As I mentioned in this thread, I'm going to be running a regular competition where board members submit their version of a famous character from the Star Wars universe. The winner will have their version enshrined in the forthcoming YBtC Hall of Fame, as well as the bragging rights.
This month's challenge is to build the Chosen One himself, Anakin Skywalker, AKA Darth Vader. You have until midnight (PT) on Friday 23 October to post your RPG stats, and any notes you want to post explaining your decisions. Once submissions have closed, all forum members will have until midnight (PT) on Friday 30 October to vote for their favourite. Whichever build receives the most votes will win.
The following rules apply to submissions:
All builds must be created according to RAW, with no house rules (no single Athletics skill, no bonus feats for bloodlines etc). You are, however, allowed to include the 'Life Support' special quality given to Darth Vader on page 262 of the core rulebook.
You may use "unlimited" point buy for Anakin's ability scores, provided each score is between 3 and 18 at first level (before racial and age adjustments).
You are free to use material from all official Saga Edition books, up to and including Galaxy at War.
Your stats may represent Anakin Skywalker at any point during his life, either as a Jedi Knight or as the Sith Lord Darth Vader. You may even include multiple stats to represent multiple points in time, provided they are all different level versions of the same build (ie no swapping out talents or feats).
Anakin Skywalker is a Human, and as such uses the Human species traits provided on page 23 of the core rulebook.
You may change your stats at any point up until submissions close, at which point any edited stats will be disqualified.
Have fun everyone, and may the Force be with you.
Josh Cheesman - journalist and Star Wars fan.
Visit the YBtC Hall of Fame to see the winners of the Praxeum's regular You Build the Character competitions.
I'm entering the below statblock. It is meant to represent little orphaned Annie (*snickers*) during his duel with Count Dooku in Episode II: The Clone Wars (and only during that duel).
Right click the image and either select SAVE AS or VIEW IMAGE to the stat block in it's native, easy to read resolution.
Abilities Str 16, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 14
Special Qualities Immune to Fear, Temptation, Cyborg Hybrid (GAW)
Talents Block, Deflect, Redirect Shot, Throw Lightsaber, Weapon Specialization (lightsaber), Severing Strike, Djem So, Renowned Pilot (CLONE), Armored Defense, Improved Armored Defense, Force Pilot
Feats Force Sensitivity, Weapon Proficiency (lightsabers, simple weapons), Weapon Focus (lightsabers), Vehicular Combat, Force Training x3, Starship Tactics (SOTG), Skill Focus (Use the Force), Double Attack (lightsabers), Strong in the Force, Unleashed (TFU), Armor Proficiency (light), Tech Specialist (SOTG)
Skills Initiative +15, Jump +17, Mechanics +15, Use the Force +16 (can be used for Pilot checks)
Possessions Darth Vader's Armor (as Stormtrooper armor modified from standard look; +2 armor bonus to Ref Def from Superior Tech; total +8), Sith Robes, Duelphase Lightsaber (self-built; red synthetic crystal, pressure grip, Improved Damage), utility belt (medpac)
Life Support- Due to injuries sustained on Mustafar, Darth Vader is completely dependent on the life support granted by his armor or by special sealed chambers designed specifically for him. Without this special life support, Vader begins to suffocate (see Hold Breath, Saga Edition Core page 66)
Build notes: Starting Ability Scores (Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 14) Destiny Point Bonuses notated below Level Ability Points added (+2 Str, +2 Wis, +4 Cha)
Character Level was assumed to be 15 before RotS and he gained 2 levels incidentally in the course of the movie.
Unfortunately, I had to sacrifice a few staples. Strong in the Force was scrapped in favor of Force Regimens. The Block talent is notably missing, and I hope that Fluid Riposte will fill that niche. Never seemed to me that Block suited a Djem So practitioner well anyway. Djem So can't activate if you Block the attack. Fluid Riposte is food for Djem So rather than countering it. It generates FPs for the Djem So talent, and the 'waste' of FPs has long been a popular complaint about the Djem So talent. Thought about giving up Deflect too, but ultimately decided that Redirect Shot was essential.
I went for a blend of Force aptitude, a strength oriented aggressive lightsaber duelist and included his aptitude for piloting and tinkering. I also included a few points to demonstrate his dark tendencies.
Vader, the 'best' pilot in the galaxy has an instance of Starship Tactics, Force Pilot and Vehicular Combat. These combine for creating a force to be reckoned with. This build should portray Anakin/Vader as a very capable pilot while also not giving up too much elsewhere.
In light of Anakin's dark tendencies, I included the Dark Rage power, Improved Dark Rage and the Consumed by Darkness talent. These abilities multiply his lightsaber skill to that worthy of a true Sith Lord. This combined with the inclusion of piloting and tinkering skill are the pride of this build. As an added bonus, the transition to the armored Vader is relatively painless. Add a level of Soldier for proficiency and Armored Defense and he is ready to continue on relatively unhindered.
