Lightsaber Combat Form III

Form III

Soresu originated as a refinement on Shii-Cho’s blaster deflection maneuvers. It is similar to Makashi in that it minimizes movement and energy expenditure to allow the practitioner to defend over a prolonged engagement without tiring but unlike that earlier form, it is equally effective against close and distant foes. A skilled Soresu user can close with ranged combatants in broad steps while maintaining a tight defense even against multiple attackers. A master of the form can appear as the calm center in a raging storm of battle.

For one who is attuned to the Force, Soresu establishes nearly impenetrable resistance to most contemporary modes of attack and by the time of the Clone Wars was considered far more versatile than Makashi. Many Jedi habitually studied one or two favored Shii-Cho attacks while pursuing broader expertise in Soresu. If one Jedi was sorely beset, Soresu’s array of deflections, pivots and slips could ward off attackers until help arrived. Because Jedi students are always paired with a master, it was rare for a defender wait long for assistance. Nevertheless, Form III expertise certainly enabled a practitioner to forestall an extended onslaught if necessary.

As the utmost exemplification of the Jedi’s use of the Force for defense, Soresu’s shortcomings lie in limited offensive options. Even a master of the form, such as Obi-Wan Kenobi, usually employed another style or Force abilities in order to best an opponent. Proper use of Form III requires a calm, even relaxed state of consciousness and few but the most advanced Jedi Masters can maintain this disposition while readying an offensive tactic from another style or a Force power. Soresu’s attacks are so close to the body that they must usually be performed in response to offensive action on the part of the target, either as an intercepting strike or a counterattack.

Several Soresu users survived into the age of the Empire and it is likely that significant knowledge of the form persists into the New Republic era. Luke Skywalker received instruction with Obi-Wan Kenobi who was the last living master of the form. The last padawan’s Jedi Master, Depa Billaba, also favored Soresu.

Advantages: Assessment, Defensive Attack, Redirect, Second Chance (resistance checks against Damage with the force descriptor), Seize Initiative, Uncanny Dodge

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Lightsaber Combat Form II

Form II

Makashi was established to contend with the threat of lightsaber wielding Force-sensitive antagonists, namely the Sith Order. A duel between two practitioners of Shii-Cho favored the more aggressive combatant, which was seriously disadvantageous to the Jedi Knights. In contrast to the rapid slashes and sweeping blows of Shii-Cho, Makashi employs gentle deflections, subtle feints and nimble jabs with an emphasis on weapon retention. The development of Form II led to the oft repeated maxim ‘this weapon is your life’ regarding the lightsaber.

The elegance and efficiency of Makashi was much more compatible with the Jedi way than the escalating ferocity of Shii-Cho. It allowed a dedicated adherent to exercise greater emotional control while exhausting their opponent with a seemingly effortless defense before finally executing a sudden riposte. Although practiced concurrently with later forms, Makashi was regarded as the salvation of the Jedi Order up until the defeat and apparent destruction of the Sith. By the time of the Clone Wars however, Makashi had fallen into disuse due to the preponderance of blaster weaponry in the galaxy.

Although the Makashi duelist enjoyed many advantages, this form suffered from a few significant flaws. It was entirely focused on contending with a single opponent and required a user facing more than one assailant to rely on their proficiency with the Force to stagger one foe, or else to switch to another form. Form II was also ill-suited to contend with ranged opponents necessitating that the lightsaber wielder quickly close with a target, rely on ranged Force powers, or simply withdraw. Finally, the Makashi reliance on turning strikes aside becomes far less effective against lightsaber wielders with superior physical strength.

All of the known Makashi masters perished by the end of the Clone Wars and only the most rudimentary understanding of Form II techniques were inherited by the last known Jedi, making Makashi effectively a lost art by the ascendance of New Republic.

Skills: Deception

Advantages: Accurate Attack, Defensive Attack,  Precise Attack, Second Chance (opposed check to resist being disarmed), Taunt, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind.

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Lightsaber Combat Form I

Form I

Shii-Cho was the first lightsaber combat style created by the Jedi Order and was intended for use against opponents with no attunement to the Force. The rise of the Sith Order caused lightsaber wielders to abandon this form in favor of the more refined techniques of Form II. Shii-Cho was practiced as a means to become attuned to the both the Force and to the lightsaber provided by a master to the Jedi aspirant.

