Your character sheets have been updated to lvl 7:

• Still working on description of powers, feats and talents - a bit left to go, but there have been improvements.
  • Enhance Ability is now called Valor.
  • Other minor name-changes as well.
• There are now 4 pages; powers, feats and talents now include a brief description of the effect.
• For powers there are now boxes to track scene/episode use of powers.
• Super-heroic characters like you get +1 language; so you both have a free language pick.
• ETAN. Found an error i E'tan; he had the same ability increases at lvl 4 that E Leet had. I think he should have an increase in CON rather than INT, giving him 16 CON and 14 INT (and more Vitality etc.).
• ETAN. Swapped Force Acrobatics to Force Inuition. You are already good at Acrobatics. Now you can roll good Initiative and avoid ambushes as well.
• ELEET. I swapped Skill training Acrobatics to Endurance. No use having Acrobatics when you have the Force Acrobatics talent.

The new sheets have been printed; you can also find them on DropBox (v6.6).

There was some confusion regarding talents last time. They are pretty poorly presented in Saga Edition; and some are very good while others are completely useless. I've been meaning to streamline them a bit, so here goes:

Talents are just like feats, but unlike feats you're more limited in which talents you can buy. Usually only those talent trees that are available to you class. You can select from the talent trees listed. Most classes have fewer trees, but as Force-users you have extra options. There is one catch; you don't get very many talents (level/3, round up + bonus talents), so spend them wisely (E Leet currently has 4, E'tan 5). You can also use Feats to buy the Talented feat; which gives you a bonus talent...

• Light Side: Mostly stuff that will let you ward off Dark Side attacks.
• Jedi Guardian: Fast, tough, melee expert. That's the Jedi guardian. Example: Elusive target, resilience.
  
• Lightsaber mastery: Lets you use your lightsaber to block and deflect incoming attacks; stuff only Jedi can do. Examples: Block, riposte, deflect, reflect.
• Control: Lets you shrug off damage and deliberating effects.
• Sense: Lets you use Sense in new ways; you could gauge the Force potential in another sentient, peer into the future to give yourself combat bonuses, etc.
• Alter: Lets you use Alter in new and exiting ways; you could, for example, get better at using telekinetic powers or Force lighting, you could learn how to create Force illusions, and much more.

It's time to learn how to use the Force properly!

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All Jedi have a set of Force Powers; how many you have are based upon you level (see the 'Level' sheet in the CharSheet). You get one extra per Force skill you're trained in. And one extra if you're human. There is also the Force Training feat that can give you more powers. You currently have 7-8 Force Powers each. Enough for some flexibility.

Here is a typical Light Side Force power - Battle Mind. We'll use it as an example.

Name: Pretty self-explanatory.

Description: Short fluff.

Preq: Prerequisites. In this case you must have training in both Control and Sense.

DS/LS: If its restricted to LS/DS or available to both. A LS power can't be used if you DSP >= 1/2 your Wisdom. The reverse is true for a DS power.

Special: Is the power Mind-Affecting, Energy, Telekinetic, or does it have another special descriptor. Battle Mind is Mind-Affecting. So anything that screws up Mind-Affecting stuff can negate it.

Skills: What skill to use. If it says AND you use the worst of the skills listed. If it says OR you can use the best.

Type: There are three types of powers; many powers can be of more than one type.

• Utility; can be used whenever you like or are always active.
• Scene; can be used once per scene (often meaning once per battle).
• Episode; can be used once per episode (or more often for long episodes - GM discretion).

Time: What kind of action the use of the power requires. In this case either Full (for the Utility use) or Swift.

Target: What does the power target. This is often You. Or there may be a range given in squares. Some powers have Cone effects or other area effects.

DC: How well you roll will often decide how effective the power is. The default DC is 20; rolling a 15 gives a reduced effect while rolling a 30 gives an enhanced effect. People like Yoda can do even more amazing stuff (cuz he's little, cute and green!). The Episode version usually uses the same DC as the Scene version, but it last for the entire scene rather than one round.

Basic effect: What the power actually does. Damage, knockdown, condition changes, etc. There may also be info on resisting a power if applicable (i.e. a Jedi can use certain Force skills to resist some Force effects). Battlemind gives you a bonus (from +1 to +3 depending on how well you roll) to all attacks and defenses until end of turn. The Episode use makes it last the entire scene (pretty useful!).

