TheSagaContinues

Hey Steven,

Thanks for the answer.

I assumed it was errors in the book. I listened to an interview with the developer of this game and he said one of the chief problems was ease for GM's to generate NPC's... and it is true.

Still, one of my favorite games to run, so I will look paste these challenges and move on.

Thanks!

Thanks, StevenO - I appreciate the insight.

Yea, I am the GM for our game and I was struggling to refute the abilities questioned by my players. RAW leaves it open to interpretation and so I rolled with it on the fly, but then I figured I’d come here and get SWSE think tank’s thoughts.

I like the idea of requiring at least a die roll result of 10 to allow for the abilities to be triggered. I might refrain from allowing the lightsaber forms to fall under this same exception as the Jedi lightsaber talents - I agree that it is a lame way to get a free hit.

Thanks for the input, Steven!

I left well enough alone and we are playing the game rules as written.

I am not sure if this has been discussed before, so please excuse me if it has been talked about ad nauseum.

It's been about two years and my group has returned to Star Wars Saga and I am quite happy. I am working on our new chapter of our campaign - creatures, threats, plot, etc. - and one thing keeps coming back to me that I have always struggled with: Defenses.

I understand Reflex is essentially the TO HIT number (or Armor Class) needed for SAGA characters and I am good with that, but I struggle with Fortitude and Willpower being static. I always liked it when a PC has to roll his FORT against a DC, perhaps for poison or disease, instead of the disease making an attack roll against the static defense. Especially when a PC might need to make a series of saves to overcome the challenge. In this particular instance, it is the threat of disease and the PC will need to make a series of saves if they become infected. I like that idea more than the disease attacking their static defense each time. I know it works both ways, but I can hear my players now, "I can't make a roll to defend myself?" The other item that is going to be part of this chapter is Spice and the threat of addiction - I want the PCs to have to make a series of saves to overcome any possible addiction, if they are foolish enough to partake in the drug.

Has anyone thought about this or tried to House Rule SAGA for these two defenses? Maybe take out the static amount of 10 from the score and have it a 1d20 plus the modifiers?

How much of the game does it break to do this? I know Force Powers can attack a WILL or FORT, or even PERSUASION. So I know that it would make for an overall re-tooling with this idea, but I am just talking about FORT and WILL. It could be relatively easy, yea? I know that was one of the reasons for the SAM House Rule, where a skill roll can easily overcome an ability or defense - especially if the PC is Trained and Focused.

Maybe instead of trying to retool a bunch of stuff, I will just do what I said above- take the 10 from the score and have a d20 rolled with the remaining modifiers - at least for a few of the challenges I want them to face.

Still, I am interested in what others might have done.

Has anyone played around with re-tooling the skills modifiers in this game so that players' skills go up as they level, but do not become this ungodly number by level 8 or 9?

I would love to be able to have a fixed DC scale that is in line with d20 games as a whole instead of having the DC scale in Saga that you have to increase as players level. It is really kind of broken - the idea that a moderate challenge of 23 becomes a 29 or higher because the character is now 10th level (page 43 of Galaxy of Intrigue).

Has anyone created any house rules that limit how high a PC/NPC's skill modifier can grow? I was thinking about making Skill Training mean a player can use 1/2 their level in their modifier calculation - otherwise it is just their attribute modifier. Skill Focus can be reduced to maybe a +2 modifier, or maybe even stay the same. Maybe Skill focus could allow a reroll of the trained skill, instead of giving a bonus? Even attack modifiers grow at a slower rate than skills - but they seem to be in line.

I know that a number of the fixed DC's in the skill descriptions might need to be modified, as well as those in the Force powers, but it seems a useful project for me to do. I am getting frustrated with the 20+ roll results that come when I ask my players to roll a Perception roll (because they are 8th level, have skill training, and get modifiers due to their helmets).

I just want to get an idea of how much can be broken if I change the way skills are increased.

Thanks in advance for any offered wisdom.

That is a cool idea.

And StevenO, I am not much for too many house rules, either. As GM, you find it breaks something SOMEWHERE down the line that your players take advantage of.

I was just thinking more about errata - checked all the available docs - just because it is a manifestation of the Force to use the talent (which to me translates as a power).

Not sure if this has been asked and answered already, but does a Force talent that requires a standard action to use qualify as a “power” that can be activated via Swift Power?

The talent in question is Dark Healing and l want my villain to hopefully be able to activate it as a Swift action through Swift Power.

Thanks for the input, guys!

I agree with the problems this would create, so leaving it as an idea.

I appreciate clarity.