Jedi Combat

 

  There is a variety of styles that a Jedi can use while in combat.  Most only learn one or two styles, but many, such as the Battlemaster learn numerous ways to fight.  The most common is the normal way to fight, with the Lightweapon focused in front of the user, prepared to parry and attack.  The normal is usually the transition from one fighting style to another.  There is a maneuver, that is commonly called “underdog”, because it is more difficult technique and it often leaves the user open to attack, especially by multiple targets, however it is a good way to disarm an enemy.  Another fighting style is the “Samurai” style.  It involves pointing the blade straight down, even into the ground depending on length, charging the target and attacking with a vicious upward swing.  The third and final form is what is called the “Lancer”.  The Jedi must be very good at jumping and be very dexterous.  The Jedi jumps into the air and slams his saber against the target’s weapon.

  Underdog:  The Lightsaber hilt is tilted backward, so the blade will track up the arm and miss the shoulder blade when arm is straight down.  When parrying, the saber is swing with more power to cause the attacker to stumble briefly leaving them open to attack or possibly disarming them in one fatal sweep.  Changing from the Underdog position involves a quick wrist snap with very little contact from the hand with the saber (an easy Weapon Juggle).

  In game terms, the defender will add +1D to all rolls while trying to disarm, and +2D to their next move, be it attack, run, or get into a different position.  It is a very good style to fight with a  Lightbo or a Lightstaff.

  Samurai:  The Lightsaber is in hand, but pointed straight at the ground and stays that way until ready to make the blow.  Can be used with one or two hands.  This is very effective if target tries to parry, however it leaves them open if target dodges.  The upward swing can send another Lightweapon flying through the air, regardless, it leaves the target open to a second attack.

  In game terms, the defender parries, but his saber goes into the air, taking away his turn automatically, and leaving them open to attack.  Add 3D to attacker’s next attack.  However, if target makes a successful dodge, add 3D to his next attack.  Going to the Normal position is easy, and requires no roll.

  Lancer: The Jedi looks like he is attacking in either Normal or Samurai, however, he jumping high into the air instead.  When he lands, it is a devastating blow the target, even if parried.   It has a better chance of cleaving the target from the head down in more of a force technique.

  In game terms, the saber will land on the target’s weapon giving a better chance of winning a forcing contest, double their roll if attempting to force the other’s weapon into them.  If the target dodges, no penalties or bonuses are to be awarded.  Going to the Normal position is easy and requires no roll.

 

Jedi Battlemaster Martial Arts:

Jedi Battlemasters, long ago in the days of the Old Republic, designed a martial arts style to oppose the Sith martial arts that were claiming the lives of many Jedi.  The Jedi fighting style, however, was much more defensive than the Sith style, and reflected the philosophy of the Jedi as well.  After the Sith became extinct, this martial arts fell into obscurity, only to be rediscovered occasionally by a Jedi Knight with a special need.

For every 1D that a Jedi improves her martial arts specialization, that character gains a special maneuver described below.  In addition to those listed below, the following martial arts skill from the Rules of Engagement sourcebook are acceptable for a selection by martial arts combatant:  Disarm, Instant Stun, Nerve Punch, Reversal, and Weapon Block.  Characters must declare which martial arts technique they are attempting to use prior making the required skill roll unless otherwise indicated.  Though many of the maneuvers seem similar to existing maneuvers, they are specially designed to be used with a Lightsaber and do not require that the character be empty-handed like many other martial arts style.

 

Feint

  Difficulty: Easy

  Effect: The character can feint to draw off an opponent’s defense.  If the character makes the required skill roll, he fakes a maneuver to draw his opponent off.  If the opponent’s Perception roll is lower than the character’s martial arts skill roll, the character gains a +2D to his next attack skill roll.

 

Damage Equipment

  Difficulty:  Moderate

  Effect:  The character can cause damage to an opponent’s equipment.  If the character makes the required skill roll, he may use his hands and Lightsaber to cause damage to the opponent’s  equipment.  A Search roll must first reveal weak points or flaws in the equipment, and then a damage roll with a +1D bonus is rolled against the target equipment’s body strength.

