsaber with LSB activated is -1D MAP for a single swing.

So lets say the character has lightsaber combat 5D, Control 3D, and Sense 2D.

The player activates LSB in a single round and swings his lightsaber to attack an enemy. He rolls Control 2D (moderate) and Sense 1D (easy) and if he manages it activates his LSB. He now has lightsaber combat 6D. Since the power is "up" and he is performing second action, swining at the enemy, his skill is 5D. He now has to roll 18+ in order to hit. If he were to swing twice he would be at 4D and again would have to roll 18+.

Unlikely either way. This just doesn't seem right. Even with Control 3D, Sense 2D and the Force power LSB, IF he is even able to activate it, he would miss more than he would hit. This does not make sense to me at all.

How do others do it in their games? On the surface it would seem the best way is to lower the difficulty to Moderate and go from there. The idea of it being an "elegant and hard to control" weapon is handled as story fluff and not a part of the mechanics.

Thoughts?
_________________
Don Diestler
Host, Shooting Womp Rats
The D6 Podcast
http://d6holocron.com/shootingwomprats
@swd6podcast, Twitter

[Naaman]

In all honesty, we just ignore MAPs for actions that are all the same thing (swinging a lightsaber and having the power up, for example).

Also, the way I read the rules, it does no good to add sense unles you have more than 2D in Sense, since the MAPs cancel it out (or even overpower it) below that level. If you're applying the MAP to control as well, then it also must be greater than 2D to have any benefit.

Note that, it seems to me that the MAP for having the power up is only applied once. That is, you add sense and control to your lightsaber skill (for a total of, say, 9D to hit and 10D damage) subtract 2 each from your attacks and damage (one for sense, one for control being "up") for a new "base" total of 7D and 8D respectively. Now all attacks deal 8D damage, while multiple attacks suffer MAPs on a 7D skill total (so two attacks are rolled at 6D, three attacks at 5D, etc).

Though you'll find that most people do away with the RAW in favor of a house rule that fits their play style because the force power is either useless (at low levels) or way out of control ( at "moderate" levels.... there isn't much middle ground).

[Pel]

MAPs aside, I agree that the Difficult roll to use it properly should stand. It states that if the wielder flubs the roll by 10 or more (aka rolling 10 or less), they injure themselves (aka self-amputation). We always chalked that up to the blade having no mass and therefore new wielders tending to overcompensate.

For MAPs, I think you're correct, but I've rarely seen it played by the official rules. With Control, Sense, and a Lightsaber Combat strike you're really using 3 skills and should apply -2D to everything. At low levels this is an exercise in futility and ripe for amputating various appendages and the main reason why our resident Jedi only used a blaster for a long time.
_________________
Aha!

[Naaman]

Yeah. I tend to agree that (although it is my favorite thing about D6SW) WEG did an atrocious job at writing up the lightsaber combat force power.

It's way too prohibitive for early characters to use, and way too overpowering for mid-level characters to use. Forget about high level play altogether.

[garhkal]

I am one who LIKES that the LS is one of those rare weapons that its HARD to use properly.
_________________
Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Naaman]

I don't disagree on that, either.

But I think that, since only a Jedi should be using a lightsaber, and only a Jedi should know the lightsaber combat Force power, there just wasn't enough thought (or enough play testing?) put into the development of the rules.

Suppose, for example, your character is one of those younglings that Yoda is seen training in Ep. 2, only, when you start the campaign, he is 18 years old. Is really going to lop off his arm with a weapon he's been practicing with for the past 10-15 years? Just doesn't make much sense to me. Now, Luke in Obi-Wan's hut, that's another story, and is certainly the setting around which the rules are based.

[shootingwomprats]

[Naaman]

Speaking of that, there is a llevel of training required to properly use firearms, anf the same rules would apply to blasters. I used to think that we needed a rule for determining where missed blaster shots went and who/what they hit.

I really think that the whole self maiming thing was put in to mitigate everyone using a lightsaber... which is fine. The only non FS character we see using on is Grievous, but anything he chops off is just "parts" anyway.
I suppose you could count Pre Vizsla as another, but... I kida just ignore that whole part of SW...

[tetsuoh]

We house ruled that LSC adds only 1/3 of their force skill dice to their totals - this means the lightsaber isnt as effective overall - but still generally a good weapon and devastating in the hands of a master.

We leave the difficulty - the weapon is hard to use as you have no weight as a guiding factor.

This mean students tend to have a hard time with the weapon until they are well versed in it.

However we allow form training - which are our specializations of lightsaber but only allow their totals to be used on the manuevers used in those forms.

It complicates things but adds more of a martial element to the idea of the lightsaber.

[garhkal]

[Naaman]

LOL! I dont know if you meant that to be funny or not, but I got a kick out of it.

[Naaman]

[Whill]

As an option, Lightsaber could be an advanced skill, and the danger of maiming yourself is only for unskilled use just using the Melee skill.
_________________
*
Site Map
Forum Guidelines
Registration/Log-In Help
The Rancor Pit Library
Star Wars D6 Damage

[tetsuoh]

[garhkal]