Revision as of 16:36, 20 April 2015

Jedi

Ben, iconic jedi

"The mind is our weapon and our shield."

In societies that have a strong psychic bent, it is only natural that they would give rise to warriors who seek to enhance their talents with the blade with those of the mind, and those who are students of the mind to seek out a way to defend themselves. It is from this tradition of combining the two worlds of the physical and the mental that the jedi arises.

The jedi combines his parent disciplines into a singular whole, capable of producing what is commonly called a "psyblade:" a physical weapon formed of pure psionic power. While not all jedi use weapons that resemble swords, this is a common enough moniker for the ability regardless of its particular form. Through a combination of their mental and combat prowess, the jedi wields this weapon to deadly effect.

Game Rule Information

Jedi have the following game statistics.

Force Alignment: Psionics.

Force Resistances: SR 5 + level, TR 5 + level.

Abilities: The jedi's important stats are quite variable. Some focus purely on mental abilities, while others rely on physical attributes. In general, Dexterity and Intelligence will be important, but this is not always the case.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills: The Jedi’s class skills are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Jump (Str), Martial Lore (Int), Psicraft (Int), Spot (Per), Tumble (Dex).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Age: Simple.

Starting Gold: 4d4 x 10gp.

Favored By: None.

Class Features

Jedi: Combat Styles
Class	Availability
Archer
Defender
Einhander
Executioner
Falconer
Karateka
Lancer
Unfettered
Warlord

All of the following are class features of the jedi.

Weapons and Armor Proficiency: Jedi are proficient with all simple weapons and light armor, but not shields. A jedi is always proficient with the weapon resulting from their mental induction ability, regardless of type.

Chosen Form: At first level, the jedi makes a number of decisions about his approach to his craft.

First, the jedi must decide what psionic discipline will be his focus. That decision determines what ability score his psionic abilities are keyed from.

Second, the jedi decides which combat style he will pursue. Consult the table on the right to find the styles available to a jedi.

• Archer: A jedi can only select this style if he chooses a souldisc for his mental induction (see below). A jedi's max aim tokens equals one-half his jedi level + 3 (rounded down), and gains bonus aim tokens based on his Wisdom.
• Einhander: Any jedi can select this style. A jedi can have a number of maneuvers readied equal to the amount on the class table, above. You can spend PP to recover an expended maneuver as a swift action; doing so requires an amount of PP equal to the maneuver's level.
• Karateka: A jedi can only select this style if he chooses an egofist for his mental induction (see below). A jedi has a number of bonus opportunity attacks each round equal to one-half his jedi level, rounded down.
• Lancer: A jedi can only select this style if he chooses an animaspear for his mental induction (see below). A jedi can have a number of maneuvers readied equal to the amount on the class table, above. You can spend PP to recover an expended maneuver as a swift action; doing so requires an amount of PP equal to the maneuver's level.
• Unfettered: Any jedi can select this style. We don't know anything about unfettered yet, so ignore this for now.
• Warlord: Any jedi can select this style. A jedi can have a number of maneuvers readied equal to the amount on the class table, above. You can spend PP to recover an expended maneuver as a swift action; doing so requires an amount of PP equal to the maneuver's level.

Mental Induction (Ps): The jedi's signature skill is the ability to transform his mental power into a physical weapon. The shape, size, and even color of the weapon produced by the jedi is often indicative of the jedi's mind and mental state; however, regardless of whether the size or color of the weapon change over time, the type of weapon produced is always the same, as the shape is brought forth by the roots of the jedi's psyche.

The options for type of weapon, and the characteristics thereof, are listed on the Jedi Weapons table.

Manifesting the weapon is a move action, but the jedi must be holding a hilt or similar item to project the weapon from; touching the surface of the weapon is enough to cause pain, if not outright damage, and thus the jedi still requires a handle to hold onto the weapon.

The default size of a weapon is always a one-handed weapon, though as the jedi progresses he can modify its size, or even manifest multiple for purposes of two-weapon fighting.

• Animaspear: The jedi's weapon manifests as a spear of glowing energy. This weapon always has the reach ability, unless it becomes a light weapon.
• Egofist: The jedi's weapon manifests as a cestus of brilliant energy. The jedi gains a +4 bonus on checks made to avoid being disarmed.
• Ectowhip: The jedi's weapon manifests as a whip, a tendril of light. This weapon has a reach of 15 feet, and can be used to trip and disarm opponents.
• Genipick: The jedi's weapon manifests as a pick of brilliant light.
• Holohammer: The jedi's weapon manifests as a hammer or mace of energy.
• Lightsaber: The jedi's weapon manifests as a blade of glowing light.
• Souldisc: The jedi's weapon manifests as a disc of energy. This weapon can be thrown, with a range increment of 20 feet.
• Vitalaxe: The jedi's weapon manifests as an axe of brilliant energy.

Maneuver List

The following is the jedi maneuver list.

Regardless of the jedi's chosen combat style, the jedi adds these maneuvers to his maneuver list.

In addition to being martial maneuvers, and subject to the rules that apply to those abilities, these abilities are also considered Psionic-aligned. As such, they allow for PR, and cannot be used in a null psionics field or other area in which psionics cannot function.

Design Notes

Important stuff going here.

Base jedi have two options for form: einhander or unfettered. This is chosen form.

At ninth, jedi can choose to go two routes: counsel or guardian. Counsel gets access to sciences, another discipline, and maybe a tiny PP boost. Guardians get access to defender maneuvers, and can treat their manifested weapon as a shield (holy crap!). BOOM.

This means that, post 9, all jedi are hybrid combatants. That's probably okay. But this resolves the issue of them sucking in comparison to an adventurer einhander/psionicist.

For now, this class is basically just a placeholder that enforces the fact that all the core martial classes need to have their maneuvers be level-based and acccessible to the force/combat hybrids.

That may also extend to archers, but given that the two force/combat hybrids that are range (gunslinger and discordant) use their own... weird system for stuff, that may be okay. Though we need to also make sure that gunslingers are actually keeping up with damage output these days... as strange as it may sound, gunslingers may now be underpowered.

...somewhere, something done got broke, I think.

Oh wait, I forgot about TF pistols and gunslingers dual-wielding them. NEVERMIND. Back-of-napkin maths says... well, 2d10+8, eight attacks, assume all hit: 152 mean? But that is every round. OH WAIT THAT'S HILARIOUSLY WRONG. Eight attacks means twenty-four attacks, durr. Maths ensues... 456 mean. That's what I'm talkin' 'bout.