Saga Edition Preview 7

Skirmish at the Sarlacc Pit

By Rodney Thompson

Saga Edition Archive General FAQs Product page Preview 1: Classes and character creation Preview 2: Skill system Preview 3: Using the Force Preview 4: Combat Preview 5: Advanced Combat Preview 6: Droids, Droids, Droids

Now that you've seen previews of basic and advanced combat, let's put it all together to see how a scene might unfold. This preview breaks down the skirmish at the Great Pit of Carkoon from Return of the Jedi, when Luke Skywalker rescued his friends from the clutches of the vile gangster Jabba the Hutt.

This combat example focuses on the events taking place outside during the battle. The interior struggles, including Princess Leia strangling the bloated Hutt, are taking place at the same time, but to keep this example simple, we left them out (though Leia does enter the scene in round 12). Additionally, all of Jabba the Hutt's thugs use the generic thug statistics from the Star Wars Roleplaying Game: Saga Edition rulebook and don't differentiate between the species.

Dramatis Personae

Luke Skywalker: Scout 1/Jedi 7/ace pilot 2/Jedi Knight 1, 99 hit points, Reflex Defense 26, damage threshold 25, lightsaber +14 (2d8+11)

Han Solo: Scoundrel 5/soldier 2/ace pilot 3/gunslinger 2, 77 hit points, Reflex Defense 28, damage threshold 25, unarmed +10 (1d4+7)

Chewbacca: Scout 6/scoundrel 4, 110 hit points, Reflex Defense 24, damage threshold 27, unarmed +11 (1d6+9)

Lando Calrissian: Scoundrel 8, 50 hit points, Reflex Defense 22, damage threshold 19, unarmed +7 (1d4+5)

Princess Leia: Noble 8/soldier 2, 63 hit points, Reflex Defense 23, damage threshold 23, unarmed +9 (1d4+6)

Boba Fett: Scout 3/soldier 5/bounty hunter 5/elite trooper 2, 122 hit points, Reflex Defense 34, damage threshold 33, blaster carbine +18 (3d8+7), blaster pistol +18 (3d6+7), whipcord +18 (grab)

Jabba the Hutt's Thugs: Nonheroic 2, 9 hit points, Reflex Defense 10, damage threshold 11, vibro-axe +2 (2d10+2) or blaster pistol +1 (3d6)

Luke begins the combat encounter when he jumps off of the plank above the Sarlacc pit. He makes an Acrobatics check, rolling a 12 for a result of 20 (well above the required DC 15 to move past a threatening enemy), and finishes his flip on the opposite side of the Weequay thug that had attempted to push him off.

Surprise Round

The action begins with Luke, Lando, and R2-D2 acting on the surprise round, since they're the only ones aware of the surprise Luke has planned.

Luke Skywalker rolls a 16 on Initiative, for a total of 29.

Chewbacca rolls a 19 on Initiative, for a total of 25.

Boba Fett rolls an 8 on Initiative, for a total of 24.

Lando Calrissian rolls a 14 on Initiative, for a total of 20.

Han Solo rolls a 5 on Initiative, but takes a –2 penalty from his persistent condition, for a total of 19.

Jabba the Hutt's Thugs roll a 10 on Initiative, for a total of 16.

Initiative Table

Luke readies an attack with his lightsaber against the Klatoonian thug adjacent to him, once he receives his lightsaber.

R2-D2 fires Luke's lightsaber to him on initiative count 27 as a readied action (rolling a 9 on his ranged attack, which even with a -5 penalty for range results in a 13, well more than the Reflex Defense of 10 needed to hit Luke's square). This moves Luke's Initiative score down to 27 as it triggers his readied action. Next round, R2 moves belowdeck to help C-3P0.

Luke ignites his lightsaber with a swift action and his readied attack begins. He rolls a 12 on his attack roll (for a total of 21). This hits the thug, and Luke rolls a total of 19 points of damage, depleting the thug's hit points and exceeding his damage threshold, killing him. The thug tumbles over the side of the skiff and into the waiting mouth of the Sarlacc.

Lando initiates a grab attack against the Nikto pilot of the skiff. He rolls a 12, which gives him a total of 14 after applying the –5 penalty for grabbing, and successfully grabs the pilot.

Round 1

Initiative Table

Luke chooses to take a full round to use the Double Attack feat against a Human thug and a Weequay thug. Applying a –5 penalty to both attack rolls, he rolls an 11 and a 13, for totals of 20 and 22 respectively, more than enough to hit each thug. His damage rolls are 20 and 16, which is enough to kill both thugs. The attacks send them tumbling off the side of the skiff, providing even more food for the Sarlacc below.

Chewbacca, still bound, takes no action.

Boba Fett moves onto the deck of Jabba's sail barge.

Lando continues to grab the Nikto pilot.

Han, still bound, takes no action.

The Nikto pilot attempts to make an attack against Lando, taking a –2 penalty to his attack roll for being grabbed. He rolls a 17, for a total attack bonus of 16. The blaster shot fires off harmlessly into the air.

Round 2

Initiative Table

Luke moves to Chewbacca and undoes his binders.

Chewbacca removes Han's binders.

