Alternate Lightsaber Fighting Style Rules

Dexterity Skill:

(A)Lightsaber Form (name)

Learning the various Lightsaber forms require advance training to learn and master. Before a character can learn a form they must have at least 5D in the Lightsaber skill and must possess the Lightsaber Combat Force skill. As with all advanced skills, the form selected begins at 1D. The benefits gained by these forms are in addition to the benefits gained by Lightsaber combat. In some cases certain forms can be applied to non-lightsaber attacks. Due to the focus on advanced Lightsaber training in many cases the difficulty to hit with a Lightsaber is reduced.

The Seven Classic Forms

Form I: Shii-Cho “Way of the Sarlacc”

Difficulty: 15

Add +1 pip to blaster deflections for every 2D you have in this form.

Add +1 pip to attacks all rolls for every 3D you have in this form.

-2D to all rolls when facing an opponent using Forms II-VII

Brief:

As the most ancient style of lightsaber combat, Shii-Cho was developed during the transition period from swords to lightsabers. As lightsabers were wielded in a manner similar to swords, many of the maneuvers, such as attacks or parries, remained unchanged, as the key principles of the old sword-fighting methods continued to be incorporated. The simplicity and persistent methods of the form led it to being dubbed the "Way of the Sarlacc" and the "Determination Form" As Shii-Cho was developed prior to either the emergence of Dark Jedi or Sith Lords, it was not developed with lightsaber-to-lightsaber combat in mind.

Form II: Makashi "Way of the Ysalamir"

Difficulty: 15

Add +1 pip to Lightsaber parries for every 1D you have in this form.

Modify Hit location by 1 for every 3D you have in this form.

Subtract 3D from blaster deflection rolls.

Brief:

After Form I's proliferation as a lightsaber combat technique, Form II came about as a means of lightsaber-to-lightsaber combat. It was described as being very elegant, powerful, and requiring extreme precision, allowing the user to attack and defend with minimal effort, while his opponents tired themselves out. Practitioners often wielded the blade one-handed for greater range of movement and fluidity. The form relied on parries, thrusts, and small, precise cuts—as opposed to the blocking and slashing of the other forms. Despite its effectiveness, Form II was not without its weaknesses. Among the first of these was the fact that it was somewhat harder to deflect blaster shots with this style. Makashi was developed before blasters had become commonplace in the galaxy, and Form II training taught its practitioners to defend solely against blades.

Form III: Soresu "Way of the Mynock"

Difficulty: 20 (10 for defense)

Add +1 pip to all defense rolls for every 1D you have in this form.

Add +1 pip to all blaster deflection rolls for every 2D you have in this form.

-2D to attacks when facing a single opponent

Brief:

Originally, Form III was developed as a counter to blaster weapons used by multiple opponents. Due to the rise in distribution of blaster weapons, more and more Jedi were forced to adopt a fighting style which allowed them to combat enemies firing from several directions, mostly basing their "attack" on redirected blaster fire. Previous styles had allowed wide, sweeping strokes which left the Jedi open to blaster fire. Form III, however, required maintaining a constant shield of deflective strokes by making short, quick sweeps, close to the body, leaving the Jedi less exposed to ranged fire. Form III was the most defensive of the seven forms. Truly focused masters of Soresu were very formidable due to their strong defense technique. Soresu, however, facilitated survival more than victory. Form III initiates were more than capable of defending themselves from attack, but they needed a large amount of experience to learn how to trap an opponent in their own offense.

Form IV: Ataru "Way of the Hawk-Bat"

Difficulty: 15

Add 1D to Athletics, Running, and Jumping rolls for every 2D you have in this form.

Add +1 pip to damage for every 1D you have in this form.

Subtract 3D to all rolls if you do not have room or space to maneuver.

Brief:

Ataru was an aggressive combat form relying on a combination of power, strength, and speed. Practitioners of Ataru were always on the offensive, attacking with wide, fast, and powerful swings. Form IV practitioners constantly called upon the Force to aid in their movements and attacks. By allowing the Force to flow throughout their body, they could overcome their physical limitations and perform amazing feats of acrobatics, such as somersaults and backflips, not only for attack, but also to evade the attacks and strikes of their opponents. Jedi utilizing Ataru needed to incorporate all the Force powers that involved surpassing normal physical ranges of motion, speed, and agility in order to be successful. Running, jumping, and spinning were all emphasized in learning the elaborate kinetics of the form and required space for the kinetic acrobatics of Ataru.

Form V: Shien / Djem So " Way of the Krayt Dragon"

Difficulty: 15

Add +1 pip to all lightsaber attack and defense rolls for every 2D you have in this form

Add +1 pip to blaster deflections rolls for every 3D you have in this form. (Shien only)

Add 1D of Strength (up to character Strength) to damage rolls for every 2D you have in this form (Djem So only)

-2D to attacks when facing a single opponent

Brief

Form V was created by Form III masters who desired a more offensive style, since the defensive nature of Form III could lead to prolonged combat, sometimes dangerously. It evolved into an accepted style by combining the defensive maneuvers of Form III with the more aggressive philosophy and tactics of Form II. Form V also required a higher level of physical strength than the other lightsaber forms, due to its focus on complete domination of opponents. There are two known variants of this form.

The Jedi of the ancient Republic who developed and employed the classical Form V, Shien, the form was known as the Perseverance Form. Shien was described as being well adapted to guarding against blaster fire and enemy strikes without compromising one's ability to launch powerful counterattacks, though was less effective against a single opponent.

