We fianlly had time to sit down and play a session again. Go us!

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Following the retreat from Rigelia the Light of Reason set a course for the sector capital of Hexan. It soon became clear, however, that they would not be able to go there directly. The ship was falling apart, Oona Dio required medical assistance - and an outbreak of Taros Fever was sweeping through the ship. Without medicines they would not be allowed to land on Hexan without a lengthy quarantine. A new destination is needed; the choice is simple: Delta Station, an old Republic starbase that's quickly becoming the no. 1 Hive of Scum and Villany in the Erberus Sector!

Picked this one up in a bargain bin:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majin_and_the_Forsaken_Kingdom

It's pretty enjoyable actually. The story is basic, but OK. The coolest aspect of the game is your sidekick - a huge, slow-witted, magical creature that you can give directions. Puzzles and areas aren't too big or too complex. Which is good for a casual gamer like me. Combat suffers a little from you having too few combat moves - it's a shame because the different enemies are actually pretty good and your companion, the Majin, actually has some nice combat maneuvers. Another minus are treasures; if you're clever you can find various chests that give extra XP, new gear etc., but apart from the Majin-enhancing ones you might as well not have bothered. The gain is minimal.

All in all an OK game; I'd give it a 4 on a d6.

Pure awesome LEGO magic:

http://whoneedstv.com/video:17784/lego-millennium-falcon-stop-motion-assembly-3d

The Celestial Dragon, Shield of Anuire and Sword of Heaven, is blessed with legion offspring; seven sons and nine daughters to be precise. In time some of his offspring founded their own Houses and begat progeny of their own. While important in their own right, none rose to the greatness that the 9^th daughter and the 7^th son did.

While many of the Dragon’s children were devout followers of Haelyn and led pious lives, there were many who followed different gods and alternate fates. It is believed that some of the other gods were not too pleased with Haelyn’s interaction with the mortal realm, and chose to subtly make their influence known in some of the Dragon’s children.

At least in the case of Moerdred the Black is this the case, for he betrayed his own father to the Shadow to gain power and immortality. The same goes for Sannaene, who gave herself to the Black Dragon for much the same reason. Yet other children had other fates, interesting in their own right, but not ultimately so damning. Take Elyasia for example, firstborn of the Dragon, who for some reason seemed touched by the Old Gods, and whose path brought her into conflict with the Order as often as not, but who cannot be called a Shadow-spawn.

The full tale of all the Children were not know to contemporary sources, nor were they available to scholars or bards of later ages either. Indeed, it is highly unlikely that even the Dragon knew, or cared about, the existence of all these children. Many of the Children were also unaware of the identity of their true father. The Book of the Dragon does mention the Celestial Dragon mating and begetting progeny, but it does not go into detail regarding any particular affair, and does even clearly omit facts (such as the existence and lineage of the Black Dragon).

Indeed, only some of the Children were known to the Order in their own time, and of those only a few were confirmed descendants of the Celestial Dragon. Most lived, and quite a few led great and remarkable lives, but they did so on their own accord, and had no direct interaction with the Dragon or the Order.

Not until Shaedan Draco became involved in the research of the Life of the Dragon (not something the Order would allow any non-member to delve too deeply into, and thus a field of research with very few practitioners), did the full truth become known. And even then it was a very long time before anyone outside a very select circle was let into the secrets of the Children of the Dragon…

Children of the Dragon

* Fallen, the champion of the Shadow

** Fallen, the consort of the Black Dragon

^ The unborn twins should have been born in 1543, but were reincarnated around 1753 HC. Nobody really knows who the firstborn of the pair is (this could be important, since the prophecies speak of the 9th daughter, and not the eight). Generally speaking, the Order assumes that Iliane the Empress is the 9^th daughter.

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.

The shuttle streaks away...and Mayzin Turin has a question; where to? E Leet suggests heading for the Droid Control Ship that must be in orbit somewhere. It must be disabled or all will be lost. Not the most well-considered plan perhaps, but the dice have been cast. Getting to the ship i surprisingly easy; they are, after all, flying the Sith Lord's personal shuttle! But Sith Lords are also entitled to a reception; so the docking bay is filled with battle droids on parade and Neimoidian officers. So much for that plan...

E'tan quickly shaves his head with his saber, gets a red tunic from one of the Congressmen, grabs a grey Neimoidian cloak, then tops off the disguise with a breath mask. Behold - a Dark Lord is among you! It's not a great disguise by any standard, but the droid guards are oblivious to trivial details and the Neimoidians are mostly concerned with bowing and scraping. Putting on a show E'tan orders his 'prisoners' taken to detention, the injured Jedi to the med-bay, and himself escorted to the bridge along with his remaining prisoner.

There is a brief fight with some Guard droids outside the bridge, but they get inside the command deck before the blast doors close. The Neimoidian command crew is captured and the droid army put on standby. Colonel Boroosh and his Trandoshans get a little suspicious then; but a quick bluff keeps them at bay while the Jedi formulate a new plan. Migor Nurgay, 1st Assistant Envoy, offers to help - he's thought through his options and they all end with him at the end of red lightsaber...Darth Obsirius is not the forgiving type.