Over all, I am very happy with this build. It maintains Vader's ability to fight on ground or in the air. He may not be the absolute best at each, but he remains a contender. Few in the galaxy can match him in either aspect. Strong in the Force (which I consider to be weak anyway) was done away with in favor of things that are simply mechanically necessary. Desperate Gambit shows Anakin's knack for coming out ahead when making seemingly reckless maneuvers (but are, in fact, the guidance of the Force). His dark nature is represented, as well as his mechanical aptitude.
Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader) as of the Dual on Mustafar Character Level 17 Jedi 8/Scoundrel 2/Jedi Knight 5/Sith Lord 2
HP= 160
Str 18 Dex 14 Con 14 Int 13 Wis 16 Cha 20
Lightsaber +24 (2d8+18)
Reflex 32 Fortitude 32 Damage Threshold 32 Will 33
Destiny (Destuction of Droid Control Ship): Complete, +2 Cha Destiny (Rescue Palpatine): Complete, +1 Str, +1 Wis Destiny (Corruption): Complete, +1 Str, +1 Wis
Destiny (Destruction: Rebellion)= 6 DP Force Points= 7 Dark Side Score= 16
Feats Force Sensitive Weapon Group Proficiency: Simple, Lightsabers, Pistols 1 Force Training 1 Force Training 3 Force Training 6 Starship Tactics 9 Force Regimens 12 Desperate Gambit 15 Force Training J Vehicular Combat J Weapon Focus: Lightsabers J Skill Focus: Use the Force J Power Attack Sc Tech Specialist
Talents Force Pilot Spacehound Deflect Redirect Shot Djem So Weapon Specialization: Lightsabers Greater Weapon Focus: Lightsabers Severing Strike Consumed by Darkness
Languages Basic Binary Huttese
Special Abilities/Qualities Temptation, Fearless
Starship Maneuvers Devastating Hit I Have You Now Skywalker Loop Shield Hit
Force Powers 16 Force Grip Move Object Mind Trick Battle Strike Force Slam Rebuke Surge Negate Energy Dark Rage Fear Force Disarm Fluid Riposte x2 Saber Swarm x2 Tempered Aggression
Force Regimens 4 Quiet the Mind Telekinetic Practice Eyes of the Force Awaken Force Sensitivity
Force Techniques Force Point Recovery Improved Dark Rage
I am curious RD. Why did you choose to make Anakin such a high level and include Jedi Knight levels? I also wondered why you limited the stats to just what we see in a single encounter. The dual wielding mastery seen in that build is a pretty significant deviation from what we see through the course of his career.
I am curious RD. Why did you choose to make Anakin such a high level and include Jedi Knight levels? I also wondered why you limited the stats to just what we see in a single encounter. The dual wielding mastery seen in that build is a pretty significant deviation from what we see through the course of his career.
I saw a dying thread and I thought I'd give it a helping hand.
So I took one of my personal characters, slapped "ANAKIN" on it instead of its real name and made some lame remark about it being a representation of a character in a single fight.
So to answer your question: I was being lazy.
But guess what? After nearly a week of getting nothing at all, several entries were made after I broke the ice.
True, I suppose. Without your contribution the thread looked like it was as good as dead. Since then, its gotten 2 entries, at least.
Oh, by the way. Your character is built using 28 points rather than the RAW 25, so if you want a valid entry you'll need to adjust it or justify it. Elsewise, I don't much like it as an Anakin, but it is a cool character nonetheless.
I noticed your "Anakin" has a superior tech saber, but no superior tech himself. I guess he has friends in high places? (Totally tagential so feel free to not answer that :P)
Do you see anything of concern in my entry. Sort of put it together pretty quickly (and during class to boot) so it may be riddled with error or oversights.
Oh, by the way. Your character is built using 28 points rather than the RAW 25, so if you want a valid entry you'll need to adjust it or justify it. Elsewise, I don't much like it as an Anakin, but it is a cool character nonetheless.
Well, when I said characters had to be built according to RAW, I wasn't setting a point buy limit. You can use whatever ability scores you want, provided that, at first level, each score is between 3 and 18 (before racial and age adjustments).
My reasoning is that characters should have the stats that best reflect their abilities. From a rules point of view, just assume that the players were rolling their ability scores, and Anakin's player just happened to roll well.
I'll edit the rules in the first post to contain this note. Sithlord, feel free to edit your stats to whatever ability scores you feel are appropriate for Anakin.
Josh Cheesman - journalist and Star Wars fan.
Visit the YBtC Hall of Fame to see the winners of the Praxeum's regular You Build the Character competitions.
Design Notes I tried to create Darth Vader as I saw him as of the beginning of Episode VI with a blend of both combat- and skill-based abilities.