While a Soresu user stayed on the defensive, however, and only counterattacked when necessary or when an opening appeared in his opponent's defense, a Djem So practitioner was not nearly so passive. Immediately after defending against an opponent's strike, a Djem So stylist would follow with an attack of their own, bringing the force of the opponent's own blow against them and seeking to dominate the duel. Djem So placed a heavy focus on brute strength and pure power, with wide, powerful strikes and parries followed immediately by counterattack.

Form VI: Niman "Way of the Rancor"

Difficulty: 15

Add +1 pip to Lightsaber attack and defense rolls for every 3D you have in this form.

Reduce situational penalties by +1 pip for 2D you have in this form. (darkness, wounded, etc)

Brief

Form VI attempted to balance all elements of lightsaber combat, combining the techniques from Forms that came before into a less intensely demanding combat style. In practice, Form VI was a combination of older forms (Forms I, III, IV, and V), and all of them in moderation. In the blending, much of the individuality was lost, but the strengths were spread evenly, and there was little weakness in it. Due to its "jack-of-all-trades" nature, the success of this form was largely dependent on the practitioner's intuition, improvisation, and creativity in combat rather than the rote responses derived from other forms.

Form VII: Juyo / Vaapad "Way of the Vornskr"

Difficulty: 15 (20 for defense)

Add +1 pip to all attack rolls for every 2D you have in this form

Add +1 pip to Athletics, Running, and Jumping rolls for every 2D you have in this form

Add +1 pip to Lightsaber attack rolls for every 1D you have in this form (Vaapad only)

Subtract 3D from defense rolls

• Dark Side Warning* When using Vaapad in combat roll 1D6 on a roll of a 6 roll the die again if the result is equal to or less than the users current Dark side points the user gains an additonal Dark side point. A roll of a 1 always gives a Dark side point.

Brief

Juyo was described as the most vicious form of lightsaber combat, and was said to be filled with both fury and "malignant grace”. The form was given the title of the most difficult and demanding form in all of saber combat. Skilled combatants with Juyo were said to be able to "eviscerate a lone enemy." The form was b sited as being both chaotic and erratic, with a heavy focus on offense. Bold, direct motions are characteristics of Juyo, qualifying them as more open and kinetic than Form V, but with a less elaborate appearance than Ataru. The key strength of the form was its unpredictability.

Developed by Mace Windu, Vaapad was described as more than a fighting style; it was a state of mind that led through the penumbra of the dark side, requiring the user to enjoy the fight, and relish the satisfaction of winning. The practitioner of Vaapad would accept the fury of their opponent, transforming them into one half of a superconducting loop, with the other half being the power of darkness inherent in the opponent. The form was also mentioned with a cautionary warning by the Jedi that use of Vaapad led the user perilously close to the dark side due to its focus on physical combat. Vaapad required a constant and sizable stream of Force use from the user, with a barely contained explosion of Force power essential to all variations of Form VII as another prerequisite for its use. The form's attacks appeared to be unconnected, its motions seemingly unpolished to an untrained observer. Only a very small handful of people ever learned Vaapad making it virtually unknown.

The 3 Forms of the New Jedi Order

Fast Style

Difficulty: 15

Add +2 pips to all lightsaber defense rolls for every 1D you have in this form.

Add 1D to Athletics, Running, and Jumping rolls for every 2D you have in this form.

You may only apply half of your Control Dice to lightsaber Damage.

Brief

Its obvious advantage was that it was efficient in one-on-one combat against slower opponents with lax defenses or many opponents who were not wielding melee weapons. Among all the styles, this style provided the best defense against blaster fire. In lightsaber combat, it was a powerful defensive technique, as the user could create a very strong defense against multiple opponents or a single, stronger opponent.

Relying primarily on speed and multiple attacks, the disadvantages of the fast style were equally obvious. Firstly, its use of fast strikes limited the amount of power that was put into a blow, making it easy for a strike to be parried or overpowered. Secondly, its range was considerably short, making it a less effective offense against a wide-spread of multiple opponents.

Medium Style

Add 1D to all lightsaber attack and defense rolls for every 3D you have in this form.

Subtract 2D from all lightsaber rolls when facing an opponent with a higher skill die. (compare skill die to skill die)

Brief

The medium style struck a balance between the powerful but slow swings of the strong style and the short but swift strikes of the fast style. The medium style was very simple in design, and that is both a strength and weakness. It was an excellent style to fall back onto when nothing else worked, and could provide a respectable offense and defense. It could effectively reflect blasters and hold less skilled lightsaber duelist at bay. However, more skilled gunslingers or more talented lightsaber duelists would very rapidly break a medium style defense. The same holds true in offense, as a skilled duelist would be able to easily defend against the medium style attacks.

Strong Style

Add +2 pips to all lightsaber attack rolls for every 1D you have in this form

Add +2 pips to all lightsaber damage rolls for every 2D you have in this form.

Reduce blaster deflection rolls by 3D

Brief

The strong style covered great distance, and was virtually unstoppable unless the opponent also used a strong style. Due to its utilization of strength and power, the strong style would cause more damage than many other forms of lightsaber combat, while its range and power made it especially efficient against single opponents who were armed with melee weapons. In lightsaber combat, this style could tear through lightsaber blocks with relative ease with its powerful strikes. Being based on slow, powerful swinging attacks, users of the strong style would often leave themselves open to counterattacks and open to blaster fire. Thus, it was almost solely utilized in lightsaber combat.