Force Wizard’s Got Talents – Part 6 (Peacekeeper, Protector, and Soresu Defender Specializations)

July 11, 2022 Linda Whitson Astral Projections, Force Wizard 0

“Force Wizard’s Got Talents” is my series on the Force talents, from all of the FFG Star Wars lines.

Welcome back, padawans and disciples. In Parts 6, 7, and 8 we will look at Force talents for the Guardian career from F&D and KtP. This month’s installment covers the three F&D Guardian specs: Peacekeeper, Protector, and Soresu Defender.

Abbreviations
Coll = Collapse of the Republic
F&D = Force and Destiny
FR = Force Rating
FT = Force Talent
KtP = Keeping the Peace
Rise = Rise of the Separatists

PEACEKEEPER

Enhanced Leader (Unranked; 15 XP)

  • Also: Jedi General (Coll).
  • This is a Passive talent.
  • The character adds Force dice </= their FR to Leadership checks.
  • Spend Force pip/s to add player’s choice of Success or Advantage to the check on a 1:1 basis.
  • In both trees, this is located more or less in the center and is attached to useful talents all around.
  • In the Jedi General tree, it is also on the direct (and least expensive) path to Force Rating.
  • As with all Unranked talents, if you’ve already taken Enhanced Leader, you “skip it” and go to the next linked talent.
  • Enhanced Leader’s low cost, its links to useful/valuable talents, and the possibility of turning a failed result into a success (or even triggering effects) makes this a Must-Have FT.

Unity Assault (Unranked; 25XP)

  • Unique to Peacekeeper spec.
  • This is an Active talent (Maneuver).
  • Three Advantage or one Triumph from a failed combat check may be spent to use a Force power targeting 1+ allies as a maneuver.
  • You’re most likely to use Unity Assault to activate buff powers such as Battle Meditation but might also use it with powers like Move or Seek.
  • The character must be able to perform a maneuver and is still limited to two maneuvers/turn. (F&D, p. 153)
  • This is a very situational FT, so consider carefully whether that 25XP could be better spent elsewhere.

PROTECTOR

Circle of Shelter (Unranked; 20XP)

  • Also: Jedi Knight (Rise).
  • This is a Passive talent (Incidental).
  • When an engaged ally is hit, the character may use Reflect or Parry, as appropriate, on the hit.
  • As with all Unranked talents, if you’ve already taken Circle of Shelter, you “skip it” and go to the next linked talent.
  • If advancing in the Jedi Knight spec, Circle of Shelter offers easy or only access to the unique FTs Guardian of the Republic and Side By Side.
  • It is also the only way to reach the Jedi Knight tree’s instance of the rare Saber Throw FT.
  • Another Must-Have FT.

SORESU DEFENDER

Defensive Circle (Unranked; 15XP)

  • Unique to Soresu Defender spec.
  • This is an Active talent (Action).
  • Must be wielding a lightsaber.
  • Requires a successful Hard (three Difficulty) Lightsaber (Intellect) check to activate.
  • Affects the wielder plus one ally, within Short range, per Success.
  • The wielder and affected allies gain Defense (range and melee) of 1 plus 1 per every 2 Advantage.
  • Defense lasts until the beginning of the wielder’s next turn.
  • Going as early as possible in the round you plan to activate Defensive Circle and then taking the last PC initiative slot in the following round will maximize the Defense bonuses.

Improved Reflect (Unranked; 15 or 25XP)

  • Also: Shien Expert (F&D).
  • This is a Passive talent, Incidental and Out-of-Turn. (Per the Soresu Defender and Shien Expert talent trees, although the F&D Talents chapter calls it Active. I vote for Passive, which is typical of Improved and Supreme versions of talents.)
  • This is how you redirect a blaster bolt or other energy attack into someone (or something) else.
  • When use of Reflect reduces damage taken from a Ranged (Heavy or Light) or Gunnery attack, Improved Reflect comes into play.
  • The player may spend three Threat or one Despair from the attack that hit them to automatically hit a single target within Medium range.
  • Damage dealt by the auto-hit equals the damage dealt by the initial Ranged attack.
  • Improved Reflect cannot be used if the initial attack incapacitated the PC, of course.
  • See F&D p. 150 for more information on what kinds of attacks can be affected by Improved Reflect.

Soresu Technique (Unranked; 10XP)

  • This is a passive talent.
  • Every “Lightsaber Form” spec has its own Technique FT, allowing the Force user to substitute a specific Characteristic for Brawn.
  • For Soresu Defender, it’s Intellect.

Strategic Form (Unranked; 25XP)

  • Unique to Soresu Defender spec.
  • This is an Active talent (Action).
  • Must be wielding a lightsaber.
  • Make a combined Hard (three Difficulty) Lightsaber (Intellect) plus Force dice < FR.
  • One target, within Short range, per (uncancelled) Success may only target the character with combat checks.
  • Effect lasts until the end of the following round.
  • Character may spend Force pips to extend the effect’s duration for +1 turn for each Force pip spent.
  • Effect ends early if the character is incapacitated.
  • Narratively you might be keeping opponent/s focused on attacking you, or maneuvering them so they cannot attack anyone else.

Supreme Parry (Unranked; 25XP)

  • Unique to Soresu Defender spec.
  • This is a Passive talent.
  • Fun fact: While Supreme Parry is a Force talent, Parry and Improved Parry are normal talents.
  • If you didn’t make a combat check in the previous turn, using Parry only costs 1 Strain, versus the usual 3 Strain.
  • It’s somewhat situational but not a serious limitation. After all, there are all kinds of actions a character might take that aren’t attacks: many uses of Force powers, making a non-combat skill check, double move to get in range to attack, or you were incapacitated.

Next month, I will devote all of Part 7 to the Guardian’s Armorer spec, from Keeping the Peace. Until then, may the Force be with you always, padawans and disciples.

 

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Linda Whitson

Contributing Writer & Copy Editor at D20 Radio
Linda Whitson is a long-time RPGer, amateur musician & artist, & an officer in the Rebel Legion Star Wars costuming club. Linda met her husband in an AD&D game and they have 2 teenagers, an anime fangirl daughter and a son who plays on his university's quidditch team. She is the Lead Mod of D20 Radio's forums and Copy Editor for the blog. Linda can be reached at GMLinda@d20radio.com

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