Jab’s Builds! (Lawnmower Man! Samus Aran! Metroids!)

[squirrelly-sama]

-At Toughness 45, little can really hurt it, and that 40-rank Blast can take out an entire Planet in a single shot (and takes out several Star Cruisers in the Battle of Endor in the third film). Only the vulnerability of the thing's innards allows the heroes to win. Naturally, it doesn't really "work" using standard "Headquarters" or "Vehicle" rules (it's just too large, and there are probably thousands of Gun-Ports on the thing), but it's worth pointing out the sheer durability and power of the structure.

I think that there's just a 1 point feature for that, something like defense system that covers the laser. Honestly though, the Vehicle system always seemed halfassed to me and I always have to crack the book open again and remind myself on the rare occasion someone actually bothers to run one by me since it's so forgettable.

[Jabroniville]

I'm reading the Star Wars stuff right now with mild interest (I like the series but I'm not a "fan"), but as always, I'm looking forward to more comic book stuff.

Hm, we got another week and a half of Star Wars, and then no comics till mid-March... but if it helps, there'll be builds for FOUR Fighting Games in the meantime !

[drkrash]

If the animal builds were a separate thread, would you only be working on that thread while this one lay dormant? Or would you be working on 2 sets (i.e., animals and something else) simultaneously?

I'm reading the Star Wars stuff right now with mild interest (I like the series but I'm not a "fan"), but as always, I'm looking forward to more comic book stuff.

Oh, I would do both simultaneously, probably posting in the Animal one every once in a while. Maybe one build a day or whatever.

Then I definitely say, "go with a new thread." It would be messy otherwise.

[Jabroniville]

Yoda: "Yes, run! Yes, a Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware of the dark side. Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, QUICK to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will, as it did Obi-Wan's apprentice."
Luke: "Vader... Is the dark side stronger?"
Yoda: "No, no, no. Quicker, easier, more seductive."
Luke: "But how am I to know the good side from the bad?"
Yoda: "You will know... when you are calm, at peace, passive. A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, NEVER for attack."
Luke: "But tell my why I can't..."
Yoda: "No, no! There is no 'WHY'!"

---

[Luke sees his X-Wing is about to sink into the bog]
Luke Skywalker: "Oh, no! We'll never get it out now!"
Yoda: "So certain, are you? Always with you, it cannot be done. Hear you nothing that I say?"
Luke: "Master, moving stones around is one thing, but this is... totally different!"
Yoda: "No! No different! Only different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned."
Luke: "All right, I'll give it a try."
Yoda: "No! Try not. DO... or DO NOT. There is no 'try'."
[Luke tries to use the Force to levitate his X-Wing out of the bog, but fails in his attempt.]
Luke: "I can't. It's too big."
Yoda: "Size matters not. Look at me- Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. Even between the land and the ship."
Luke: "You want the impossible. [sees Yoda use the Force to levitate the X-Wing out of the bog and gets flustered when he does it] I don't... I don't believe it!"
Yoda: "That is why you fail."

YODA
Role: Odd Mentor Figure
Group Affiliations: The Jedi Knights
PL 12 (208)
STRENGTH -2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY -2/4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 6 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Insight 8 (+12)
Investigation 2 (+8)
Perception 9 (+15)
Persuasion 4 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 2 (+6)
Vehicles 1 (+5)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Benefit 3 (Rank- Jedi Council), Fascination (Persuasion), Great Endurance, Improved Defense, Languages (A Few), Ranged Attack 6, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 20 (Detect The Force- Ranged 5, Acute & Analytical, Detect Life- Ranged 5, Danger Sense, Precognition) [20]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+7) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 2: Improved Aim, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment) [2]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Temporary Force-Assisted Fighting Style"
"Force-Assisted Blows" Strength-Damage +4 [4]
Enhanced Agility 6 [12]
Enhanced Skills 28: Acrobatics 10 (+14), Athletics 10 (+8), Close Combat (Lightsaber) 8 (+14) [14]
Enhanced Advantages 9: Agile Feint, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 2, Improved Critical (Lightsaber) 2, Improved Initiative 2, Uncanny Dodge [9]

"Force Push" Damage 7 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 9 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (26) -- [32]