 

Hilt Blow

  Difficulty:  Moderate

  Effect:  The character can use the hilt of a Lightsaber to strike a stunning blow.  By making the required skill roll, she may attempt to strike an opponent with the hilt of her Lightsaber, causing that character to be stunned for the remainder of the round.

 

Weapon Juggle

  Difficulty:  Moderate

  Effect:  The character is trained to move his weapon from one hand to another with ease.  The character, after making the skill roll, may move his weapon quickly from one hand to another before the opponent has time to adjust his defense.  Against a non-Force-sensitive opponent, the character gains +2D to his next attack roll.

 

No Fall

  Difficulty:  Difficult

  Effect:  The character is trained to turn a normal fall into a backflip and land standing or crouched.  If the character is tripped or falling, she may use this technique to flip and land standing up.  The character may then react as normal for the remainder of the round.

 

Soft Fall

  Difficulty:  Difficult

  Effect:  The character is trained to use his martial arts talent to soften a fall of up to 20 meters.  If the character makes the required skill roll, he may soften the impact of falling by up to 5D.

 

K’thri Arts:

  The K’thri martial arts style is a well-known fighting style throughout the Galaxy.  The history of the style dates back to the Old Republic, where it was used as a competitive sport among the athletically inclined.  As a style, it has its practical uses, for the learner to become a more lethal fighter.

   A character learning K’thri arts must spend one month with a teacher before gaining their first pip in the style.  When fighting against an opponent without any type of martial arts training, the character gets a +1D to their Brawling: K’thri Martial Arts skill, and their damage.  When in combat, they may subtract any number of “D” from their martial arts skill dice, and add them to their skill dice for Brawling Parry, or to their Strength roll for determining Martial Arts damage.

 

 

Lightsaber Dueling:

Ever notice that usual Lightsaber dueling in the RPG can get boring?  They have none of the flair, excitement, or fun of those epic duels in the films.  Here are a few optional rules to add a little fun and excitement to your Lightsaber duels.

 

Step One: Initiative

Both combatants roll initiative as usual.  The winner gains a +1D bonus to strike or parry for the next round for every full 7 points his roll exceeds the loser’s roll.  Dueling rewards the aggressive.

 

Step Two:  Declare Actions

The winner of the initiative sets the pace and chooses to attack, defend, or maneuver.  Strikes, parries, and dodges are handled the same as usual; the major change comes with maneuvers.

 

Maneuvers:

Table Fighting

  Description:  Attacker decides to move to higher ground and jumps on top of a table or other similar structure.

  Mechanics:  Roll Dexterity with a difficulty of 10, failure means you fall flat on your face.

  Effect:  While atop of a table, opponent’s strike difficulties are raised by 5.

 

Telekinetic Leap

  Description:  Attacker uses the Telekinesis power to propel himself into the air.

  Mechanics:  Moderate to Difficult Alter roll, depending on the user’s mass, as well as a Dexterity or Acrobatics roll of 15

  Effect:  This maneuver can be used to either remove himself from combat, shoot straight up, or take defender by surprise, or other creative uses.

 

Stair Fighting

  Description:  Not so much a maneuver as a location for a duel; One combatant is on a higher stair and the other is on the lower.

  Mechanics:  Whoever is on the higher stair adds +1D to his strike roll and whoever stands on the lower is at a better and to defend and adds +1D to parry.  This is only really useful when you A) know your opponent’s strike parry roll is so low the extra 1D will not help, B) when you’re shooting for Cinematic Bonuses.

  Effect:  Following every attack the defender must make a Moderate Dexterity check to avoid tripping and falling down the stairs, or falling backwards.

 

Forcing

  Description:  Forcing is a battle of Strength and will force an opponent’s blade back at him.

  Mechanics:  This is a bit complex.  If the last round’s attacker was parried and he wins initiative for the next round, he may use the forcing maneuver.  Both attacker and defender roll Strength.  The differences between the two rolls are considered points and are awarded to the winner of the contest.  The first person to score 20 points wins.  If the difference of the strength rolls was less than 20, the struggle continues to the next round.  Roll initiative again.  The winner gets to decide whether to continue the forcing.  If the winner was the attacker last round, he may break the struggle with no penalty, if the winner was the defender last round he may only break the struggle by scoring 20 points.  If the fight continues, both characters must make a Stamina check; Easy the first round, +5 for every round afterwards.  A failure means you are too exhausted to put up a fight and give in.  The other character automatically gains 20 points and wins the contest.  If both fail, it is a stalemate and the contest is broken up.  If both combatants make the Stamina check, the contest continues as usual.  Both roll Strength.  The winner of the strength roll first subtracts with round’s points from his opponents total and then adds the remainder to his.  The first to 20 points wins.

