Fool wrote:
I totally agree - but that doesn't mean that the Jedi can't be skewed statistically speaking. Some might argue that they are already (Force Powers) but they should be even more so (maybe just a little) as they are the warriors of the galaxy
Then everyone ends up playing Jedi vs Jedi and there's no point in even having some factions. If the game is skewed, even slightly, to favor Jedi over all others, then there is no reason to ever play anything but Jedi, unless you enjoy losing. Every faction should be able to hold it's own in competitive play, with or without Jedi.
It's sort of what happened in the various Star Wars role-playing games. The earliest games gave Jedi's all kinds of advantages over other character types, so consequently everyone wanted to play the Jedi. Jedi's could do everything other characters could do, and usually better, so the other classes were considered subpar and only for diehard role-players who didn't care about having an effective character.
So in later editions, they tried to make the other classes
good. They have cool abilities. Not Force Powers, but cool abilities that are as good as Force Powers. One of those abilities is Evasion. I think you have to be a Scoundrel to get it, maybe a Scout. And of course, the SWM is based on the Star Wars RPG/d20 system, so a lot of that stuff carries over. And that's why Lando has it, but Yoda doesn't. Lando has a lot of level in Scoundrel, Yoda has a lot of levels in Jedi.
Another thing to consider is this: A Jedi Padawan and a Stormtrooper have the same Defense (16). The Stormie is wearing the best mass-produced light battle armor in the Universe. The Jedi Padawan is wearing a cloth shirt.
Something's wrong there, right? Obviously a cloth shirt doesn't provide the same protection that the best light battle armor in the universe! So some of that is the Padawan's ability to dodge attacks, but some of it is also his ability to deflect and parry with his lightsaber. That's where his Defense is coming from.
So like Darth Vader, Jedi Hunter has a defense of 23. Some of this is his bad ass armor. Some of this is his ability to hold up his hand and absorb the energy of a blast. Some of this is his ability to deflect shots with his lightsaber. And then, on top of all that, he can choose to spend a Force Point to deflect or block a shot.
That's why Jedi don't all need parry/evasion, and should spend force points to use force deflect or force block if they have it on their card. Because the ability of every Jedi to deflect and block some shots is already calculated into their high Defenses, and giving them the actual ability on top of that would unbalance the game.