• AE: "Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 14 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (21)
• AE: "Deflect Anything" Deflect 14 (14)
• AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 10 (Feats: Precise, Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (21)
• AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 6 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (13)
• AE: "Much Fear I Sense In You" Mind-Reading 10 (Flaws: Limited to Emotions) (10)
• AE: "See Through The Force" Remote Sensing 20 (Detect The Force) (Flaws: Physical Body is Defenseless) (10)

"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Force-Assisted +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lightsaber +14 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Force Push +7-9 Area (+7 Damage & +9 Affliction, DC 22 & 19)
Mind Trick +6 Area (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Emotion-Reading -- (+10 Mind-Reading, DC 20)
Initiative -2 (+12 Boost)

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +3 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +4, Will +14

Complications:
Disabled (Age)- Ancient, even for his species, Yoda is. Require a cane he does after hundreds of years, and even temporary is his Jedi Speed. Tire quickly, he will.
Prejudice (Small)- Small, Yoda is. Judge him by his size, people do.
Responsibility (The Jedi Order)- Under numerous rules, the Jedi are (never falling in love, stuff like that), and to keep peace and order throughout the galaxy is their mission.
Responsibility (The Council)- To a higher standard compared to even other Jedi, Council members are held.
Responsibility (The Dark Side)- Dangerously-close, The Dark Side is, for all Jedi. Using the "Channel the Dark Side Powers", using Dark Side-like powers (like strangling someone with The Force, or crushing them internally), killing defeated foes or otherwise killing needlessly, and even using All-Out or Power Attack too often can down a dark path, lead the Jedi. "Quicker, EASIER- more seductive," the Dark Side is, and tempting, the temporary boost of power is. Twisting one's spirit and mangle their body, excessive use of the Dark Side will.

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 28--14 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 105 / Defenses: 27 (208)

Yoda- The Ultimate Mentor Figure:
-One of the great master-strokes of the Star Wars saga was in the creation of Yoda, the wise old Jedi Master to whom Luke goes for his final training, on the ghostly suggestion of Obi-Wan. Created after numerous planning phases and cartoonier looks were rejected, Yoda is the culmination of Lucas at his peak, alongside the legendary puppeteer Frank Oz (Miss Piggy, The Little Shop of Horrors), who created this lifelike little puppet that is nonetheless one of the best actors in the Trilogy. At first, he appears to be a goofy little piece of Comic Relief- a clown that argues with R2-D2, bothers Luke, and acts like a slapstick character. But then, when he uncovers what Luke's there to do, he instantly settles into the wisest character in the series, carefully training Luke to be the ultimate Jedi. And his lessons actually come off REALLY WELL- "Excitement. Adventure. A Jedi craves not these things." "You will know (the good from the bad) when you are calm, at peace. Passive. A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack." And of course, the famous "DO or DO NOT. There is no 'try'." When Luke says he can't believe Yoda just lifted an X-WING out of the bog, Yoda just replies "THAT is why you fail..." Wise words, all. Yoda gets some of the best lines in the entire series.

-As a teacher he is fierce, unforgiving, and demanding- things often left behind in modern stories, which showcase the jovial, friendly master side of his personality. He recommends Luke leave his friends to die and complete his training. This tiny green muppet with the giant cartoony ears ends up becoming one of the most memorable and important characters in the franchise. Everything about him stands out- his size is of course a deliberate contrast to his great power ("Size matters not!"), and a reflection of the true might of The Force. He's all wrinkled & green, coming off as the only non-human Jedi in the Original Trilogy. He even SPEAKS oddly, reversing the order of some of his sentences! This would be ridiculous in any other character, but pulling off a three-foot-tall super-powered shrunken green troll with the voice of Miss Piggy is possibly the greatest example of what Lucas and his team were capable of with the original movies.

Yoda's Might:
-Yoda as a full-fledged Jedi is ungodly powerful. His only equals are the true Top Tiers of the setting- Vader, Windu, Palpatine. And his power in The Force is probably the highest- he can stop Force Lightning WITH HIS HANDS, move objects as large as X-Wings with almost casual ease, see things from far away while in a Trance-like state, and see Emotions better than any other Jedi can- most only get the mere HINT of tricks like this, and have to play Hero Points to get them.

