The way I read it you get one "set" of Defensive from weapons, whether you're using one or two (and a shield counts as a weapon) and one "set" from the armour you're wearing. Talents that give +1 Defence (Superior Reflexes I believe it's called) also stacks, unless otherwise specified such as with the Defensive Training talent.

Well there's Melee Defense and Ranged Defense (the Defensive & Deflection qualities can add to these), and then there's General Defense. General Defense does not stack with Melee or Ranged Defense.

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Armor increases General Defense, meaning that it doesn't stack with Defensive or Deflection qualities.

The talents Superior Reflexes and and Sixth Sense offer +1 Melee Defense and +1 Ranged Defense (not the Defensive or Deflection qualities), so those don't stack with armor either. The way I read them, though, is that they would stack with the defense offered by the Defensive & Deflection weapon qualities because of their "+" symbol.

I see it as General giving you a base rating in both Melee Defense and Ranged Defense which may be modified by equipment or talents if they modify the vaule ("increases by", "+1 X Defense") instead of setting it to set number (Static Cover Bonuses).

Someone should send it to the developers for clarification since there seem to be several conflicting interpertations of the rules about defense.

^ Agreed.

I'm just telling you exactly what the rules say in Chapter VI: "Multiple sources of defense do not stack." It then goes on to give the example of your general defense rating not stacking with your melee defense rating.

It's right there at the end of the "Defense" section in Chapter VI...I don't think clarification is really needed.

I'm just telling you exactly what the rules say in Chapter VI: "Multiple sources of defense do not stack." It then goes on to give the example of your general defense rating not stacking with your melee defense rating.

It's right there at the end of the "Defense" section in Chapter VI...I don't think clarification is really needed.

I read that as

"If you have a higher Melee Defense than your General Defense (how you got this is not specified in this very brief section) you use that instead of your General Defense against "Close Combat Attacks" (Brawl, Melee,( and Lightsaber ?, it is not mentioned in that section))".

Ranged Defense is treated the same way.

I see nothing in this sentence

A characters' defense rating can be characterized as one of three types: general defense rating, melee defense rating, and ranged defense rating.

All I see is the indication that it is possible to have a different Ranged and Melee defense.

This question and answer from the Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook FAQ document seems to support my interpretation (note the bold part).

Q. Some armor, talents, and item qualities provide a static defense value, while others specifically increase a defense value. How do they interact?

A. When a character can choose between two static defense values, (for example, if he is in cover and is wearing armor that has a defense value), he chooses the better of the two values.

Then any armor, talents, and item qualities he has that “increase” his defense value are added to the static value he chose.

(Cover has been clarified in the errata to reflect this.)

I belive our lack agreement stems from the extreme brevity of this section (2 Paragraphs, one 4 Sentences Long, one 3 Sentences Long) along with the complete lack of any examples of how different sources of Defense interact with each other (In the Book itself anyway, some questions have been answered about multiple sources of the defensive quality).

The section does not even mention "Lightsaber" skill type attacks at all, that does not really speak well for the comprehensive and clear nature of the rest of the section.

The fact that we are having this discussion at all indicates that clarification is needed.

We have mutually exclusive interpertations of the same section of the rules.

Asking for a rules clarification seems to be the only way to resolve that.

Lightsaber isn't a skill available to PCs in Age of Rebellion or Edge of the Empire (they address that in the Lightsaber's weapon entry), so they wouldn't mention that in their general rules sections. And anyway, it's already covered under the big, bold rule right before the section we're discussing: "A character adds a number of [setback] equal to his defense rating to all combat checks directed against him." Since a Lightsaber attack is a combat check, it applies, and since it's a close quarters combat, you'd use your melee defense. Unless of course the lightsaber is thrown; then you'd use your ranged defense

But sure, I can see how clarification is needed, given the quoted answer provided above.

Lightsaber isn't a skill available to PCs in Age of Rebellion or Edge of the Empire

Edit:

One of the example enemies the "FORSAKEN JEDI [NEMESIS]" on page 412 of the EoE Core Rulebook has a Lightsaber and 4 Ranks in the Lightsaber skill.

I don't have access to Force and Destiny here (my GM has it but I don't) so I can't check if there are any differences there that might address the Lightsaber skill.

Lightsaber isn't a skill available to PCs in Age of Rebellion or Edge of the Empire

It is available to Enemies though so clarifying it in the rules for combat would be expected.

Edit:

One of the example enemies the "FORSAKEN JEDI [NEMESIS]" on page 412 of the EoE Core Rulebook has a Lightsaber and 4 Ranks in the Lightsaber skill.

I don't have access to Force and Destiny here (my GM has it but I don't) so I can't check if there are any differences there that might address the Lightsaber skill.

It's not listed in the Skills chapter of EotE and AoR, so mentioning it off-hand as a "skill" elsewhere would just be confusing. That is most likely why they didn't include it there. Plus, as I said, they don't need to, because it's a combat check and the rules already cover it.

The Lightsaber skill is mentioned in that section in Chapter VI of the Force and Destiny Beta.

I can post the question to the devs, just never done it before so I am not sure how to do it.

Just to to the "More" section of the top bar then the "Contact" from that menu, I did it, and it worked for me

I can post the question to the devs, just never done it before so I am not sure how to do it.

No I idea how long it takes to get an answer though.

Sam tends to hoard the questions and answers them in batches. I suppose it's more efficient for him that way.

Sam tends to hoard the questions and answers them in batches. I suppose it's more efficient for him that way.

Indeed... Highly productive people tend towards those types of practices.