  Effect:  If the attacker wins, the defender cuts himself doing his Lightsaber damage.  If the defender wins, he overpowers the attacker and throws him away.  In this case the loser must make a Dexterity check to avoid falling down.

 

Feint/Attack

Description:  The character fakes an attack to throw off his opponent’s balance and then strikes with his saber.

Mechanics/Effect:  The winner of initiative takes the role of attacker and declares to Feint/Attack maneuver.  The attacker is taking two actions this round and must adjust his dice pool accordingly.  The first roll is the feint.  Attacker rolls his strike versus his opponent’s total in Perception or Sense.  If the attacker wins, his opponent has taken the bait and is off balance for the real attack.  On the attacker’s second, real attack, he rolls strike with a –1D due to multiple action plus the amount his feint succeeded by.  The defender must now defend the attack as normal, with a –1D penalty for multiple actions due to taking two defensive actions, even if the first was not real.  If the feint is not successful, the defender recognizes the attempt as being fake and does not bother defending against it.  On the second, real attack, he may defend without penalty.

 

Feint/Dodge

  Description:  Attacker feints an attack in a direction he wishes the defender to go and then moves around him.  He fakes the attack and when the defender steps forward and braces to parry, the attacker may take advantage of the situation and move around him.  This can be useful when trying to make and escape, embarrass your opponent, trick him into a dangerous environment, e.c.t.

  Mechanics/Effect:  Similar to Feint/Attack.  Attacker rolls a feint and if successful, he adds the difference to his dodge, or acrobatics, or whatever is necessary.  Failure has the same effect as the Feint/Attack.

 

Flip/Kick

  Description:  An unarmed defender grabs his attacker’s wrist, falls to the floor rolling onto his shoulder blades, and kicking the attacker over himself.  This maneuver is especially useful when defending with your back to a cliff.

  Mechanics/Effect:  The defender must make a successful Brawling parry versus the attacker’s weapon skill plus 5 with a 1D penalty for multiple actions, followed by a moderate Dexterity check-with no penalty-to fall and roll without touching the weapon, and then a Brawling roll with the 1D penalty.  If successful, the victim must roll Strength versus kicking damage and also make a Stamina check versus damage to avoid dropping his weapon.

 

Disarm

  Description:  The player attempts to remove the Lightsaber from his opponent’s hands.  This can be done one of two ways: 1) he hits the Lightsaber so hard, it flies from his opponent’s hand or 2) he skillfully ‘wraps’ his blade around his opponent’s, gaining leverage and prying it from his opponent’s hands.

  Mechanics/Effects:  The first way can be accomplished by making a called strike to the ’saber instead of the defender.  Attacker rolls strike at a difficulty of 25.  If parry is attempted but unsuccessful than the defender is automatically disarmed.  If the parry is successful, the attacker rolls Strength versus the defender’s Strength plus the amount the parry was successful by.  If the attacker wins, his opponent’s blade goes flying through the air.  If the defender wins, combat continues as usual.

To disarm using the second method, a Jedi uses the specialization Lightsaber: Disarm.  The attacker rolls his specialization plus Sense versus his opponent’s Lightsaber plus Control.  If attack wins, the defender is disarmed.

 

Strong Defense

  Description:  The strongest of defense stratagems when used correctly; it is the middle guard with the saber’s tip pointed at the opponent’s throat.

  Effect:  Add +2D to parry, but take 2D from the first attack launched when this maneuver is used; difficulty is +5

 

Launching Defense

  Description:  The most dangerous of all defenses, but many attacks launched from this guard are extremely deadly.  The weapon is held primary hand high, with the emitter near the head.

  Effect:  -1D to opponent’s defensive dice; difficulty is +5

 

Hard Parry

  Description:  This defensive maneuver is based in offense; the defender calls upon all his strength to knock the attacker’s weapon out of the way, and hopefully leaving him open to an attack.

