JD Wiker on SW:RPG Revised Core Rulebook

[Jack Haggerty]

hmm.

Here anything on when the "update package" will become available to those of us with the original version?

Leaghe

No idea.

I'd suspect sometime around the release of the revised Rulebook.

 

[Ranger REG]

I've heard very few people suggest that armor bonus stack with Class Defense Bonus. If you started doing that, you'd quickly have people running around with near-impossible to hit Defenses. The few that do suggest this, also suggest limiting either the class or armor bonus by cutting it in half (or some other fraction).

They wanted high DR value for protection against the most lethal weapons in Star Wars: blasters. But if you give DR values equal to the current armor bonus, you make simple weapons like a dagger obsolete.

With that high a DR value, it doesn't matter if you roll a natural 20. A dagger or vibrodagger is not going to find the armor's weak point and inflict wound on the wearer. This is equivalent to standing behind a wall with 100% cover. And I know that even the best personal armor is not THAT good.

You are right, we suggested some early ideas to allow stacking with Class Defense Bonus and armor bonus. I still think they should stack, even if there is still a small chance (5% or 1-in-20) that you can inflict damage on the most impervious of human being, unless he's wrapped in some kind of starship or mechanized armor a la Mobile Suit Gundam.

 

[Psychotic Dreamer]

Well they may rule that if you score a crit you don't apply the DR at all and the damage goes straight against the wound points. Thats how I would treat it at least.

 

[Jack Haggerty]

I'm considering that, PD.

Ranger, remember, in most sci-fi settings, the primary purpose of armor is to make the simple weapons obsolete. The secondary purpose is to turn lethal blows from modern/futuristic weapons into wounding blows.

This is Star Wars. Sure they can have personal armor that tough. It's science fiction. In my game, I'd consider 'Trooper armor roughly equivalent to "blast armor" on my chart. The heavy powered battle armor would be the type of stuff the nigh invincible Dark Troopers wear.

That heaviest armor is akin to mobile suit Gundam.

With a DR of 7 (the heaviest armor I list), a vibrodagger will do a point of damage on a lucky roll of 4+4. Don't forget strength bonuses to damage, though, that'll help out a little.

Really, if you see a guy completely encased in heavy robot-like armor, are you going to bother hacking at him with a knife? Even a subsonically vibratng one?

Exactly. You instead run away and find a rocket launcher, or a repeating blaster.

That's the whole idea.

Also, take a look, those heavy armors have hefty penalties, to Armor Check Penalties, Dex bonus, Class Armor bonus, movement, weight and price. Do you want to buy a suit of powered battle armor, or do you want to buy a small starfighter?

Considering the penalties, I can see few PCs actually using anything heavier than medium armor from my chart. More than likely, if they took out a guy with heavy armor, they'd sell it for cash.

Really, I just think it ludicrous that Ewoks armed with stone spears and bows and arrows can easily puncture Stormtrooper armor.

 

[Ranger REG]

This is Star Wars.

Yes, this is Star Wars. The same Star Wars that in Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi we see those primitive Ewoks able to overwhelm the hi-tech armored Stormies with primitive yet functional weapons.

Trust me, I scratched my head upon seeing this the first time and wonder if Georgie-boy Lucas has been smoking something to allow Ewok instead of Wookies. Later I realized that like his buddy Steven Spielberg, he has a thing for making heroes out of mediocre individuals against overwhelming odds (case in point, The Goonies.)

Nevertheless I have to accept this fact.

In any case, if what I have heard so far about armor's DR being limited to protecting the defender's WP, unless the attacker score a critical hit, then this particular mechanics I am leaning toward supporting it.

It makes sense since WP represents the character actual physical health (body). You can run out of VP and still be healthy if you have full WP.

 

[Plane Sailing]

FWIW, in my own vitality/wounds/armour gives DR system, I ignore DR on a THREAT, not just a critical.

Thus:

Normal hit - DR applies, damage to vitality
Threat hit - no DR, damage to vitality
Critical hit - no DR, damage to wounds

 

[drnuncheon]

FWIW, in my own vitality/wounds/armour gives DR system, I ignore DR on a THREAT, not just a critical.

That's a bit peculiar. If you need a 20 to hit someone, you automatically bypass their armor every time you hit?

J

 

[Ranger REG]

Well, that depends on the weapon's threat range. If you meet or beat the defender's AC and your natural d20 roll is within the weapon's threat range, that is a Threat.

But from what I have heard, DR only applies to any damage affecting Wound Points, with the exception of critical hits, not Vitality Points.

IOW, if the defender have exhausted his VP and then got hit which would then apply to his WP, the armor's DR will first absorb some of the damage, and any remains is then marked against WP.

It makes sense since Wound Points in Star Wars represents the character's actual physical health, and that is what armor is supposed to be protecting.

 

[Jack Haggerty]

Applying DR only to WPs is actually a pretty good idea, Ranger, and it makes sense. Now, I'm thinking about adjusting my DR armor rules to fit that in...

Though, I might go with two DR ratings for each armor... One for WP and one for VP. It seems to me, that Armor should help at least a little when turning a hit into a near miss with regards to VPs. In other words, you don't have to dodge as hard, since the armor helps to deflect the attack.

I'd keep the DRs I've got to protect against WP, but for VPs, lower it to... say, DR 0 for light armors, DR 1 for medium, and DR 2 for heavies. I've got to give the character something for putting up with all those penalties on the heavy armors.

What do you think? Is that too many numbers to worry about?

 

[The Antra]

Important question...

Hi!

So Wizards will release a revised edition of the game with Attack of the Clones information, right?

So, how do I get that information when I have already bought the first edition?

I won't have to buy another book, will I?

Will I?