Jedi Counseling 50: JD's Last

By JD Wiker

Friends, this is my final installment of "Jedi Counseling." The column will go on, though Wizards of the Coast would like it to start covering the Star Wars Miniatures game as well. And while I've just finished the Rebel Storm Booster Pack, and I'm currently working on another sourcebook for the game, I don't have the same kind of foundation that I have with the Star Wars Roleplaying Game That is, I wasn't there from the beginning, so I can't offer the same kinds of insights. I can't explain what the designers were thinking. It's time for me to pass the torch.

Over the last few years of answering questions in "Jedi Counseling," I've mainly addressed how the Star Wars Roleplaying Game works, with some occasional advice for Gamemasters. But I still get a lot of questions about how to run games, how to handle game groups, how to award Dark Side Points, and so forth. So for this last column, I'm going to tackle some of those questions, because I may not get this chance again any time soon.

Q: Are lightsaber beams gyroscopically balanced? My GM is adamant that they are, but I think that lightsabers would be too dangerous to use, because even the slightest muscle spasm in the user's body could create a considerable and unpredictable arc that could prove fatal to the wielder -- as well as his target or nearby companions. I voiced this concern to the GM, and he said that I was quite right in my interpretation. Now he requires that our two Jedi players make additional Dexterity checks not only for every lightsaber-related action but also for every round their lightsabers are active.

We think this is over the top, and, to be honest, it's bringing the game almost to a standstill. Are these rules the GM's prerogative, or could there be a compromise? After all, Star Wars and real-world physics have never really gone hand in hand, have they?

A: No, they haven't, and this sort of situation is the reason why. In the final analysis, there's just no good reason to enforce real-world physics in a setting that's supposed to be more cinematic and heroic. It shouldn't require more than a loose grasp of physics -- gravity, speed, heat, cold, atmosphere, and so forth -- to play an enjoyable session of the Star Wars Roleplaying Game. (If you want more realism in your Star Wars campaign, pick up d20 Future and convert the rules from that.) In other words, it shouldn't matter whether a lightsaber is gyroscopically balanced or not. It works like we see in the movies, and that should be good enough.

But your question brings up a secondary issue that I think bears addressing: excessive die rolls. We made the rules simple enough so that the players wouldn't have to roll for every little thing. If we could keep the dice rolls for any one resolution down to two rolls, great! (And one roll was even better.)

Rolling extra dice, as you have seen in your campaign, slows down the game -- and that, in turn, discourages players from using the abilities that call for those extra die rolls. My professional advice, then, is for GMs to avoid any ruling that calls for additional die rolls on a regular basis, but not to do away with them altogether. Since your situation clearly falls into the former category, I'd suggest that your GM drop the Dexterity rolls for using lightsabers.

Q: What are the rules for custom-building a droid? How much does it cost to give it good ability scores and so forth?

A: There aren't any rules for it. When we first created the Star Wars droid rules, we just didn't anticipate that players would spend that much time building droids when they could simply purchase them. However, in the years since that time, I've gotten enough questions on the subject to have recognized that some sort of system was necessary -- and that thought was very much in my mind when I worked on the robotics chapter of d20 Future. If Wizards of the Coast ever creates a "book of droids," I imagine that it would draw heavily on that system, so you might want to take a look at that and see if it meets your needs.

Q: I just saw the latest episode of Clone Wars on the Star Wars website, and I really like the character of General Grievous. What are his stats?

A: I get questions like this a lot, and I have to wonder if people think that I have a secret repository of game stats somewhere. I don't. So while this might seem like a harsh response, it's the best way to learn: Make up the stats yourself. After all, that's what I do. Sure, you might make mistakes, but you take that risk with anything you do for the first time. The published game designers had to learn, by trial and error, how to design game stats -- just like Tiger Woods had to learn, by trial and error, how to play golf. So take a stab at it, and be prepared to change your design if you find problems. That's a simplification of what professional game designers do, but it also happens to work.

Q: But my group will only play with the official version!

A: Then they must learn patience, Padawan. Comic-book companies, animation studios, and book publishers create new characters, equipment, and creatures faster than the roleplaying game can keep up. The official game stats might be a long time coming.

