beat sticks and boom sticks

By Bishop69, in Star Wars: Edge of the Empire RPG

I'm hoping to actually get to play sometime in the near future, and have decided to shamelessly rip off LolKnight's idea of a force sensitive Tusken Raider...

My boy is off Tatooine, out for vengeance and hunting down bounties for the Empire, tracking down the remnants of the Jedi when ever and where ever he can...

But I have a few questions, naturally... which is why I'm here babbling to you lot about it.

I'm still sorting out whether to go Bounty Hunter-Survivalist & FSE, or Seeker-Hunter (I figure that his tribe *had* enough of a Shamanic tradition that a Force based class would be allowable), but that's really just going to come down to feel. I'm hoping for a long term enough game that XP isn't really a question, and we're starting at Knight Level, so...

What I could use some input on is A: his Gaffi Stick, and B: his gun.

A: Naturally, he has a Gaffi Stick. No self respecting Sand Person goes anywhere without one. Buuuut... he's also hunting Jedi, and will have been at it for a while at the start of the game, so I'm figuring that it's been 'upgraded.' How much would you charge at your table to add Cortosis and Sunder to a melee weapon that doesn't have it?

B: And also naturally... he's going to need a gun. And since he's taking out Jedi (as well as his usual bounty hunting gigs), it needs to be a BIG one.

And since he's a traditionalist, as well as seeing Jedi bounce blaster bolts back at people, we're sticking with Slug Throwers (which can be blocked/parried, but NOT redirected...).

Now, I've been looking at the Czerka Arms KS23 "Hammer", as well as the Sand Panther Hunting Rifle (maybe with the Czerka Detonator Rounds, if my GM will let me mix something like up. If not, I might drop the cash for a Model 38 Sharpshooter's rifle, but that seems a bit fancy for this guy). I'd love the DF-D1 Duo Flechette Rifle, but it's pretty heavily restricted. I still might pick one up for special occasions, though... I figure that the Empire might overlook the use of a restricted weapon when taking out 'Enemies of the Empire engaged in High Treason" or whatever they're calling Jedi these days.

Why those guns? Blast. Pure and simple. The way I see it, that's my best bet at putting down a Jedi.

Anyway... I'd love some thoughts on these questions... and if you like one of those guns (or even something else), tell me why. How would you customize it? Why? What would you give to the guy who has nothing but undying hate for the Jedi?

Thanks for the input...

>How much would you charge at your table to add Cortosis and Sunder to a melee weapon that doesn't have it?

I wouldn't. Pretty sure there aren't mods for these. There's a good reason why people don't go Jedi-hunting with a stick. :)

I get what you're going for, but I think preserving verisimilitude is also important. Not every weapon can do everything, and there's a reason the tech weapons are mostly better than primitive ones.

B: And also naturally... he's going to need a gun. And since he's taking out Jedi (as well as his usual bounty hunting gigs), it needs to be a BIG one.

And since he's a traditionalist, as well as seeing Jedi bounce blaster bolts back at people, we're sticking with Slug Throwers (which can be blocked/parried, but NOT redirected...).

Now, I've been looking at the Czerka Arms KS23 "Hammer", as well as the Sand Panther Hunting Rifle (maybe with the Czerka Detonator Rounds, if my GM will let me mix something like up. If not, I might drop the cash for a Model 38 Sharpshooter's rifle, but that seems a bit fancy for this guy). I'd love the DF-D1 Duo Flechette Rifle, but it's pretty heavily restricted. I still might pick one up for special occasions, though... I figure that the Empire might overlook the use of a restricted weapon when taking out 'Enemies of the Empire engaged in High Treason" or whatever they're calling Jedi these days.

The KS23 Hammer Shotgun and the Model 38 Rifle are the best slugthrowers by miles. They can be beastly when fully upgraded; we have an eccentric Big Game Hunter who won't use blasters.

But they are expensive Czerka Legacy weapons, something aimed at high-roller eccentric rich types, and it's unlikely you'd find one knocking around in a bazaar. You'd pretty much need to work that into your story somehow, or have him go off-world to find the very best slugthrower weapons.

Edited by Maelora

Bola rifle, son. Bola rifle all day long.

What I could use some input on is A: his Gaffi Stick, and B: his gun.

A: Naturally, he has a Gaffi Stick. No self respecting Sand Person goes anywhere without one. Buuuut... he's also hunting Jedi, and will have been at it for a while at the start of the game, so I'm figuring that it's been 'upgraded.' How much would you charge at your table to add Cortosis and Sunder to a melee weapon that doesn't have it?

