So I recently got a star wars bundle on steam, and decided to start Force Unleashed.

Something that struck me, though, is that at the start of the game he isnt actually all that impressive. He can move silouette 2 Tie panels around reliably, but only at short or medium range. He can "force leap" a distance I want to call Engaged, and his saber fighting, though flashy, takes two or even three hits to take out ordinary (armored) humans. He doesnt even get force lightning until the second adventure.

His big deal is having CONSISTANT access to the force. And he's already a darksider. So we can give him Force Rating 3, with a morality drop to Dark side, and he's consistantly hitting 2 dark pips on every roll. (and when he doesnt, destiny point) This also sets him up for picking up Protect unleash with his XP from the first mission. We can do this with Human + Knight level XP easilly. (we could ALMOST do it with Human + Obligation at starting XP, but we want force powers to use it too, and I dont really see Starkiller as a Sage)

I see him starting as an Aggressor/Emergent. 75 XP down the "Fearsome" column for FR2, 20 for Emergent, 75 (or 95 if you want uncanny sences/reactions) for force rating 3. Alternatively, Guardian/Protector can do the same thing as Warrior/Aggressor, with more stabbing yourself with stims.

As a human, a single free point in lightsaber and a brawn of 3 probably best represents his fighting skill. Perhaps he can pick up a saber style later- for now all he needs is to occasionally hit with his unmodfied Illium crystal.

For force powers, I'd give him the Basic Enhance (add his FR3 to athletics) to represent his anemic "force leap", and a reasomably upgraded Move power. He hasnt really demonstrated any other powers (aside from lightning) in the first level and a half, and it feels like vader molded him as a combat character- subtle powers like Seek and Sence dont seem like Starkiller's style.

I really enjoyed the storyline of that game. It was a lot of fun.

And you make some good points & perceptions!

But what about the Tear A Star Destroyer From Orbit superpower?

But what about the Tear A Star Destroyer From Orbit superpower?

Well, I havnt gotten that far in the game, but based purely on hearsay...

1) FR 4+ he's been adventuring long enough to get another tree and FR by the time he gets to that point

2) Cinematics= Good rolls with Destiny usage. Assume 5+ force pips on the roll on 3 dice, more on more dice.

3) Sillouette can be triggered multiple times. With 3 strenth upgrades (to reliably toss full tie fighters) he needs +3 pips to affect a star destroyer

4) GM was extremely leinent with range bands. In game the force power lockon never appears outside short range- the only reason he even HAS a range power is he needs it to toss things with the force. If he had -both- cheap range boosts, and the GM alowd the SD to be just beyond (personal) extreme range, it only took +2 force pips to reach.

so, 6 force pips with reasonable upgrades and a leinent GM. Theoretically possible at FR3, almost reasonable at FR4 with Destiny usage.

(2/3 of faces have 1 pip, 1/3 have 2, FR4 averages 5.333 combined pips, so it would only take a slightly better than average roll if you're willing to burn multiple destiny.)

But what about the Tear A Star Destroyer From Orbit superpower?

It really wasn't in Orbit.. It was already descending down to the Planet at the point you get to Pull it down.

This is a problem I've actually had with players before, created a problem in Saga, and one that I think really needs to be addressed prior to a game. There are a people out there who look at FU, or read an EU novel or comic and say (in effect)

"There's this one ability that this one Jedi did once at a totally plot-necessary moment - so that's totally what my character should be able to do when he wants to."

Starkiller, who is quite talented at Move, is in one moment of desperation, with the aid of his mentor, able to pull down a damaged, slow moving, suborbital Star Destroyer. If I was his GM, I'd have totally allowed it, even if there was no mechanical way he could reach the requirements - because it's a Crowning Moment of Awesome . Just don't expect to do it in any other sessions.

This is a problem I've actually had with players before, created a problem in Saga, and one that I think really needs to be addressed prior to a game. There are a people out there who look at FU, or read an EU novel or comic and say (in effect)

"There's this one ability that this one Jedi did once at a totally plot-necessary moment - so that's totally what my character should be able to do when he wants to."

