Use the Force: Saga

I’ve been playing a bit of Star Wars Saga Edition lately and dug out a lot of my old house rules and ideas from when we played all the time. Some, like Astrogate are back in circulation, and others are… not. One area my group always complained about, and I’ve had relatively positive feedback around, was my rules for The Force.

As written, Use the Force is a skill that anyone can take, and it gives them access to a whole host of force powers. Characters with the Jedi (or other advanced) classes can also unlock additional uses. In D&D terms, it’s like if putting ranks in Arcana gave you bardic spellcasting. Then it unlocks Force Talents, which can be taken whenever you’d get a normal talent instead of your classes’ talent for more advanced uses. I’m paraphrasing a 15-page chapter of the book, but that’s the really short version. The gripe at my table was simply that by taking a single skill, the power level of a character jumps dramatically. And since everyone multi-classes like it’s their job in Saga edition, everyone ends up with this skill, and the ability to jedi mind trick.

Our fix was simply to break this up some. Instead of tying your ability to use the force to a single skill, we broke each force application out into its own feat. Then, we changed force points. First, we changed their recharge rate from once per level up, to once per day. Second, each feat usually requires the expenditure of one (or more) force points to use. We left the expanded talent trees alone, and you can take them as normal.

The Rules

The Use the Force skill doesn’t exist. Additionally, Jedi gain one of the following feats for free at levels 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20. They don’t gain Force Sensitivity (which would now do nothing). Anyone can take these feats as part of normal feat progression as well.

The Force Feats

• Cloak- You obscure yourself from view. Spend one force point to gain a + 5 bonus on stealth checks. Due to the stress of combat, this action can only be performed until the end of your next turn. Outside of combat, this bonus can last for up to 5 minutes.  You can spend multiple points to benefit from this ability multiple times in a row.
• Levitate– You can spend force point to shoot 30 feet into the air and hover there until the end of your next turn. You can spend additional points to remain hovering for additional rounds.
• Deflect– When attacked by blaster fire, you are able to deflect its fire. If you spend a Force Point, you can deflect all blaster fire until the beginning of your next turn, provided you are using a Lightsaber, or have a free hand and the quick draw feat. If you spend 2 action points, you can reflect these shots back at their attackers. To deflect blaster fire, make an attack roll with a DC set by the attackers original attack. If successful you deflect the shot. If you are reflecting the shot, first you must deflect the shot. If successful, make a ranged attack roll and deal damage as though the attacker hit themselves with the original attack. 
• Calm– When targeted with a mind effecting power, or ability, you can spend a Force Point to force the attacker to reroll.
• Resistance– When you take damage from an energy-based attack, such as a blaster, lightsaber, or lightning bolt, you can spend a Force Point to take 10 less damage. This can be used multiple times per round.
• Fear– You can spend a Force Point. You can make an intimidate check as a swift action with little to no words. This is a mind effecting power.
• Jump– You can spend a Force Point as a free action to gain a +30 to your next jump check.
• Move Object– You can move objects using the force. By spending a force point, you can move an object up to 5lbs. You can increase this weight by 50lbs by spending another force point. Objects move 50ft in a single round. The object must be within line of sight. An object thrown at a target is treated as a ranged attack. It deals 1d6 damage with an additional +1d6 per 50lbs.
• Mind Trick– You can make a persuasion check to improve someone’s attitude as a swift action, with little to no words by spending a Force Point. This is a mind effecting ability.
• Lightning– You can spend a Force Point to make a ranged attack against Reflex. If this attack hits, you deal 4d6 electric damage per round. You can spend an additional Force Point to continue the attack without needing a new attack roll. This attack has a 6 square range.
• Push– You can spend a Force Point as a standard action to make a bull rush attack at up to an 8 square range.
• Disarm– You can spend a Force Point as a move action to make a disarm attempt.
• Choke– You can spend a Force Point as a standard action to choke a target using the force. This is useable at a range of 6 squares, and requires a Wisdom check vs. Fortitude defense. If successful, the target moves down the condition track one step, and can only take a single action until the start of your next turn.
• Heal– You can spend a Force Point to heal a target touched ¼ of their maximum hit points and move them one step up the condition track.