110XP give or take.

The Guardian:Armorer tree includes a talent that will allow you to use the force to apply the cortosis quality to a weapon. Seems perfect.

As for sunder... Lightsabers cannot be Sundered... so you really don't need it.

Even if your stick isn't cortosis, it's really not that huge a deal. The Gaffi stick is cheap as chips, so repairs costs are going to be nothing. You'll probably spend more on stimpacks then repairs. You may want to look at the Duelist tree as well to get the sexy ranks in Parry.

B: And also naturally... he's going to need a gun. And since he's taking out Jedi (as well as his usual bounty hunting gigs), it needs to be a BIG one.

And since he's a traditionalist, as well as seeing Jedi bounce blaster bolts back at people, we're sticking with Slug Throwers (which can be blocked/parried, but NOT redirected...).

Now, I've been looking at the Czerka Arms KS23 "Hammer", as well as the Sand Panther Hunting Rifle (maybe with the Czerka Detonator Rounds, if my GM will let me mix something like up. If not, I might drop the cash for a Model 38 Sharpshooter's rifle, but that seems a bit fancy for this guy). I'd love the DF-D1 Duo Flechette Rifle, but it's pretty heavily restricted. I still might pick one up for special occasions, though... I figure that the Empire might overlook the use of a restricted weapon when taking out 'Enemies of the Empire engaged in High Treason" or whatever they're calling Jedi these days.

Why those guns? Blast. Pure and simple. The way I see it, that's my best bet at putting down a Jedi.

It's not the size that counts, it's how you use it!

Seriously though, while your choices are good, you may want to expand your search a little as well. Reflect is a concern, but it's not the be all and end all, remember for the Jedi in combat Reflect is a means to an end. It's the way he survives long enough to get in close and use that killy glowstick of his.

To that end you may also want to look at weapons that allow for battlefield control over ones that just do huge unreflectable damage. Bolos for example are cheap, low tech so even a Tusken would have em, and have both Immobilize and Knockdown! Both those qualities can stop, or slow down a Jedi while he's still at range.

Another thing to consider is to treat Jedi similar to armored vehicles. Vehicles with a high Armor rating can't be taken out by exceeding their Hull Threshold when you're suing hand weapons. Even a missile tube won't do enough against an Armor 3 vehicle to inflict hull trauma... What it will do is crit, which is how dismounted personnel are supposed to take on vehicles. Crit them so much they either get a "dead" crit result, or take enough crits to otherwise render them ineffective.

Against a Jedi with Reflect something like a Disruptor rifle or pistol would make for a heck of a weapon. Yeah, it might do only a couple of wounds after Soak and Reflect, but you only need one wound and 2 advantage to crit. Combine that with a vicious ratings of 4 and 5... Congrats, the Jedi took only one wound, that won't change the fact that I also vaporized his leg. Come on stumpy! Hop on over and swing that lightsaber! I dare you!

A: Naturally, he has a Gaffi Stick. No self respecting Sand Person goes anywhere without one. Buuuut... he's also hunting Jedi, and will have been at it for a while at the start of the game, so I'm figuring that it's been 'upgraded.' How much would you charge at your table to add Cortosis and Sunder to a melee weapon that doesn't have it?

Well, if you go with the Bounty Hunter: Weapon Maker (Tinkerer? Forgot the name of it), you could do with the DIY method. With a solid enough roll, you could add several hard points and install those goodies yourself.

If you want to be a long ranged Force User hunting Force Users then Hunter(FR 4 with Intuitive Shot? Wow)/Seer with Seek(don't want those pesky Jedi hiding with the force) and Enhance (who doesn't want to add 4 Force Dice to 6 more skills). Add Suppress to really shut them down. Through 20XP at Foresee to add those 4 Force Dice to all your initiative checks too.

All this goes out the window in a month or so when the Executioner Specialisation is released in Savage Spirites. I suspect that's going to be a brutal ranged combatant.

A: Naturally, he has a Gaffi Stick. No self respecting Sand Person goes anywhere without one. Buuuut... he's also hunting Jedi, and will have been at it for a while at the start of the game, so I'm figuring that it's been 'upgraded.' How much would you charge at your table to add Cortosis and Sunder to a melee weapon that doesn't have it?

110XP give or take.

The Guardian:Armorer tree includes a talent that will allow you to use the force to apply the cortosis quality to a weapon. Seems perfect.

As for sunder... Lightsabers cannot be Sundered... so you really don't need it.

