I really love the inclusion of the pre-gens with my beta book. The Shii-Cho Knight pre-gen did raise a question for me...

With an Intellect of 2 and no mechanics skill, how would this character be able to modify their lightsaber to have the +2 damage listed for it? The sheet specifically says it is a 'modded lightsaber' and the saber otherwise has the base stats for a standard saber with an Illum crystal.

I know there is nothing to say it was built by someone else or handed out my the GM, but it emphasizes for me how crazy lightsaber mod attempts are for characters not skilled in mechanics. Especially since the story expectation is that lightsaber wielders are expected to build and modify their own sabers eventually. I wouldn't want lighsaber stores or repair shops in my games.

With the two dice from Intellect vs a difficulty of 5 purple dice (3 base + 2 for mods), the only question is how bad the character fails that roll.

Given the damage capable by blaster fire and the fact that all other weapons can be carrying store-bought mods, I don't think having a melee-jedi/enforcer character with a +2 damage mod is that unusual or over-powerful. I don't believe this character even has reflect as a talent.

The pre-gens are provided by the developer, so I assume they also consider an 8 damage lightsaber reasonable for starting-type characters. The question is... how would starting characters with a lighsaber melee emphasis (instead of a gearhead) ever reasonably modify their lightsaber if mechanics is the only skill capable of doing the modificatons?

My recommendation would be to allow them to use either mechanics or lightsaber for build and mod rolls for lightsaber. That way, at least this poor ShiiCho Knight stands a chance to rebuild their lightsaber if it got destroyed or lost.

Aki

I really love the inclusion of the pre-gens with my beta book. The Shii-Cho Knight pre-gen did raise a question for me...

With an Intellect of 2 and no mechanics skill, how would this character be able to modify their lightsaber to have the +2 damage listed for it? The sheet specifically says it is a 'modded lightsaber' and the saber otherwise has the base stats for a standard saber with an Illum crystal.

More than likely the Shii-Cho Knight is using a Mephite Crystal for their lightsaber, which would count as being "modified" from the basic lightsaber stats. They probably left off the "can be detected by Sense" aspect since for the GenCon sessions the character was being used for, none of the NPCs had the Sense power, particularly not in the 4 hour adventure, and the demo adventure in the Exhibitor Hall was really more of a "quick intro" to the system and the idea of playing a group of nothing but Force users.

It's not like the other two 'saber-users are stuck with basic gear themselves, seeing as how the Soresu Defender has a set of armored robes and the Niman Disciple is using a saberstaff.

Also, the modding player could be aided by a tech friendly ally, substituting their skill or stat for their own. You don't have to hand over the weapon, you can easily be a part of the experience.

Also, the modding player could be aided by a tech friendly ally, substituting their skill or stat for their own. You don't have to hand over the weapon, you can easily be a part of the experience.

Still runs contrary to the EU-supported notion of the lightsaber being a highly personal item, and one that the Jedi themselves upgraded and modified rather than simply asking a tech-savvy friend to help out, or in the case of the Shii-Cho Knight pre-gen do all of the work for her since the Artisan pre-gen is both smarter (higher Intellect) and better trained (ranks in Mechanics), so all she'd be adding is a boost die to the Artisan's roll.

And if you want to go strictly canon, then lightsabers should be able to be modified at all , since in no place in the films or TCW do we see the Jedi characters working on or even discussing increasing the capability of their lightsaber once they're past the "build a lightsaber" stage; you build it and that's it, with new ones only being built out of necessity, such as Anakin and Obi-Wan needing to do so after AotC as their 'sabers were destroyed and confiscated respectively.

Though with Rebels covering Ezra's eventual construction of a lightsaber, maybe we'll get some actual canon evidence of a Jedi (or at least one in training) modifying their lightsaber after they've built it.