Good points Phee. There's no a reason a Rival can't become a Nemesis either, growing in power or influence as the PCs do. It makes for a very personalised experience for the players.

Haha, even a fully-modded ship isn't a match for that kind of enemy fleet! But hey, that's why these ships are fast and the PCs should have good pilots!

We even did some retcons when the Rigger PC joined our main EoE game - the players very much wanted to keep the Krayt Fang so we retconned it that the Rigger was the original inventor who built the ship from the chassis upwards. Of course, without her running it, it didn't have those enhancements. She wasn't, to put it mildly, happy to see what the poor players had done to her beloved creation...

Aha! So that's how she ended up there, I had always wondered...

...Aaaanyway... >_<

As has been said up-thread, stating out the iconic characters is pretty much a lesson in futility. One other argument that I don't recall seeing in this iteration of the discussion is this - characters in a movie are not limited to things that would be practical (or even possible) to replicate inside the framework of an RPG.

While the whole power-creep of being an iconic character is partly to blame for the major XP-bloat that we often see, this is also a major factor. The director can have the characters do things in the movies that would cost hundreds of XP to be able to purchase in the game, but not have any of the other abilities that go along with that

Additionally, characters can (and in my opinion, should!) also lose abilities over time, too. As has been mentioned, our friend Daddy-V lost a lot of his lightsaber skills and Force potential when he donned the black skull mask, due to his injuries. And some of those abilities lost, on the talent trees, would be lower-tier abilities, while he retained some of the higher-tier abilities. Makes no sense in the game, but gives a diverse character arc in the movies.

EDIT: Yes, you read that right: I just called Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, "Daddy-V." I live on the Edge ! of the Empire

Or alternatively, the character just buys ranks instead of dedications. A character can grow to be really specialised in certain skills. There's nothing that suggests that vader (Not episode 1 ani, vader) was the best mechanic that ever lived; just he had an affinity for machines as Luke did. So a int of 2 and 4/5 ranks of mechanics would fit the bill quite nicely. Arguly the only two skills he really needs high is brawn and Will, because he's a great duelist.

Same with most things; a character who's the best gunslinger who ever lived might not even have an agility beyond 2, he would just pick up 5 ranks of gunslinger, a tricked out firearm, and rig a bunch of talents that makes him really good that even running up against a 5 yellow and 1 green guy wouldn't matter; because he's consistently better in other ways (the damage skills, quick strike, or simply being so quick off the mark that most characters don't get to shoot at him more then once.). That and reputation isn't always the same thing as the real deal, as long as the gunslinger killed/defeated everyone who challenged him to a draw off then that is fairly irrlievant, there might be someone out there better then that character but he certainly aren't met him yet! XD Same with a lot of careers, just because the character doesn't have a 6 in a stat doesn't mean they aren't considered the best. Most people are considered the best in a given area because they haven't met anyone better then them! A big galaxy for a lot of "bests" to exist.

I personally don't live in a world of anime characters that can slay a 1000 storm troopers because your midoclorian count is over 9000 (even though I am one who doesn't mind a inclusion of a potential gauge), but rather Vader is a being who's already potent abilities are enhanced by his support network. A new hope for example, Vader was given covering fire as he lead the charge, when dueling Obi-Wan he was basically surrounded by storm troopers to prevent any interference. On Bespin he has the storm troopers close by and again uses them to isolate Luke from his friends. In Return of the Jedi he doesn't even need to seek him out; Luke handed himself in and put himself at the mercy of the empire. Vader doesn't have to be a star ship smiting bad arse to be the best duelist in the galaxy, but rather he was a mighty fine duelist with supernatural powers that could block a blaster bolt with his bare hands but ultimately was still a mortal with limitations. In the same way that the emperor was just a man when vader picked him up and chucked him into a bottomless shaft to conveniently dispose of him, and was fatally wounded in doing so.

In short, The situation makes Vader almighty as he's never in a situation he and his support network can't deal with. Thats probably how most survivors, they were trapped by the army and only then did Vader move in to claim the kill. Hence I find all these comics and the like turning him from a mere space wizard to god incarnate absolutely ridiculous.

With that in mind it's always worth remembering that a character probably won't develop forever, at some point they will naturally reach the plattu of their skill and will develop no further. Yoda for example was just under 1000 years old but his adventuring days were long behind him as evidenced in his slow, awkward state when not calling upon the force. It helps that the few scenes he is in he really isn't slaying people left/right and centre as his bones are just too achy for that, but rather going directly to the point.

The vader crafted is interesting, I like the thoughts on equipment, but I just think theres much too much chaft on him. Parry 23 would simply depress any players that attacked him, he has way too many lightsaber trees. That and I feel a force rating of 10 is indlugant. To me this really isn't a character from star wars as even he was capable of being harmed by a boy barely learning his way with a blade.

Vader is probably more like

Guardian, Warden, Starfighter Ace, Shien Expert, Ataru Striker.

He won't have a brawn above 4 simply because he is a 50+ year old man being kept alive by artificial life support.

Physical strength is mostly coming from the cybernetics not any actual physical or force power at this point. His agility like wise will maybe in the 2 or 3 range. Blocking a blaster bolt with his hand wasn't Protect it was a destiny point activated reflect using his armored glove. He essentially has Sense, Move, and enhance. His move is good enough to toss around multiple sil 1 objects reliably and tear sil 1 objects away from people. His sense can probably reach out to medium range when reading people's thoughts. He has the full force leap tree and at one point could make full use of the other side, but given his mostly mechanical body its doubtful he can use that anymore.

Vader is probably more like

Guardian, Warden, Starfighter Ace, Shien Expert, Ataru Striker.

He won't have a brawn above 4 simply because he is a 50+ year old man being kept alive by artificial life support.

Physical strength is mostly coming from the cybernetics not any actual physical or force power at this point. His agility like wise will maybe in the 2 or 3 range. Blocking a blaster bolt with his hand wasn't Protect it was a destiny point activated reflect using his armored glove. He essentially has Sense, Move, and enhance. His move is good enough to toss around multiple sil 1 objects reliably and tear sil 1 objects away from people. His sense can probably reach out to medium range when reading people's thoughts. He has the full force leap tree and at one point could make full use of the other side, but given his mostly mechanical body its doubtful he can use that anymore.

Don't forget bind

I got distracted yes he has the full bind tree.