To that end you may also want to look at weapons that allow for battlefield control over ones that just do huge unreflectable damage. Bolos for example are cheap, low tech so even a Tusken would have em, and have both Immobilize and Knockdown! Both those qualities can stop, or slow down a Jedi while he's still at range.

There's some gold here... I'd totally forgotten about Bolas, and they're perfect for what he's after.
As for the Cortosis - There's no way he's going Guardian, but what would you charge at your table to hire someone to add it to a Gaffi stick? I know my GM is going to want some input on this... and naturally, he's going to want to make getting said cortosis part of the deal (which I like, believe me...).
The Sunder part was more about targeting the hilt, which IS sunderable... If I can aim at someone's gun, I can aim at someone's lightsaber hilt. Maybe I'll just go the Vader route, and target the hand... hmmmm....

Another thing to consider is to treat Jedi similar to armored vehicles. Vehicles with a high Armor rating can't be taken out by exceeding their Hull Threshold when you're suing hand weapons. Even a missile tube won't do enough against an Armor 3 vehicle to inflict hull trauma... What it will do is crit, which is how dismounted personnel are supposed to take on vehicles. Crit them so much they either get a "dead" crit result, or take enough crits to otherwise render them ineffective.

Against a Jedi with Reflect something like a Disruptor rifle or pistol would make for a heck of a weapon. Yeah, it might do only a couple of wounds after Soak and Reflect, but you only need one wound and 2 advantage to crit. Combine that with a vicious ratings of 4 and 5... Congrats, the Jedi took only one wound, that won't change the fact that I also vaporized his leg. Come on stumpy! Hop on over and swing that lightsaber! I dare you!

Ha! You know... the proscription against Disruptors is so ingrained... I never even considered them. I was happy to consider a heavily restricted slug thrower, but the Disruptor actually did not come to mind at all. I might just have to rethink that... cuz this guy is seriously pissed off, and more than a little violent. Disruptors might be just the way to go.

Of course, there's that whole Reflect thing I mentioned above...

If you want to be a long ranged Force User hunting Force Users then Hunter(FR 4 with Intuitive Shot? Wow)/Seer with Seek(don't want those pesky Jedi hiding with the force) and Enhance (who doesn't want to add 4 Force Dice to 6 more skills). Add Suppress to really shut them down. Through 20XP at Foresee to add those 4 Force Dice to all your initiative checks too.

All this goes out the window in a month or so when the Executioner Specialisation is released in Savage Spirites. I suspect that's going to be a brutal ranged combatant.

Very much some of this...

And I'm also curious about the Executioner...

Although we'll see if he ends up going FSE or an actual Force Class. The jury is still out.

A: Naturally, he has a Gaffi Stick. No self respecting Sand Person goes anywhere without one. Buuuut... he's also hunting Jedi, and will have been at it for a while at the start of the game, so I'm figuring that it's been 'upgraded.' How much would you charge at your table to add Cortosis and Sunder to a melee weapon that doesn't have it?

110XP give or take.

The Guardian:Armorer tree includes a talent that will allow you to use the force to apply the cortosis quality to a weapon. Seems perfect.

As for sunder... Lightsabers cannot be Sundered... so you really don't need it.

To that end you may also want to look at weapons that allow for battlefield control over ones that just do huge unreflectable damage. Bolos for example are cheap, low tech so even a Tusken would have em, and have both Immobilize and Knockdown! Both those qualities can stop, or slow down a Jedi while he's still at range.

There's some gold here... I'd totally forgotten about Bolas, and they're perfect for what he's after.

As for the Cortosis - There's no way he's going Guardian, but what would you charge at your table to hire someone to add it to a Gaffi stick? I know my GM is going to want some input on this... and naturally, he's going to want to make getting said cortosis part of the deal (which I like, believe me...).

The Sunder part was more about targeting the hilt, which IS sunderable... If I can aim at someone's gun, I can aim at someone's lightsaber hilt. Maybe I'll just go the Vader route, and target the hand... hmmmm....

Check with your GM, at my table the Lightsaber hilt isn't sunderable.

I wouldn't allow cortosis to just be applied to a weapon just cause. There's no real need. They are only 100 credits, so repairs are going to max out at 175c unless it gets totally destroyed (which really isn't all that likely if you think about it). Additionally, if your GM is on the ball, he'll remember that a gaffi stick is, at the end of the day, a home-made axe assembled from salvaged scrap. Sounds like something you could tweak the crafting rules to accommodate. Might actually become a cool new character feature, going around the galaxy using a gaffi stick made of materials from the area of the last Jedi you defeated.

