Lightsaber Combat Styles

In the days before the Empire, the members of the Jedi Order practiced many forms of elegant lightsaber combat, each with a rich history and tradition behind it and although those classical forms have been lost, they are not completely forgotten…

Geeto, Daranek, and Dacer have managed to find hints and clues to the lightsaber forms practiced by the Jedi of old, using these few clues they have managed to resurrect elements of the ancient lightsaber styles, albeit with their own touches. While not as refined in their practice as were famous Jedi such as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda, these forms are devastating in their own right.

Lightsaber Forms work as single skills, like Lore or Knowledge. Additionally they count as advanced skills, i.e. a character needs 5D in Lightsaber before being able to learn a form, with the Exception of the first style, which is the basic Lightsaber style and its maneuvers can be used by any character with Jedi training and the lightsaber skill (only with the basic skill not the dice in other forms). To learn any form of lightsaber fighting art a character has to have a teacher, or other medium that can show the moves and principles of that form.

Using one of these maneuvers counts as a single action, subject to multiple action penalties. The difficulty modifier is subtracted from the skill roll of the user.

Although these skills act in a fashion similar to Advanced Skills for the purpose of determining the number of dice rolled, the purchasing process works differently — in order to get the form at 1D, the character must pay 10 Character Points in addition to having the prerequisite skill of lightsaber 5D.

First Style: Basic

This form is the most basic form of lightsaber combat. Its first moves are not so much intended for combat but more to learn body control. Later teachings provide the student with rudimentary fighting moves, while training and especially mastery in that basic form can prove to be very powerful in duels.

Action	Difficulty	Effect
Heavy Strike	-5	A two-handed strike that hits the opponent hard, and therefore deals +1D damage.
Swing Attack	-3	The Jedi moves the blade in a wide circle and is able to strike two opponents at once without penalty. However the opponents have to be within 180 degree in front of the striking character and only receive –1D damage, since the hit is fast and slighter than when hit directly. Additionally the character receives –2D to parry or dodge rolls towards these two opponents, since the move makes the combatant open to attacks.
Quick Parry	-10	The fighter parries an incoming attack and moves in a way that blocks the enemy’s movement. The two characters have to make an opposing dexterity roll or the attacker falls to the ground.

Second Style: Fast

Pioneered by: Geeto Islad

Geeto developed this style to take advantage of his natural athletic abilities, creating an acrobatic form of fighting. There are many jumps and quick maneuvers in this style, intended to attack an opponent from as many angles as possible. It is fast, exhausting and agile. Since the Fast Style combines acrobatics with offensive maneuvers, a Jedi using this form may perform one acrobatic maneuver or may move up to four metres and attack once without the penalty for an additional maneuver. However if restricted in movement ( due to space, wounds, etc. ) any actions done with Fast Style receive a –1D penalty.

Requirements: Strength 3D, Acrobatics 4D, Stamina 4D

Action	Difficulty	Effect
Double attack	-5	The Jedi attacks two times with quick strikes from different angles. Any attempt to parry these strikes has to be done with a –1D penalty each. However due to the quickness of the attacks,  they deal –1D damage.
Tumble Strike	-10	The character has to pass a moderate Acrobatics roll. If successful, the attacker is able to somersault over the defender and strike while above him. This makes it difficult to parry or dodge. Any attempt to do this receives -2D.
Spinning Attack	-10	After passing a moderate Acrobatics roll, the attacker spins around his own axis and by that gains extra power for an attack. Then the attack roll is done (without a penalty for an additional action) and when successful add +2D to the damage.

Third Style: Endurance

Pioneered by: Daranek Valyagar

Daranek Valyagar used the principals passed on by the Dark Jedi Misca, using her teachings to develop a style that allowed him to defend against incoming attacks, giving him more time to attack with his considerable telekinetic abilities. The practitioner combines Force senses with agility to block any attacks directed at him. As a result the wielder receives +2D to any defensive rolls with that form. However, what the style gains in defense, it sacrifices the same in offense, i.e. the wielder receives  –2D to any attacks, including redirected ( not blocked ) blaster bolts.

Requirements: Dexterity 3D, Stamina 4D

Action	Difficulty	Effect
Sweeping Block	-5	A circling move with the lightsaber forces the opponent back. Therefore his next attack is done with a –2D penalty. This works for multiple attackers, add +2 to the difficulty for each that is to be affected. However due to the fast move any attack the defender wants to make is reduced by –2D as well.
Quick Parry	-5	The fighter parries an incoming attack and moves in a way that blocks the enemy’s movement. The two characters have to make an opposing dexterity roll or the attacker falls to the ground.
Circle Attack	-10	This only works as a parry to an attack, so the Soresu fighter has to successfully parry that attack ( with the +10 difficulty). The combatants have to make an opposed Stamina roll. If the fighter is successful, he is not only able to block the attack but moves in a circling turn around to the back of the attacker. He gets a free attack without a penalty for an additional action and only a –1D penalty for using Soresu for an attack.

Fourth Style: Counter

Pioneered by: Dacer Seurg

Dacer has formulated his style from a combination of the tutelage of Daranek and Geeto, combining elements of both Geeto’s aggressive attacks and Daranek’s dedication to defense. Whenever a user of this style attacks after he or she has parried or blocked an attack, he receives a +1D modifier to the attack roll ( this includes redirecting blaster bolts ) . However any attack rolls not countering a first attack are done with a -1D penalty – the legacy of its defensive origins.

Requirements: Dexterity 3D, Perception 3D

Action	Difficulty	Effect
Circling Thrust	-5	The Jedi attacks in what appears to be a strike from above but, at the last moment twists the hand to make the attack a thrust instead. This makes the attack difficult to block and any attempt to do so is done at a -1D penalty
Distracting Parry	-10	The character parries a melee attack in such a way that it forces the agressor into a less advantageous postion. Make an opposing Dexterity test. If successful  the Counter Style user is manuvers the opponents weapon aside. If the next action is another attack of the opponent it is done with a –1D penalty. If the next  action is an attack of the Form V user, any attempts  to parry it are done with a 1D penalty.
Spinning Attack	-10	This attack can only be preformed after a successful parry.The attacker spins with the force of his enemy’s attack behind their blow, the attack gaining +1D to damage

Shien

Daranek found mention of this art in the Jedi Holocron, and began practicing it as a way to both adapt for his lack of offense in Soresu, and to provide himself an edge in combat that he lost after removing his prosthetic arm. Even in the Old Republic, Shien was a rarely practiced art and features an unorthodox grip of the lightsaber. The blade is held horizontally all the time with the tip pointing at the opponent. A strike is performed by “throwing a punch” at the enemy, while  the blade is whipped forward in a broad arc. This move restricts the defensive capabilities of the wielder. Therefore any attempt to parry attacks ( including blaster bolts ) is done with a  –1D penalty. But this unorthodox method also improves the own ability to overcome an enemy’s defence. A Shien user receives a +4D bonus to attack rolls. However since this art can be foreseen rather easily, this bonus is reduced by 1D for each round of combat with the same opponent to a minimum of 1D.

Requirements: Dexterity 3D

Action	Difficulty	Effect
Spin Attack	-5	The Jedi spins around his own axis and by that gains momentum to a following attack. This does +1D damage then.
Broad Sweep	-5	The Jedi hits two opponents with the blade that are within reach. Divide the dealt damage dice between the two.