Soon the droid army has been reactivated...after a 'brief communications failure'. The crew of the Light of Reason is released and escorted back aboard, then the corvette takes off with droid fighters flying cover - Republic prisoners being brought aboard for processing you see. Meanwhile the President are released and board the shuttle again; they will return to Rigelia to continue the fight. The Light of Reason arrives unmolested, E'tan and E Leet get aboard with the Neimoidians, as do the wounded and Mayzin Turin (she'll represent Rigelia before the Republic). Then the ship takes off again, dashing through the line of Techno Union frigates...and into hyperspace, heading for Hexan, the sector capital.

CUTSCENE

Behind them Colonel Boroosh orders his ships to fire on the Droid Command ship - he's convinced that the Neimoidians are up to no good or that the Jedi are aboard or in control. Whatever the case; the ship must be destroyed!

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.

The Phantom Menace has been revealed, so the Jedi know that the Sith are back. Some of the Jedi, such as Yoda, can sense the Dark Side clouding the future, making everything uncertain. And then there was the incident on with the Sith warrior that ambushed Master Qui-Gon on Tatooine. The one that was later defeated on Naboo. There have been other sightings as well, but nothing as substantial. There are also rumors that link the Sith to the Confederacy - or even claim that the Sith have infiltrated the upper echelons of the Republic! But again, nothing substantial.

Rigelia is a civilized world located on the fringes of the Erberus Sector. Trade routes link Rigelia to the rest of the sector. There is also some traffic through the system going towards Hutt Space and the Corellian Run. Rigelia is politically unaligned. It is governed by an elected Planetary President. The legislative body is called the Congress of Rigelia. There is a small Republic consulate on the planet. There is a small professional police force and a professional guard protecting Congress and the President. The Conglomerate also has corporate security personnel. During a crisis the ranchers can form a potent militia. Congress recently ratified the purchase of a squadron of Z-95 fighters from Income; they fighters have been delivered, but are not yet fully operational.

Rigelia is an arid world; the interior regions are desert or near-desert, but the coastal areas are largely fertile. In between are enormous swathes of bush and outback. This is where many of the ranches are located. The capital of Rigelia is Driscol City. It lies on the northern coast of the main continent, not far removed from the planet's northern pole. The climate here is relatively cool and moist compared to the southern regions. Empogmia is the center of the mining industry and the location of the planet's second major starport. It's a hot and dry hell-hole. Rigelia's economy is export-oriented; vast outback ranches provides the sector with prime meat, while great mines generate many valuable metals and minerals. There is some tension between the ranchers and the Mining Conglomerate.

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.

Jedi can wear armor, but rarely do. Their fighting style is focused on speed and mobility, and armor tends to slow down a warrior. Armor also isn't all that effective against blaster fire and completely useless against lightsabers, so that to a Jedi would not gain all that much protection either - blocking and deflecting with a saber is far more effective. The Republic also has not been in a real war for a thousand years, and neither have the Jedi. They have adopted the role of negotiators and enforces, but they are no longer soldiers. Soldiers that wear armor, peacekeepers do not. And even the soldiers only down their armor in times of war, and there haven't been a real one in a very long time.

The Clone Wars has changed the equation. The Jedi are at the forefront of one of the greatest conflicts the Galaxy has ever seen. The enemy is numerous, their weapons advanced. The battlefield holds many dangers besides blasters and lightsabers, dangers against which armor protects very well. So more an more Jedi are taking to wearing armor, often armor adapted from Clone Trooper armor. Historically Jedi Guardians have worn armor in times of war, mostly for the same reason they are now taking to wearing it again - protection from the many dangers of the battlefield. Not all Jedi are inclined to wear battle armor - there are many old-school Masters that frown opon its use, for example.

This campaign doesn't concern itself with star Wars canon. Whatever that really is...it sure is messy! We don't want to be touching any of that. So this is just Star Wars. Probably rather old school, but inspired by the Clone Wars series and the Force Unleashed game. So that means Jedi can do some truly amazing stuff - maybe not completely Starkiller, but it's not the original trilogy, that's for sure.

When it comes to history and main characters I would not worry too much about that. The Clone Wars are well underway, there is a man called Palpatine that is Supreme Chancellor, Yoda is da man in the Jedi Council, but other than that anything is possible. You are, after all, the mains of this story! Besides, you won't be getting near Coruscant, not any time soon anyway...

Lightsabers are the iconic weapons of the Jedi (and the Sith). They are very rarely seen in the hands of anyone else. Both Jedi and Sith frown upon their use by others, which is a surprisingly effective deterrent for most. Lightsabers are also very impractical weapons. They not particularly difficult to use as such; ignite the blade and then hack away at your enemies. Just be sure you are very, very careful, for even the smallest mishap could have you maiming or killing yourself. And since your enemies are likely to be carrying blasters...you'll be dead long before you can bring your blade to bear. So better leave lightsabers to the Jedi - they train with them daily from childhood...and they have the Force as their ally. And said Force grants them superhuman reflexes, phenomenal peed, and the ability to deflect blaster bolts. So in the hands of a common soldier lightsabers are largely worthless, but in the hands of a Jedi they are absolutely lethal.