But if what your players are really worried about is that you'll create some kind of creature or character who might kill their characters, then playtest it: Set up a scenario involving the new creation, and make sure the players understand that the consequences of the scenario have no effect on their characters or the campaign. If your creation wins too easily, tone it down; if your creation loses badly, beef it up. And do it before you present the players with the creature or character for real.

The same logic applies to new skills, feats, or prestige classes that you invent. The best way to test these things is to have the players create new characters, or higher-level versions of their existing characters, and make these new rules available to them. If everybody takes a particular skill, it might be broken and need serious revision. The same is true if nobody wants it. The next step, though, is to playtest those characters, with their new skills and such, in a typical scenario (just like playtesting a new creature or character), and see what kind of impact it has -- and whether your players think of interesting, unplanned uses for the new rule that you didn't.

Q: When GMing Star Wars campaigns, especially those that include Jedi heroes, debates inevitably arise regarding how Jedi should behave. For example, a Jedi character in my campaign routinely refuses to enter combat, and sometimes uses his Force powers against the other heroes (or attacks their weapons) to prevent them from fighting, too. He's generating all kinds of ill will, but he insists it's what a Jedi would do. As a GM, what's the best way to resolve these issues?

A: There's no doubt in my mind that the player is overstepping his bounds as a Jedi Knight. The Jedi aren't the police force of the galaxy, and they aren't supposed to enforce their values on anyone. After all, we've never seen a Jedi in the movies stop an ally from fighting, have we? As long as the cause is just, they lend a hand. And even in the novels and comics, they try to stop fights only when they believe that bloodshed can be avoided.

By deciding when the other characters should fight, and how far they can go, the Jedi is effectively setting himself up as the leader of the team (assuming he wasn't appointed as such). Jedi aren't supposed to be leaders. They're supposed to be consultants for the leaders, and they're supposed to defer to the judgment of the leaders.

Q: I believe that while Jedi should strive to resolve issues peacefully, they should not rob other people of their free will. To do so would be to give way to arrogance, which I would call a flirtation with the dark side. Wouldn't rendering one's comrades unable to defend themselves lead to the dark side?

A: Not really. It's not a question of "dark side or not." It's more a player-interaction ethics issue. In effect, this player is telling the other players how to play the game. By preventing them from fighting, he's effectively taking their dice away from them. That's not cool, even if it might be in character -- or if he thinks it might be in character.

It's not really a roleplaying issue, either. He's created a philosophy for his character that precludes the other players from enjoying the game. Bad call. It's no different, in effect, from a Gamorrean soldier who wants to attack everything (thus forcing the other characters to back him up). Either way, it infringes upon the rights of the other players. The player can rationalize this behavior however he wants, but it's still rude.

I should also discuss group dynamics and the role and responsibilities of the GM. In my experience, the GM's role is that of a host, because a roleplaying game session is effectively a party: It's people getting together to be social, eat and drink, and have fun. So the GM's role is to make sure everyone has a good time at the party. Sometimes, that means having a talk with a party guest who's being rude to the others. And if that doesn't work, it might mean asking that person to leave the party.

Yes, it's unpleasant. Yes, it makes people feel uncomfortable. And yes, it generates hard feelings. But those are all feelings, and they'll pass. Mature people can deal with those feelings, get past them, and perhaps even modify their behavior so it doesn't happen again. Immature people can't. When it comes right down to it, who would you rather have at your parties -- mature people or immature people?

About the Author

JD Wiker worked in Wizards of the Coast's RPG R&D department on the Alternity line, including the Dark*Matter campaign setting, before joining the Star Wars Roleplaying Game design team. Some of JD's Star Wars titles include the core rulebook, The Dark Side Sourcebook, The Power of the Jedi Sourcebook, the Hero's Guide, and the Galactic Campaign Guide. JD is currently freelancing, while also serving as president of The Game Mechanics, a d20 design studio and winners of the silver ENnie Award for Best Free Product or Web Enhancement for Initiative Cards. (Download them for free at www.thegamemechanics.com.) JD also answers Star Wars Roleplaying Game questions on his own message boards, at www.jdwiker.com.