-Yoda reveals ass-kicking power in the Prequels, which on one hand is AMAZING (his fight with Dooku is probably the best part of Attack of the Clones), but on the other hand, kind of makes Yoda into something he shouldn't be. Yoda really was never meant to be picking up a Lightsaber and beating ass- Yoda is the calm, thoughtful Jedi. He should be walking in, using The Force like a scalpel to stop people in their tracks- proof that his size does, in fact, matter not. Instead they turn him into a tiny green chainsaw. To that end, he gets a pile of Advantages with a theoretical limit due to his advanced age.

[Ares]

One thing I love about Yoda is the whole scene where Luke first shows up on his planet. Yoda obviously knows who Luke is and why he's here, but Yoda is playing the fool as a test of Luke's patience and courtesy to others. It's a classic from mythology, folklore and martial arts fiction, the "secret test of character" from the master. Yoda is intentionally annoying, and Luke quickly loses his patience with him. And once he does lose his patience, Yoda just sighs and his entire demeanor changes, talking about how Luke has no patience. It's only THEN that Luke realizes who he's been talking to and disrespecting this whole time, and you can see him getting ready to crap his pants.

There was this blog called Some Kind of Wonderful Noise, where a 19 year old who had basically lived under a pop culture rock had gotten into tabletop gaming, and decided to finally watch the films his gaming group was constantly referencing. He'd watch the films and type down his reactions in real time and let everyone read about them. So we've got a 19 year old who has never seen Star Wars, barely knows about it (he thought the Stormtroopers were robots initially), and he's watching the film with fresh eyes. It's the closest we can get to someone having seen Empire back in the early 80s for the first time in theater.

SKoWN was completely fooled by Yoda, and when Yoda goes from "intentionally messing with Luke" to "admonishing him for his lack of patience", SKoWN is just blown away by how much subtle work is done with the puppet and the voice, how it looked believably wise and insightful with just a few changes to how it was manipulated. It really is a great moment in the film.

I will say that while I like Yoda's overall presentation, I was kind of annoyed how a lot of Jedi in the prequels were presented in relation to him. I basically expected that Yoda was sort of the standard of what you'd expect from a Jedi Master and Council Member, when instead he's basically the Superman of the Jedi. I do like that even as a teacher, Yoda still has some flaws, as he's convinced that Vader is a lost cause, when Luke proves to both Obi-Wan and Yoda that no, redemption from the Dark Side is not impossible. There's even some expanded universe stuff that showcases that much of the Jedi's call was due to Yoda becoming more dogmatic in his later years, using his pull in the Council to keep the order stagnant and unchanging with the times.

[Ares]

Regarding deflecting Force Lightning with his hand, that's actually a power Force Users could have developed where they essentially used the Force to absorb or redirect pure energy. Vader uses a variant of it when Han shoots at him at Cloud City, and again during his hallway march in Rogue One. Some masters could even absorb the energy and use it to rejuvenate themselves. The novel of Return of the Jedi even states that Luke was deflecting some of the Emperor's Lightning, but he wasn't experienced enough to be able to handle that kind of power.

It was a power that took a lot of time and effort to develop, and required concentration to use in battle. As a result, most Jedi stuck to lightsaber training, which allowed them to do similar feats much easier, and was part of their basic training.

[Sidious]

I met him in a swamp down in Dagoba
Where it bubbles all the time like a giant carbonated soda
S-O-D-A, soda

[catsi563]

An interesting note about yoda specifically his speech structure, is that its Germanic in nature. my Dad noticed this while we were watching the 8 movies and rogue 1 in a binge before Rise of Skywalker.

[Jabroniville]

Still love the "Cloud City Betrayal" scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxdLYWnSzpI

Han's IMMEDIATE reaction is to kill Vader then and there- no hesitation at all, just a sidearm to the center of mass. But then Vader reveals just how overpowered anyone who isn't a force-user really is, neutralizing the only weapon anyone else in the galaxy uses simply by lifting his hand. Then that VOICE: "We would be honored... if you would JOIN us...". Dude radiates impossible confidence and menace with such casual dialog.

Also love Chewie's complete ROAR (not the "raawwrrrrr" complaining sounds he usually makes), and Boba Fett's "spur-walk" sound effects.