Another thing to consider though is things with the actual cortosis effect like gauntlets. Combine them with difficulty increasing gear and talents and you'll be able to turn off that saber reliably. Can't sunder with a powered down mag light. So (and this will depend on your GM and how he interpolates Defense) If you take armored clothing, and a gaffi stick, that's potentially 2 defense. Find other ways to increase your defense or make an attak against you more difficult and the odds of a shutdown increase.

Another thing to consider is to treat Jedi similar to armored vehicles. Vehicles with a high Armor rating can't be taken out by exceeding their Hull Threshold when you're suing hand weapons. Even a missile tube won't do enough against an Armor 3 vehicle to inflict hull trauma... What it will do is crit, which is how dismounted personnel are supposed to take on vehicles. Crit them so much they either get a "dead" crit result, or take enough crits to otherwise render them ineffective.

Against a Jedi with Reflect something like a Disruptor rifle or pistol would make for a heck of a weapon. Yeah, it might do only a couple of wounds after Soak and Reflect, but you only need one wound and 2 advantage to crit. Combine that with a vicious ratings of 4 and 5... Congrats, the Jedi took only one wound, that won't change the fact that I also vaporized his leg. Come on stumpy! Hop on over and swing that lightsaber! I dare you!

Ha! You know... the proscription against Disruptors is so ingrained... I never even considered them. I was happy to consider a heavily restricted slug thrower, but the Disruptor actually did not come to mind at all. I might just have to rethink that... cuz this guy is seriously pissed off, and more than a little violent. Disruptors might be just the way to go.

Of course, there's that whole Reflect thing I mentioned above...

I think you need to really look at reflect and superior reflect, it's no where near as scary as you seem to think it is. Reflect just reduces the damage. A disruptor, with damage 10 is going to take a lot of ranks in reflect to totally negate. So if you only score one success, he'll need somewhere in the neighborhood of 4 Ranks of reflect to totally negate the attack. And for every additional success rolled, he'll need another Reflect.

That's the entire POINT of going with a disruptor. Frell damage, as long as you do one wound and score 2 Advantage or a Triumph, you crit with a +40 or +50 on the roll. A hot check and your target is bleeding out, or if you go with the rifle auto-dies (and that's D-E-D dead dies, not just KOed/removed from play like with Wounds) at the end of the next turn unless he gets the crit healed.

And assuming he comes back a you with Improved Reflect... he can do... 10 damage... that's it's.. and that's before soak. Yay.... after soak you'll probably be looking at maybe 6 wounds? Military pouch and stimpack and that's no big deal.

Heck if you're talking the Disruptor Rifle then Improved Reflect may be a non issue. The talent only works at medium range.

So... tactics!

Locate your prey, Aim and open with a shot at extreme range ( get a Teleoptic Scope).

Jedi spends 2 maneuvers to run closer.

Fire again at Long Range, then Aim, or even double Aim (yes, after the shot, I'm going somewhere)

Jedi spends 2 Maneuvers to run closer

Fire a parting shot at Medium Range with 2 Aims for maximum probability of success and minimum of improved reflection. Use 2 maneuvers to fall back.

Jedi Spends 2 maneuvers to run closer.

Drop the rifle (incidental), Pull your Bolo (maneuver), move to short (maneuver) throw Bolo (action).

It's been 3.5 turns and the Jedi can only now move to you, take out his lightsaber, and attack. You've already attacked him 3 times, and likely done damage, probably even critted at least once.

This can be adjusted if the Jedi has Enhance (and is able to activate it) quick draw, and other things... but the point is, tactics can be adjusted, adapted and improved upon. For example, when you fall back, fall back to a location in darkness and equip yourself with night vision gear. The Jedi now gets setbacks on his actions and you don't.

Ha! You know... the proscription against Disruptors is so ingrained... I never even considered them. I was happy to consider a heavily restricted slug thrower, but the Disruptor actually did not come to mind at all. I might just have to rethink that... cuz this guy is seriously pissed off, and more than a little violent. Disruptors might be just the way to go.

Of course, there's that whole Reflect thing I mentioned above...

I probably wouldn't allow a PC or NPC to Improved Reflect a shot from a Disruptor. The energy beam from a Disruptor is a lot more unstable than a normal blaster and would not be able to be redirected at another target. Reflecting it would more than likely cause it to scatter into a million different directions. Just a thought.

Also, if I were going to make an old-fashioned Jedi-killing Bounty Hunter, I'd probably make something like this: Morgukai instead of a Tusken Raider. But, that's just me. There are two EU instances of Tusken Raiders being found off of Tatooine, interesting note I found on the Tusken Raider wookieepedia page after I saw this.