Starkiller, who is quite talented at Move, is in one moment of desperation, with the aid of his mentor, able to pull down a damaged, slow moving, suborbital Star Destroyer. If I was his GM, I'd have totally allowed it, even if there was no mechanical way he could reach the requirements - because it's a Crowning Moment of Awesome . Just don't expect to do it in any other sessions.

I know several GM's that flat out Banned things from Saga's Jedi Academy book like Phasing.

@Quicksliver really brings forward an important point. That as cool of a move as it is when Starkiller pulls down the ISD. People blow it way out of Proportion. He is not pulling back a star-ship flying away from him, but for the most part using the Force to Guide the ISD to crash where he wants it. It was not a short event in the game.

It is not something that is outside the realm of a Force User(s) to be able to do, but it is a Very Difficult task to pull off what he did. Which would probably require some additional checks like Resilience for the stress it would put on someone and to see if they can maintain the Focus and Control for the time it would take to do that. Might even require Strain be taken.

But what about the Tear A Star Destroyer From Orbit superpower?

It really wasn't in Orbit.. It was already descending down to the Planet at the point you get to Pull it down.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but RAW doesn't Moves range start at Short and go out? So he could throw a Star Destroyer from short range into orbit, but not pull it from orbit to short?

Hurray for self-validation:

The Move Force Power

Question asked by Kaosoe :

[....]

The Range upgrade says I can spend force points to increase maximum range at which he Force user can move an object. There is some disagreement between me and my players with what this means.

By default a Force user can move an object at short range. If I activate all three range upgrades, would my character be able to move an object that is starting at Extreme range from my character, or just move an object from short range all the way to extreme range if I want?

Answered by Sam Stewart :

[...]

range upgrades increase the range that you can start effecting objects.

So, Mission 1 is FR3 and a fairly developed move power with 1 range and no magnatude upgrades

Mission 2 gains Unleash

Mission 3 gains magnatude on Move, and near the end he starts talking about Sencing things.

Mission 4 buys off some of his Obligation: Vader

There's also XP set aside for the various "level up" orbs, which buy stuff like force lightning magnatude.

I'm starting to think that, instead of Emergent, make him a Warrior/Aggressor, Seer. That way it's "only" 65 XP more XP to go from FR3 to FR4

Hurray for self-validation:

The Move Force Power

Question asked by Kaosoe :

[....]

The Range upgrade says I can spend force points to increase maximum range at which he Force user can move an object. There is some disagreement between me and my players with what this means.

By default a Force user can move an object at short range. If I activate all three range upgrades, would my character be able to move an object that is starting at Extreme range from my character, or just move an object from short range all the way to extreme range if I want?

Answered by Sam Stewart :

[...]

range upgrades increase the range that you can start effecting objects.

Well I'll be... you learn something new every day.

Well I'll be... you learn something new every day.

Yeah, the basic power is kinda confusingly-worded, but the Range Upgrade does allow for this interpretation with the words "at which" instead of "to which."

Before I noticed this minutia, I felt like a rebel running the power that way

But now it appears I've been playing by the rules all the while. *Sigh*

I ignore this BS game

I ignore this BS game

It's entertaining if a bit Michael Bay so it's not BS, just a bit over the top.

As for cannon I just think that its a story that got a bit overblown in the telling and that what really happend was less spectacular.

Perhaps the events as depicted in Force Unleashed video game are simply Alliance propaganda.

After all, it'd make the Alliance leadership look a bit more credible as a threat to Palps' Empire if the old man had tried to string them into a giant trap, and a heroic Jedi Knight gave his life to ensure the Alliance would survive to oppose the Emperor's tyranny. And in order to defeat Darth Vader in single combat, this one Jedi Knight would have to be extremely badass, like Anakin "Hero with No Fear" Skywalker or even Mace Windu levels of badass (going of their reputations from the Clone Wars), but his being dead also covers why he's not around to help the Alliance in the current day. It'd also demonstrate that the Empire could be fought and could be defeated if the will and courage to face them was there.

Perhaps the events as depicted in Force Unleashed video game are simply Alliance propaganda.