[Ares]

To be fair, not all Force Users are created equal. Vader is this deadly combination of raw power, cybernetic enhancement, skill and experience. It'd be like someone pulling a handgun on Dr. Doom.

[Jabroniville]

STAR WARS: REBELS:

-This is a decent little show, though in all the time I watched, I found it to be less amazing and more "quality background noise" most of the time. They occasional episode would be AMAZING, but over a few years, most of its episodes were rather a lot of "Filler". Despite that, it had a lot of character development over time- the cocky young rebel turning more responsible (after being tempted by the Dark Side), Kanan growing into his role as mentor, Sabine becoming more responsible, Zeb & Agent Kallus working through their feud, and more.

It reads very much, like Ares has pointed out, a TV version of someone's Star Wars tabletop game- you've got two guys playing Jedi in the Imperial Era, someone playing a Big Guy who wasn't a Wookiee and so could talk for real, a sexy Pilot Chick, a "griefer" who's playing a Droid and doing things just to be annoying, and of course a Mandatory Mandalorian. Basically, they're a band of Mercenaries who hook up with The Rebel Alliance, and they get roped into dragging along a kid. A kid who turns out to be strong with The Force. And then it's revealed that Kanan, the ground commander of the ragtag band, is ALSO a Force-user when he whips out a FREAKING LIGHTSABER as the "Big Reveal" at the end of the Pilot Episode. There are still Jedi in the Imperial Era!

Overall, I thought it was fine, though often unmemorable. All the stuff about "Sacred Jedi Temples" and stuff with magical powers left in objects kind of left me cold, as it was a bit weird for this universe to me. Recurring villains like the Inquisitor and the Sister & Brother or whomever were REALLY boring, generic foes. Admiral Thrawn was really cool, at least, and came off very unique for this world of cartoonish super-villainy. And of course there's that infamous scene where DARTH VADER arrives to deal with The Ghost, upends everyone, easily overpowers both Kanan & Ezra just by using the Force, and wipes the floor with the rest of the team- only Hera's quick wits save them, and Sabine practically has PTSD- "What WAS that?!" she mutters, as the team makes their getaway. Kanan points out the difference between what an Inquisitor is and what a guy with "Darth" in front of his name is.

Darth Maul is okay in the series, and gets one of the best swordfights in all of Star Wars with his simple duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi. Thrawn proves to be a calculating, sinister foe who can't be easily bluffed. Then there's a bunch of weird stuff with talking Lolth Wolves or whatever, Agent Kallus betrays the Empire and becomes a Rebel spy, and more. One of the best aspects of the show was the sense of character development- Zeb stops being the butt-monkey, Ezra matures, Sabine accepts responsibility, Hera & Kanan grow closer, Kanan becomes a better teacher, Kallus reforms, and more. However, as I'm more a fan of the movies over the whole "universe", I found a lot of stories kind of dull. To be honest, I really watched this as background noise about 80% of the time. A few episodes really stood out to me, but this is one of those shows where if I stopped paying attention for a few minutes so I could work on some stuff, I didn't bother to pause it or rewind. It was just "some show" except for the rare moments where it was truly excellent.

The Cast:
Ezra Bridger: Young boy on The Hero's Journey, being a rebellious punk who discovers power in The Force.
Kanan: A Jedi forced to hide after Order 66. His own lessons barely learned, he's suddenly got to train a stubborn young kid in the ways of The Force.
Hera: Twi'lek Pilot of their ship, The Ghost. Though Kanan seems to be in charge, it's HER ship, so often SHE gets the final say.
Zeb: The Big Guy. Gruff, easily-annoyed and violent. Basically your Ben Grimm.
Sabine: Teenage girl Mandalorian with PINK ARMOR.
C1-10P: Standard assholish Astromech Droid.

The Bad Guys:
Kallus: Agent of "Big Brother" and a human enemy.
The Inquisitor: Dark Force User with ludicrous Spinning Lightsaber.

[Ares]

STAR WARS: REBELS:

It reads very much, like Ares has pointed out, a TV version of someone's Star Wars tabletop game-

Glad I'm not the only one who felt that way.