Enhanced effect: If you spend a Force point when activating the power (before rolling the dice) you get more juice. Can't be used with the Episode version of the power; if already in effect the Enhanced effect only lasts for one round (if you want to to last longer, spend more points).

Unleashed effect: Same as enhanced, only more powerful. Requires a Destiny point. Can't be used with the Episode version of the power; if already in effect the Unleashed effect only lasts for one round (if you want to to last longer, spend more points).

So how do you use power effectively? Since it adds to any attack AND defense it's a pretty all-round power. Useful in most situation when you're trying to take down an opponent while trying to avoid getting hit. About as simple as that.  The Episode use is best saved for whenever a big fight seems to be brewing; but do note that it requires a Swift action to maintain it. Could be times when that's not desirable.

We use the Saga edition, with a few tweaks. Mostly taken from either the former edition or DnD 4E. Here is a summary of the most important changes:

• There are 30 levels instead of 20.
• You get a level bonus every other level (to attack, skills, defense).
• At odd levels you get a feat.
• You also get cool stuff at every level from your class; non-Jedi alternate between bonus feats and talents, Jedi between bonus feats, talents and force powers.
• You get fixed hp (vitality) every level; you don't roll. For Jedi it's 5/level (x6 at 1st level).
• There are also some changes to some skills (including 3 Force skills rather than 1), feat and talents.
• There are a lot of changes to Force powers (they are more powerful).
• Jedi are more powerful than non-Jedi; but they are (apparently not applicable to E'tan) bound by the Jedi Code.
• Using the Force is either skill-based (i.e. lifting a big rock is Alter-based vs. difficulty, lifting another Jedi is Alter vs. Control) or work as any other attack (Force Push or Lightsaber Throw for example)
• Attacks are either STR-based (melee), DEX-based (lightsabers and blasters) or CHA-based (Force)
• Armor provides DR.
• Some changes to the way vitality/healing surges etc. work.
• Force points work differently; they regenerate regularly and can be spent in more ways.
• Destiny points can also be used more creatively.

There are probably some additional changes, but these are the most important ones.

Lightsaber base damage is 3d8 (just as it was in the previous edition of the rules). That's the same damage a blaster rifle does on the normal setting. Sounds about right to me.

Although we have switched to the Saga rules armor will continue to provide DR.

• Armor provides no protection against lightsabers
• Armor provides normal protection against blasters and other hi-tech weapons (primitive armor offers half protection against such weapons)
• Armor provides double protection against other 'primitive' weapons (unless we're also talking primitive armor)

Exceptions are possible; as you've already noticed the new Sith has armor that is at least partially resistant to ligthsabers.

Star Wars is a cinematic game where heroes can dodge blaster bolts and fight through hordes of minions. The rules for damage and healing reflects this – not only is it possible to avoid blaster fire; you could actually survive multiple hits from a weapon that can kill and armored trooper with a single blast. It’s not realistic, but it’s heroic.

VITALITY

Vitality is an abstract measure of how tough you are to kill. The common people you meet on the street won’t have very many vitality and are easily killed by blaster or lightsabers, whereas heroes have that little extra something that keep them from getting killed or incapacitated.
Damage: How much damage you’ve taken from various sources. You track this on your character sheet. Damage remains until healed. Base vitality minus damage equals current vitality.

Bloodied: When you’ve taken damage equal to or greater than half your vitality you are bloodied; you’re a bit bruised and battered, but basically still OK. Some feats, talents, and action are only applicable if you’re bloodied (such as using healing surges).

0 vitality: Characters reduced to 0 vitality (you can’t have negative vitality!) moves -5 steps on the condition track and fall unconscious. If the hit that reduced you to 0 vitality equals or exceeds your damage threshold you are instead dying (minions are killed instead). Spending a Force point will prevent you from dying in this manner; you’re just knocked out and down to 0 vitality.

Dying: Heroic characters that are ‘killed’ expire after 1d6 rounds. If the GM deems it appropriate a dying character could come around for long enough to utter some dying words. Successful first aid (Medicine DC 25, bonus if using advanced medical gear) can prevent a dying character from dying; he remains at 0 vitality and his condition is unchanged, but he doesn’t die.

Death: Dead characters normally remain dead; unless resuscitated or brought back using the Force for example.