After all, it'd make the Alliance leadership look a bit more credible as a threat to Palps' Empire if the old man had tried to string them into a giant trap, and a heroic Jedi Knight gave his life to ensure the Alliance would survive to oppose the Emperor's tyranny. And in order to defeat Darth Vader in single combat, this one Jedi Knight would have to be extremely badass, like Anakin "Hero with No Fear" Skywalker or even Mace Windu levels of badass (going of their reputations from the Clone Wars), but his being dead also covers why he's not around to help the Alliance in the current day. It'd also demonstrate that the Empire could be fought and could be defeated if the will and courage to face them was there.

I approve of this.

It's the only way that the story makes sense. There's no way that Palpatine would be so colossally stupid as to bring his enemies to his top secret weapon, give them a tour and then let them walk away without repercussions. "Oh, hey Bail. Thanks for dropping by! Don't worry - I wont be sending assassins to end you on Alderaan or anything, even though I know where you live! Kthxby!"

I've said the same thing of the OT.

Perhaps the events as depicted in Force Unleashed video game are simply Alliance propaganda.

After all, it'd make the Alliance leadership look a bit more credible as a threat to Palps' Empire if the old man had tried to string them into a giant trap, and a heroic Jedi Knight gave his life to ensure the Alliance would survive to oppose the Emperor's tyranny. And in order to defeat Darth Vader in single combat, this one Jedi Knight would have to be extremely badass, like Anakin "Hero with No Fear" Skywalker or even Mace Windu levels of badass (going of their reputations from the Clone Wars), but his being dead also covers why he's not around to help the Alliance in the current day. It'd also demonstrate that the Empire could be fought and could be defeated if the will and courage to face them was there.

And the "Legends" banner continues to make so much sense in name and function. Thanks for the great idea, Dono.

Perhaps the events as depicted in Force Unleashed video game are simply Alliance propaganda.

After all, it'd make the Alliance leadership look a bit more credible as a threat to Palps' Empire if the old man had tried to string them into a giant trap, and a heroic Jedi Knight gave his life to ensure the Alliance would survive to oppose the Emperor's tyranny. And in order to defeat Darth Vader in single combat, this one Jedi Knight would have to be extremely badass, like Anakin "Hero with No Fear" Skywalker or even Mace Windu levels of badass (going of their reputations from the Clone Wars), but his being dead also covers why he's not around to help the Alliance in the current day. It'd also demonstrate that the Empire could be fought and could be defeated if the will and courage to face them was there.

And the "Legends" banner continues to make so much sense in name and function. Thanks for the great idea, Dono.

Legends, to me (an EU nut), is an opportunity to reuse, repurpose, and reflavor everything I loved about the EU without feeling like I'm ruining canon.

Oh, some things definitely got re-purposed in my universe One character in my game is Kota's ""Lackey" (Padawan, but since maybe 15 people in the galaxy know Kota is a Jedi, there's jut a dumb kid that follows him around) Cpt. Eclipse is in charge of a Victory class Star Destroyer in the Alliance Fleet, and there's an Inquisitor Marek wandering around the galaxy hunting down Jedi.

Essentially certain bits of the characters spoke to me, so I stole them and repurposed bits to fit my view of the universe, the history of the Alliance still follows the WEG version of events from the Rebel Alliance Sourcebook..

Kota is straight up the guy from the game, Starkiller tried to kill him, he narrowly escaped, but was blinded and drunk himself stupid until Fulcrum recruited him into the Alliance, he now is one of the more respected generals in the alliance armed forces, his past as a jedi is kept secret.

Eclipse worked for Starkiller as his pilot, but fled when she realized he was killing Jedi and enjoying it, when she defected she brought his ship and all of the datafiles on it, which is where the rebels first found out about the Death Star, enabling Katarn to steal the plans and get them to Leia,

Starkiller himself is the 007 in the Inquisition, reporting directly to Vader and known for being a subtle as a brick through a window, if he shows up in person in game it's someone screwed up, big time.

*applause*

That is a brilliant thought, ecw1701...

*applause*

That is a brilliant thought, ecw1701...

/Bow.

crap, that's an extra spec... getting FR 3 out of it might be more difficult...