REBELS was a decent show, not as good as Clone Wars could be at times but generally inoffensive and had a lot of decent moments. The creators clearly loved Star Wars and had respect for the settings classic characters. Vader, Tarkin, Thrawn, they were all treated as very big deals, Vader especially basically having THAT moment from Rogue One every time he showed up.

It also introduced the re-imagined Imperial Inquisitors, which again feels like a very "tabletop RPG" idea, where the GM wanted to have the two Jedi get into lightsaber fights but didn't want it to be against Vader. Because the show makes it clear what happens when you fight Vader. Even Ahsoka, who was pretty much a creator's pet at that point, was losing to Vader during their fight, landing only one hit due to getting to sucker punch him, and it's revealed that she would have died if not for Ezra pulling some shenanigans later.

So they took the Legends EU Inquisitors and re-imagined them as a group of "proto-Sith", Dark Jedi who served the Emperor and Vader but weren't truly Sith themselves so as not to violate the Rule of Two. This gave the player Jedi people to lightsaber fight without cheapening Vader.

[Bladewind]

I met him in a swamp down in Dagoba
Where it bubbles all the time like a giant carbonated soda
S-O-D-A, soda

Now I know Darth Vader's really got you annoyed
but remember if you kill him you'll be unemployed.

Y-O-D-A. YO HO DA

[Jabroniville]

EZRA BRIDGER
Role: The Kid
Group Affiliations: The Rebel Alliance
PL 7 (117)
STRENGTH 1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 7 (+8)
Insight 2 (+4)
Investigation 2 (+3)
Perception 5 (+6)
Persuasion 3 (+5)
Stealth 3 (+7)
Technology 4 (+4)
Vehicles 2 (+6)

Advantages:
Defensive Attack, Equipment 3 (Blaster +5, "Slingshot" Blast 3, Assorted Gear), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Languages (A Few), Luck, Ranged Attack 3

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 6 (Detect The Force- Ranged 2, Detect Life- Ranged 2) [6]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+8) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 1: Defensive Roll [1]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 1 (4 mph) [1]

"Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 8 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (12) -- [14]

• AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 4 (Feats: Precise, Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (9)
• AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 3 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Distracting) (4)

"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lightsaber +6 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Laser Blaster +7 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Mind Trick +3 Area (+3 Affliction, DC 13)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +2 (+3 D.Roll), Fortitude +4, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (Inexperienced)- Ezra is a rookie in both the ways of war, and the rules of the Jedi.
Relationship (Parents)- Ezra's parents were taken away by the Empire years ago.
Responsibility (The Dark Side)- The Dark Side is dangerously-close for all Jedi. Using Dark Side-like powers (like strangling someone with The Force, or crushing them internally), killing defeated foes or otherwise killing needlessly, and even using All-Out or Power Attack too often can lead the Jedi down a dark path. The Dark Side is "quicker, EASIER- more seductive," and the temporary boost of power can easily tempt one. Excessive use of the Dark Side will twist one's spirit, and mangle their body.

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 33 / Defenses: 19 (117)

-Ezra is the main character of Star Wars: Rebels, and your standard Spunky Kid Hero- an orphan of sorts, his parents vanished years ago thanks to the Empire. He initially annoys the entire crew of The Ghost, but they admire his attitude, and when it turns out the boy has power in The Force, soon they're making him a permanent part of the crew! He retains a LOT of elements typical of this character type- he's snotty to the bad guys and his teammates alike, he's got weird hair, he takes stupid risks, he uses a slingshot like he's freakin' Dennis the Menace or something, and he's incredibly-inexperienced. As the series moved on, he became somewhat tempted by the Dark Side (using their ability to calm & direct animals to send some predatory monsters after Empire troops), and crushed on Ashoka Tano, but ultimately did good. He survived into the Rebellion Era, but who knows what he got up to that way?

-Ezra's basically a Mini-Jedi in all respects, with a much weaker body, and lesser capabilities compared to even your standard Padawan. He's good enough (PL 7) to challenge The Inquisitor, but he needs some serious luck to win.

[Shock]

As a teacher he is fierce, unforgiving, and demanding

He has all these great things that go counter to expectations. It was great how he didn't coddle Luke at all, because he knew that the kid needed to be hardened.

Luke:I won't fail you. I'm not afraid.

Yoda:You will be. You will be.

The way Oz delivered that line is almost chilling.