Original Ability scores were based on a 38 point buy with the fourth level increases applied in brackets beside that score (age modifiers / destiny bonuses are not included in this list): Str 15 (+2), Dex 14 (+2), Con 13 (+1), Int 13 (+1), Wis 15 (+1), Cha 14 (+1)
Darth Vader was 39 years old when he died, which is just inside the Adult age boundary for Humans. EDIT: Corrected for the error now as Jedi_Comedian pointed out he was 46... doh! This places Vader firmly in the Middle Age region for Humans. --- EDIT (16-10-09): Attacks may seem odd as I haven't given him the ability to make multiple attacks (or even Weapon Specialisation), but I felt he tends to focus on one opponent at a time unless he is dealing with mooks, for which he has the Wicked Strike feat from SaV (not to be confused with the Wicked Strike talent from the Sith talent tree) to give him the extra attack. Otherwise, I felt he tends to batter one opponent until they go down and, given some of the opponents he faces, Double Attack stands little chance of hitting without a few Multiattack Proficiency (Lightsabre) talents that could be better spent elsewhere.
Force powers are fairly standard and Falling Avalanche seems to fit his style of combat very well (focusing on powerful vertical strikes). In conjuction with the Force talent Telekinetic Savant, he can recover and use the majority of his powers more often without having to expend Force Points. Crucitorn is a little unusual and it is there to represent his phenomenal stamina in combat - Vader often disregarded personal damage in combat and Crucitorn feels like a good way to represent it (you can damage me, but you can't take me down...). --- Completed Destinies:
I tried to give him the equipment he was known to have or create the closest approximations within the RAW - Mandalorian Iron isn't a Gear Template, but Phrik Alloy performs the same function so that was used instead for the Crushgaunts (though he only had one on his right hand).
Darth Vader (as of the beginning of Episode VI) CL19 Medium Middle Age Human Scout 2/ Jedi 6/ Ace Pilot 1/ Jedi Knight 5/ Sith Apprentice 2/ Soldier 1/ Sith Lord 2 Destiny 3 (Destruction); Force 8, Strong in the Force; Dark-side 17 Init +16; Senses: Low-light Vision; Perception +12 Languages Basic, Binary (cannot speak), Huttese ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Defences Ref 38 (Flat-footed 36), Fort 35, Will 35; Block, Deflect, Vehicular Combat, Vehicular Evasion HP 174; Threshold 35 Immune: Fear effects, atmospheric and inhaled poison hazards Weakness: Life support ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Speed 6 squares Melee Unarmed +21 (1d4+19) or Melee Lightsabre +23 (2d8+15) or Melee Lightsabre +21 (3d8+15) with Rapid Strike Base Atk +17; Grp +21 Atk Options: Consumed by DarknessCWCG, Rapid Strike, Riposte (1 encounter-1)KotOR, Wicked StrikeSaV Special Actions: Djem So, Redirect Shot, Telekinetic Savant (1 encounter-1), Temptation Force Powers Known (Use the Force +23): CrucitornJATM,Dark Rage, Falling AvalancheJATM, Farseeing, Force Disarm, Force Grip, Force Slam (2), Move Object (2), Rebuke, Surge Force Techniques: Force Point Recovery, Improved Force GripFUCG, Improved Move Light Object Force Secrets: Devastating Power Starship Manoeuvres Known (Pilot +16*)SotG: Devastating Hit, I Have You Now, Skywalker Loop, Tallon Roll ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Abilities Str 18, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 15, Wis 17, Cha 16 Special Qualities: Fearless, Life Support, Temptation Talents: Armoured Defence, Block, Consumed by DarknessCWCG, Deflect, Djem So, Force Pilot, Improved Armoured Defence, Redirect Shot, RiposteKotOR, Telekinetic Savant, Vehicular Evasion Feats: Armour Proficiency (Light), Force Sensitivity, Force Training (3), Rapid Strike, Shake it Off, Skill Focus (Use the Force), Starship TacticsSotG, Strong in the Force, Tech SpecialistSotG, Vehicular Combat, Weapon Focus (Lightsabres), Weapon Proficiency (Lightsabres, Pistols, Rifles, Simple Weapons), Wicked StrikeSaV Skills: Acrobatics +16, Endurance +15, Initiative +16, Knowledge (Galactic Lore) +16, Knowledge (Technology) +16, Mechanics +16, Persuasion +12 (+14 to Intimidate), Pilot +16*, Use the Force +23 *May substitute with the Use the Force skill modifier Possessions: Cybernetic Prosthetics (4, both arms and legs), Darth Vader's Armour (Armoured Flight Suit with Helmet Package, Sith Alchemy trait Imposing FormJATM, Tech Specialist trait Protective ArmourSotG), Dual-phase Red-bladed Lightsabre (Self-built with Blade-lockJATM, Red Synthetic crystalsJATM, Tech Specialist trait Improved DamageSotG), Executor-class Star Dreadnought (Executor), Mandalorian Crushgaunts (Combat gloves with Gear Template Phrik AlloyKotOR, Superior Tech trait Superior DamageSaV), Sith Amulet (Lord Kaan's)JATM, Sith Robes, TIE/In Interceptor (Modified)SotG, Utility Belt (with Medpac) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Life Support: Due to the injuries he sustained on Mustafar, Darth Vader is completely dependent on the life support granted by his armour or by meditation chambers designed specifically with this purpose in mind. Without this life support, Darth Vader immediately begins to suffocate (see Hold Breath, SECR pg 66).