  Effect:  If the parry succeeds the two combatants makes a Strength roll.  For every five points the defender wins the parry by, he gets +2 to his next attack roll.  If the attacker wins the Strength contest there is no bonus other than a blocked attack.  If the roll succeeds by 20+, the attacker loses grip on their weapon.  Consult grenade deviation chart; difficulty is +10

 

Sweeping Circle Defense

  Description:  Circling the blade in a sweeping pattern, the defender throws the attacker’s blade off-center.  This is the best defense against a thrust attack.

  Effect:  +3D to parry; -2D to next attack unless it too is a thrust; difficulty is +10

 

Retreating Parry

  Description:  Defender falls back under a foe’s assault.

  Effect:  This is part of the ‘full defensive’ attitude where no other actions can be made.  For each move, maximum of two, the character retreats they get +1D to parry.  If they move a half-move, they receive a +2 to the full parry.  This can be tricky, though, and may cause the character to miss something behind them.  They could easily trip, or worse yet, become trapped in a corner; difficulty is +5

 

Blade Flash

  Description:  This maneuver is used to quickly escape a pin, even possible allowing the defender to get a pin.

  Effect:  the defender quickly turns off his blade, escaping the pin, then even more quickly re-ignites the blade.  The user of this method beats his difficulty roll by 15 he may attempt a pin of his own immediately, at the normal dice penalties, even if this would push past his normally allotted four actions;  difficulty is +8

 

Blindfighting

  Description:  The martial artist is trained to use all his senses to combat a foe.

  Effect:  If the required roll is made, the combatant may ignore the effects of blindness for 1D rounds; difficulty is +10

 

Belly Cut

  Description:  A fast, vicious slash at the opponent’s belly

  Effect:  -3D to be parried from the high guard; difficulty is +5

 

Face Cut

  Description:  This kill attack is launched from high guard position, leverage and the target of the blade gives it added lethality, since head wounds suffer double damage.

  Effect:  Difficulty of the maneuver replaces the ‘called shot’ modifier number; difficulty is +10

 

Joint Cut

  Description:  With this difficult maneuver the attacker twists the defender’s blade around, than it comes at a strange angle hoping to remove or severe a joint.  This is most often done with wrists.  The attack works well after a hard parry.

  Effect:  Severs the joint of the attack, rendering the target helpless with that area; difficulty is +8 arm joints, +4 leg joints

 

Quick Thrust

  Description:  This is simple, yet elegant attack, form is one of the most difficult to defend.

  Effect:  The attacker loses 2D from damage roll, but the defender looses 2D from their parry roll; difficulty is +5

 

Angle-Cut Swing

  Description:  This high starting or low starting attack sweeps in hoping to slash from hip to thigh or vice-versa.

  Effect:  Only the strong defense aids in protecting from this attack, no other special parries can be use to defend against this.  All ‘normal’ parries are –1D, -2D when this form is started form the high guard; difficulty is +10

 

Pin

  Description:  This fake attack is used to pin an opponent.  The attacker makes a fake attack, when the defender parries, the attack ‘catches’ and holds the blades.

  Effect:  If the attack rolls are successful, no damage is done, instead the two combatants make an opposed Strength roll.  The attacker gets a +1D for surprise.  If the attacker wins, the defender is pinned that round.  At the beginning of the next round, the attacker may disengage or continue to make the Strength rolls.  Many times a brawling attack may be used after this maneuver, either the pinned or this ‘pinee’.

 

Step Three: Roll Dice and Determine Outcome

 

Step Four: Roll Initiative Again

  When you are doing well, it is hard to slow you down.  If you were the attacker, you gain +1D to initiative for the next round.  In addition, you gain +1D to initiative if you staying in the game by parrying all incoming attacks instead of dodging.

 

Cinematic Rules:
  Some people like to keep things realistic, but some people, myself included, like to play cinematically.  These rules are for the adventurous kind, like myself.  Whenever a player does something cinematic, they gain a bonus to his strikes and parries for that round.  Anything of style or originality should be rewarded.

  Here are a few examples:

A witty remark/insult:	+1 to +1D
Use of a “Ooze” blade:	+1D
Cinematic Maneuvers (Table Combat):	+2
Acrobatic Maneuvers (Acrobatic Dodges):	+1D

 

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