BackHouse Rules for Stefon's Star Wars Campaign
Attacks of Opportunity
I don't care for this business of not being able to move when standing next to an opponent, except to move away. Thus I am importing the Attack of Opportunity rules from D&D. Here is a (probably incomplete) list of changes this makes:
Combat Reflexes: This feat is now imported from D&D and available.
Martial Artist: This feat also allows a character to attack unarmed without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Mobility: This movement allowed by this feat does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Tumbling: A successful tumbling roll made to move by or through a space occupied by an opponent (as described in the skill) does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
The Force: Using Force abilities that require an attack action, a move-equivalent action or a full-round action provoke attacks of opportunity. Force abilities that operate as free actions or reactions do not. (Note: there are no rules for spoiling Force skills/feats and I currently see no need to institute them.)
Species Abilities: Species abilities will be handled on a case-by-case basis, with the rule of thumb being that if they require concentration then they provoke attacks of opportunity.
Ascending to Knighthood
Facing the Dark Side is an important part of a Jedi's development. If a character reaches 7th level in a Jedi class and has not, in my opinion as a Game Master, confronted the Dark Side, that character will be denied the title of Jedi Knight and the bonus Knight feat until the confrontation occurs. When the belated trial has been faced and conquered the title and feat are granted immediately, even if in the middle of combat.
Don't worry, guys. I'm not requiring a confrontation with the Emperor or anything on that scale. It may be a battle in which you must overcome fear, anger, hatred, hopelessness or some combination of such. It may be the occasional Dark Side point. This is strictly judged on an individual basis, and if by the time the campaign reaches this point I feel that it's unfair I'll drop it.
On the other hand, if I decide that I like this, I may put together something similar for 13th level and Jedi Mastery.
Starships
For some reason WotC tried to go back to a system almost exactly like the one that WEG proved did not work. Based on the rules as presented, Han Solo, flying a damaged Z-95 headhunter, could overtake an A-wing flying at top speed. This is just wrong. No matter how good the pilot, one must account for the limitations of the machinery. Besides, can you imagine trying to use that little range chart of theirs in a fifteen ship dogfight? Ugly. . . .
Changes:
Speed: I will be importing the speed characteristics from Star Wars, 2nd Edition Revised by WEG, including Space and Atmospheric movement. These will represent hex movement on a battle mat.I'm going to try to stick to those changes for the time being. Individual ship write-ups may change as well (the Naboo and Trade Federation fighters come to mind). I'll have something available with more detail about how starship combat will work before the first game.
Maneuverability: Each ship will gain a maneuverability rating which will affect piloting rolls.
Sensor Range: Changing the speed and maneuverability, as well as using a battle mat, will necessitate the use of sensor ranges.
Weapon Range: Starship weaponry will have a range increment along the same lines as other ranged weapons.
Wookiee Rage and the Force
The way it is described in the rulebook, Wookiee Rage sounds as though it is born of anger, fury and so forth. This would inherently place Force sensitive wookiees in danger of gaining Dark Side points any time they used it. I do not feel that to be fair. Playing a Force sensitive wookiee should not mean playing a character that must constantly fight its nature in so limiting a way.
As such, I am redefining Wookiee Rage. First of all, that name is how it is referred to by non-wookiees. The Shyriiwook name for it translates to The Price of Honor. The "rage" itself is a form of single-minded dedication to battle with the understanding that one may well not survive. One's defense is weakened (considered secondary) and one cannot use skills or abilities that require patience or concentration (by which I mean, concentration on anything else). The offensive benefits are considerable as the wookiee calls forth all inner reserves to bring to the fray.
This does not mean that a wookiee cannot enter Wookiee Rage while angry, et cetera, in such a way as to be a Dark Side action. It merely means that the act of doing it is not automatically a Dark Side action.
I consider this change important mostly for the flavor of the campaign universe. Frankly, within a few levels a wookiee Force-user would be more effective using Battlemind and/or Enhance Ability than raging anyway.
Four Winds Bar