[SW SAGA] Vader

[DMfromTheAbyss]

Ok going through all my new Saga books I've come to the conclusion that running or using any of the Story characters as written would be a "Bad Idea". (they are just poorly written and don't neccessarily follow their own rules.)

So using one of the best known and most iconic characters as an example, how would you stat out Darth Vader in SAGA?

For this consider a game including all the EU, but having his stats such that Vader could do all the things he has done without outright cheating and using him as a stat-less plot stick.

Just kinda wondering if anyone's given it a shot or has any suggestions.

[KillianHawkeye]

I was gonna do a restat of Vader circa 18 BBY for my Dawn of Defiance game (in case the players messed up so bad that I had to bring in the big bad Jedi hunter), but that game kinda fell through so I never finished. Also, my version didn't include any EU materials, just what I could see from the movies plus basic lightsaber style info from Wookiepedia.

The main things I was going to do were to remove his useless farseeing and visions talents (on the grounds that the only visions he ever had were dreams of his loved ones' deaths, which seems more like GM intervention than character ability), give him some stuff from the Jedi Academy book (most notably the Djem So lightsaber form Force powers), and trick out his armor. Also, change some of his feats probably, but I don't remember all the details and I unfortunately lost my notes.

[Gralamin]

Ok going through all my new Saga books I've come to the conclusion that running or using any of the Story characters as written would be a "Bad Idea". (they are just poorly written and don't neccessarily follow their own rules.)

So using one of the best known and most iconic characters as an example, how would you stat out Darth Vader in SAGA?

For this consider a game including all the EU, but having his stats such that Vader could do all the things he has done without outright cheating and using him as a stat-less plot stick.

Just kinda wondering if anyone's given it a shot or has any suggestions.

I'd Probably go with
Scoundrel or Scout 1/Jedi 7/Knight 3/Ace Pilot 2/Sith Apprentice 2/Sith Lord 4 (CL 19)
I think that meets all prerequisites (Too lazy to check). It shows his abilities as a child, His Jedi Training, his piloting skill, and his sith training. Take Talents and Feats that fit, and enjoy. Probably have a few from The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide, Clone Wars and Core.

Edit: And Jedi Training manual, of course.

[Grynning]

I actually think Vader's stats as-written were pretty good (and are actually nearly identical to Gralamin's suggestion). But SWSE is pretty consistently bad at statting characters from the EU. The KOTOR book was the worst, almost none of the stat blocks seemed right, particularly for the Dark Horse characters. Master Arca, inventor of Battle Meditation...doesn't have Battle Meditation. Tott Doneeta doesn't have the Beast Speech, even though this was his most well known power in the comic and they mention it in his description. And so on...

[Gralamin]

I actually think Vader's stats as-written were pretty good (and are actually nearly identical to Gralamin's suggestion). But SWSE is pretty consistently bad at statting characters from the EU. The KOTOR book was the worst, almost none of the stat blocks seemed right, particularly for the Dark Horse characters. Master Arca, inventor of Battle Meditation...doesn't have Battle Meditation. Tott Doneeta doesn't have the Beast Speech, even though this was his most well known power in the comic and they mention it in his description. And so on...

Clone Wars Mace Windu seemed pretty good, but other then that I'd agree.

[Draz74]

(on the grounds that the only visions he ever had were dreams of his loved ones' deaths, which seems more like GM intervention than character ability)

Hmmm, I always suspected that those had actually been implanted in him by Palpatine, and were therefore in fact a character ability, but not Anakin's.

[Katana_Geldar]

Wizards are very bad at getting the EU right anyway. General Ackbar? Mon Mothma the Sith Lord?

Force-preserve us from such howlers!

The only reason I use characters as they are written as it gives me more time to do other things, like writing the campaign.

[KillianHawkeye]

Hmmm, I always suspected that those had actually been implanted in him by Palpatine, and were therefore in fact a character ability, but not Anakin's.

That's an interesting idea.

Just taking his visions as they are presented in Episodes II and III and thinking about them in terms of a tabletop RPG, I always think of the following imaginary exchange:

GM Lucas: During the night, Anakin has a dream about his mother. She is in great pain.
Anakin: I search my feelings. *rolls Use the Force* Ugh, I got a 12.
GM Lucas: Hmm... it just seems like an ordinary nightmare. I wouldn't worry. *sighs and scribbles some notes in his binder*

Basically, it's something I could spring on any of my Force-sensitive players without them needing to spend the talents for it.