The strikes and counters of Shii-Cho are straightforward and deliberate attempts to disarm or otherwise render a foe incapable of inflicting harm as quickly as possible. It relies on speed and intensity, but is very much informed by the Jedi’s regard for life and peace. As such, it has a limited array of deadly strokes and these are usually part of sequential attacks that give the target time to recognize their peril and yield.

Although rarely practiced beyond the early stages of Jedi training, this style nevertheless often saw use by Jedi warriors when severely pressed or when other styles had proven ineffective. In fact, this form enjoyed a brief resurgence during the early Clone Wars when the Jedi regularly engaged large numbers of battle droids which lacked the programming and processing speed to counter a sudden Shii-Cho onslaught. Against humanoid foes with no lives to lose, Jedi generals could strike with uncharacteristic brutality.

Unfortunately, General Grievous was trained by Count Dooku to take advantage of this situation, particularly early on during the Separatist campaign when Grievous was thought of merely a droid general. Grievous’ combat versatility and superhuman reflexes made employing Shii-Cho attacks a deadly mistake made by many Jedi Knights.

Advantages: All-out Attack, Daze, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Quick Draw

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Star Wars Campaign Lightsaber Technology

The origin of lightsaber technology is largely unknown during the years following the fall of the Galactic Empire. Indeed, some believe stories of these glowing blades of pure energy to be little more than fairy tales and an artifact of outdated religious beliefs. More learned beings know that these weapons once existed in great numbers, but even they are likely to doubt their supposed ability to sever bone, carapace, flesh, leather and metal with equal ease. Some conservational institutions or very wealthy individuals will pay a high premium to collect even non-functioning examples if they can be authenticated and the fabrication of counterfeits has become an exiguous but highly lucrative illicit trade.  

As beings who lived through the Clone Wars can attest, lightsabers are real and can be used to perform amazing deeds in the hands of a proficient wielder. To those with long memories or a more thorough knowledge of history, the lightsaber is virtually synonymous with the Jedi Order and is a symbol of the former Galactic Republic and pleasant remembrances of peace and plenty it has come to represent.

Despite this association, other persons or groups have been known to wield and even construct lightsabers. The most famous lightsaber duelist with no known connection to the Jedi was the Separatist general known as Grievous. There are also persistent accounts of Mandalorian warriors using laser swords both during and after the Clone Wars. Rumors surrounding the ruling class of the Tapani sector suggest that an insular handful of skilled craftsman can construct lightsabers, or at least a serviceable facsimile while a legendary guild referenced as the Bomerwrights of Sullest was said to craft laser swords in the ancient past. It is unknown if these Bomerwrights are connected to Sullust in anyway and the Sullustans deny any knowledge of such an organization.

Lightsaber

◊Descriptors – Energy, force, light

◊Effect – Damage • 1 point per rank

Laser Weapon (Damage)

◊Action – standard

◊Requirement – close attack check

◊Range – close

◊Duration – instant

◊Results – Damage

◊Resist – Toughness

Description

A blade of glowing plasma extends from a metallic hilt emitting light and a menacing hum.

A standard lightsaber consists of plasma focused into the shape of a blade by a kyber crystal contained within a metallic hilt. The blade’s color depends upon that of the crystal used to construct the lightsaber with blues and greens being most common among naturally occurring crystals.

Lightsabers have the potential to cut through nearly anything and may have ranks of the Penetrating extra. Penetrating lightsabers typically exchange the force descriptor with heat. Lightsabers can also deal Strength-based damage and double-bladed lightsabers may have the Split extra.

Against most living opponents, lightsaber cuts do not result in ongoing blood loss as the wound is cauterized by the plasma blade’s heat. Lightsabers stop when coming into contact with another lightsaber blade, ray shields and a few materials which are resistant to lightsabers (such as Zillo Beast hide).

All sorts of lightsaber variants can result in additional modifiers or alternate descriptors. Such deviations are usually the result of design choices made by the weapon’s creator which can include the type of crystal embedded in the hilt, the power source used to emit energy, or the properties of the plasma blade containment field.