A lightsaber blade consists of hyper-energetic plasma, contained within a stable looping containment field. The field keeps the destructive energies of the blade focused and contained, while having the secondary ability to keep other energy out - handy for blocking other lightsabers and deflecting blaster bolts for example. Contrary to popular belief an ignited blade is not 'weightless'; the plasma medium is dense enough to have significant gravitational mass. Moreover the complex interaction between the energetic medium and the containment field generates considerable additional felt inertial mass when swung. A lightsaber blade is still far lighter than a comparable physical blade, making it a much more agile weapon, but the energy blade has sufficient inertia to cut through matter, block other blades, and deflect blaster bolts.

The blade radiates very little heat and expends negligible energy until it comes into contact with solid matter or another energy field. If used actively, especially if cutting through lots of dense matter, the power consumption is somewhat higher and the Jedi needs to recharge his blade more frequently (how often is also dependent of the capacity of the lightsaber's power cell). The power of the blade is so great that it can cut through almost anything, although the speed through which it cuts depends on the density of the subject. When cutting through dense material, the interaction between the blade and matter causes some resistance; almost giving the blade a feeling of being solid. One important note about lightsaber wounds is that they rarely bled profusely, even when a limb had been severed. This is because the energy blade cauterizes the wound as it passes, and thus even a severe wound does not tend to bleed heavily.

Lightsabers cannot cut through other lightsabers (although sometimes the containment fields of two blades can fuse, causing the blades to lock up). The blades can also be deflected by other powerful containment fields. Personal deflector shields are less effective against lightsaber than blasters; a Jedi can usually force his blade trough such shields by applying extra pressure, whereas a blaster would have to be set on a very high setting indeed for it to penetrate. If face with a stronger shield a Jedi can switch of the blade, physically move the emitter inside the shield's perimeter, and then re-ignite. A dangerous move to be sure, but very effective against heavily shielded targets such as destroyer droids or tanks.

Lightsabers can also effectively deflect blaster bolts. The blade itself is about half an inch in diameter while the containment field is around two inches wide at the base (tapering to about one inch at the point). It goes without saying that only a Jedi has the reflexes, training and Force-sensitivity required to not only predict where a shot will land, but actually move his blade to intercept. Anyone else managing to deflect a blaster bolt is fantastically lucky - and either really desperate or terminally stupid. The lightsaber can also parry physical projectiles; they are not deflected, but annihilated by the blade, so reflecting bullets back at a shooter isn't possible (by a Jedi could very easily shield himself with a telekinetic shield if old-fashioned firearms are employed against him).

Various attempts - most of them failures - have been made throughout galactic history to develop lightsaber-resistant materials. Hyper-dense matter, personal shielding, Sith alchemy, and advanced materials technology have been employed in various forms. Sometimes with  some effect, but always plagued by lack of availability, cost, complexity and/or bulk. A lightsaber is a very simple and effective weapon, and if you're a Jedi you can build them from scratch at low cost if need be. So anything that's too expensive or too complex simply won't work, especially on a larger scale. Lightsabers have also been refined over the millennia to compensate for any advances in defensive measures. The best example of this evolution can be found by studying the aftermath of the Great Sith War, 4.000 years ago; the cortosis-weave used in the weapons and armor deployed by the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders were resistant to the lightsabers used in that age. Its exact nature is still a closely guarded secret, but it is likely it was a combination of exotic materials and experimental manufacturing techniques. The point is, however, that by the end of the Mandalorian wars lightsabers have been modified to deal with this new complication, regularly defeating cortosis-weave. And a modern-day lightsaber would likely cut right through such vintage equipment, should anyone try to field it against the Order.

The only effective method currently in use is the use of force weapons; force pikes, force staffs and force blades all project sufficiently powerful energy fields that they will block and be blocked by lightsabers - mostly without damage to the force weapon. Using force weapons in this manner requires great skill and great courage. as entering into melee with a Jedi or Sith is inherently extremely dangerous!

Lightsabers are usually pretty similar; a straight hilt suitable for both one-handed and two-handed grips and a blade length of about a meter. Variations do exit; longer and shorter blades, variable length blades, double lightsabers, lightsaber polearms, etc. The difference is largely cosmetic or charters to some specific style of lightsaber fighting. There are also some variant weapons that have some characteristics in common with lightsabers; energy whips for example, while not as destructive as true lightsabers they have a long reach and can effectively fight other energy-blades. Color difference is also largely cosmetic and mostly a product of the focusing crystal matrix used construct the saber. Most Jedi Order sabers are blue, with green blades also common, yellow less so, purple sabers quite rare, and other color variations almost never seen. During the days of the old Republic domestically produced Sith sabers were usually red, but this was probably more tradition than anything else.

In conclusion; the lightsaber is as much a badge of office as it is a weapon. It is rarely drawn, but when a Jedi ignites his blade he is armed with a blade that can cut through (almost) anything and even be used to deflect enemy weapons fire.