SURGES

Every character (be it a PC or NPC, minion or heroic) has a number of surges per day (based on your classes and your CON bonus). Each surge normally heals damage equal ¼ of your total vitality. You can only use surges if you are A) resting or B) bloodied. After a good night’s sleep you regain spent surges (it’s also a good time to expend unspent surges if you have taken damage). Less than full night of comfortable uninterrupted rest will give you less surges back.

Second wind: If you’re in a fight and bloodied you can use a surge by taking the Second wind swift action. You can normally (unless you’ve a feat or talent that allows for more) use Second wind only once per fight! Spending a Force point will also allow you to use an additional Second wind. Non-heroic characters do not usually have a Second wind unless they have a feat/talent that allows it.

Resting: Whenever you’re out of combat you can spend healing surges more freely; as long as you have time to rest the GM will allow you to use 1 or more surges (10 minutes of relative peace and quiet should be a minimum for one surge). Even minions can heal in this way (the Minion class as 2+Con bonus surges/day).

CONDITION TRACK

Hits that cause a lot of damage, plus some other sources (such as Force lighting and blasters set on stun) can slow you down or even knock you out even if you have vitality left. You use (literally) the condition track to keep track of your condition; it goes from no penalty at all down to unconscious/incapacitated (0-1-2-5-10Incapacitated). Use tick marks to keep track; add once each time you move down and erase one each time you move up

Damage threshold (DT): If a single attack does a lot of damage you could be in trouble even if you have vitality left. Each hit that does damage equal to or greater than you DT drops you one level on the condition track. Your DT is based on Fortitude Defense + modifiers (such as the Improved Damage Threshold feat).

Recover: You can spend three Recover swift actions to move up one step on the condition track; these three swift actions can be spread out over several rounds or take all in the same round. Spending a Force point while recovering allows you to do Recover as a single swift action.

Being incapacitated: If you drop to the bottom of the condition track you’re incapacitated; you fall unconscious and drop prone. After 1 minute (10 rounds) made a DC 10 Constitution check. If you succeed you move +1 step on the track and regain vitality equal to your surge value (but expend no surges). If you fail you remain unconscious for 1 hour, after which you repeat the test (failure by 5 or more means you die instead). You must continue retrying each hour until you succeed, but each time you fail one condition level becomes persistent.  You can use a Force point to avoid becoming incapacitated, except if you were also reduced to 0 vitality by the same attack.

Persistent conditions: Some injuries are too severe to just go away like this; they are called persistent conditions. Mark persistent conditions on the track using a cross instead of a tick mark. It you already have non-persistent conditions; add the persistent condition on top of the track and make an equal number of non-persistent ticks further down.

STUN/ION DAMAGE

Setting a blaster on stun/using another stun weapon (ion weapons for vehicles/ships/droid) can incapacitate without killing. After rolling damage halve the result. There may be an additional effect: If the target is reduced to 0 vitality it moves -5 on the condition track it knocked unconscious, but without any chance of dying. Even if the target isn’t reduced to 0 vitality there is a -2 move on the track if rolled (before halving) damage equals or exceeds DT.

Damage and healing example: E’tan encounters some droids. There is a brief, but violent struggle before the droids are dispatched. During the process E’tan takes a few hits, including one that exceeds his damage threshold. As a result he drops -1 step on the condition track and has a -1 penalty to his actions and defenses. With 55 damage vs. 72 vitality he is also bloodied. He decides to play it safe; on his next turn he uses his sole Second Wind (swift action) for this scene. His surge value is 18 so he recovers 18 vitality, leaving him with 37 damage. Still bloodied (half of 72 is 36). He opts to use a Force point for another second wind. That’s another damage removed, leaving him with only 19 damage. That’s two swift actions this far this round. He uses another Force point to Recover as a Swift single action, concluding his actions for this turn. On the next turn one of the droids gets in a lucky shot with a blaster set on stun. It rolls 3d6 for 18 damage, halved to 9. Not nearly enough reduce E’tan to 0 vitality. But 18 (rolled damage) is greater than E’tans DT, so he moves 2 steps down the track. Good thing he recovered; he would have been a -5 rather than -2 had he not! E’tan dispatches the last few droids. He’s used 2 Force points and two surges, leaving him with 6 FP and 7 surges. After a brief rest he uses another surge, putting him at only 10 damage (19+9-18) and with 6 surges to go. He has no persistent conditions so he erases all marks on his track. E’tan is ready for his next fight.