A delaying thug on Jabba's sail barge fires a blaster cannon at Lando, rolling a natural 20 and dealing 50 points of damage. Since this would normally kill Lando outright, he spends a Destiny Point to make the attack miss. The attack misses, but because the blaster cannon is a splash weapon, Lando still takes half damage. That reduces his hit points by half (to 25) and exceeds his damage threshold, moving him -1 step down the condition track. The attack roll also exceeds the Nikto pilot's Reflex Defense, dealing 25 points of damage to him. Since Lando spent a Destiny Point to have the attack miss, the GM rules that the dying Nikto drags Lando over the side of the skiff, falling into the Sarlacc's gullet and leaving Lando hanging onto the side of the skiff. Additionally, the blaster cannon damages the skiff itself, moving it -1 step down the condition track.

Boba Fett uses his jetpack to fly from the sail barge to the skiff.

Lando uses two swift actions to begin the recover action, then attempts a Climb check to pull himself up onto the skiff. Lando rolls a 9, for a total of 14, just shy of the DC 15 needed to pull himself back up.

Han makes a Perception check to search for some kind of weapon he can use. He rolls a 12, for a total of 24, locating a vibro-axe that has been discarded on the deck of the skiff.

Round 3

Initiative Table

Luke swings his lightsaber in an attempt to destroy Boba Fett's blaster carbine. He rolls a natural 20, automatically striking the weapon and dealing double damage. The 44 points of damage he deals is more than enough to destroy the weapon even without the lightsaber's ability to ignore DR, slicing it neatly in half.

A blaster shot from the Sail Barge strikes Chewie, dealing 12 points of damage to the Wookiee. Chewbacca attempts to protect his friend by knocking him prone. Han does not resist, and the two fall to the deck of the skiff.

Boba Fett uses his whipcord to make a grab attack against Luke. He rolls a 13, for a total of 31, which is well above Luke's Reflex Defense, so Luke is grabbed.

Lando completes his recover action with a swift action, and calls out to Han or Chewie for help. Given the difficulty he faces in climbing, he doesn't want to risk falling if he fails a check by 5 or more, since the Sarlacc waits below to devour him.

Han allows Chewie to continue to cover him from blaster fire.

The thug on the Sail Barge fires the blaster cannon at Luke, rolling a total of 12, which would not normally strike Luke. However, Luke uses the opportunity to redirect the shot at Boba Fett. He rolls a 2 on his Use the Force check, which still results in an 18 and allows him to deflect the blaster cannon's shot. Luke then makes a ranged attack roll (at a –2 penalty from being grabbed) and rolls an 18. Though this is a good roll, Luke knows that Boba Fett is likely to be a tough target to strike, so he spends a Force point, rolls 2d6 (getting a 2 and a 6), and adds 6 to the result, for a total attack of 34. This is exactly what he needs to strike Boba Fett with the blaster cannon's shot, so damage is rolled. The blaster cannon shot deals an incredible 87 points of damage to Boba Fett, moving him –1 step down the condition track and knocking him prone. Again, the blaster cannon damages the skiff itself, moving it another –1 step down the condition track.

A second skiff arrives, loaded with 5 thugs and a pilot. Each of the thugs fires at Luke, but none of them roll high enough to beat his Reflex Defense, and he remains unharmed.

Round 4

Initiative Table

Luke tries to jump onto the approaching skiff. He makes a Jump check and rolls 12, for a total of 19. Since the DC to make the 2-square jump was an 18, Luke makes it -- but only barely. Rather than risk losing a chance to attack some of the thugs, Luke readies an action to use his lightsaber to attack any thug that comes within his threatened area.

Chewbacca begins moving across the skiff toward Lando while still protecting Han and warning him about Boba Fett.

Boba Fett drops prone to gain a +5 bonus to Reflex Defense against the attacks coming from the Sail Barge's blaster cannon, and uses two swift actions to begin the recover action.

Lando continues to call for help, hoping that Han or Chewie will use the aid another action to help him climb.

Han picks up a vibro-axe. "Boba Fett? Boba Fett? Where?"

More thugs fire at Luke, but his lightsaber blade whirls to fend off attacks, so none comes close enough to harm him.

One thug attempts to get close enough to grab Luke. This triggers Luke's readied action, and he rolls a 19 on his attack roll (for a total of 33) and a 22 for damage, killing the thug and sending him into the Great Pit of Carkoon.

Round 5

Initiative Table

Chewbacca chooses to fight defensively and opts to take no attacks, granting himself a +5 dodge bonus to Reflex Defense as he tries to protect Han.

Boba Fett stands up, takes a swift action to finish recovering and fires a shot at Luke with his wrist blaster. Unfortunately, he rolls only a 4, for a total of 22, not enough to exceed Luke's Reflex Defense.

Lando decides to use his Fortune's Favor talent. He spends a Force Point and applies a +5 bonus on his skill checks for the duration of the encounter, hoping that it will prevent him from falling into the Sarlacc pit even if he rolls badly on a Climb check.

Han decides to spend a Destiny Point to make an attack roll against Boba Fett, given their history and the dire nature of the situation. This automatically grants Han a critical hit against Boba Fett with the vibro-axe, dealing 36 points of damage after adding his heroic damage bonus and doubling the damage from the critical hit. Thanks to Luke deflecting the blaster cannon shot at the bounty hunter earlier, the damage is sufficient to reduce him to 0 hit points. It also exceeds Boba Fett's damage threshold, meaning that he is killed. The bounty hunter's jetpack misfires and he streaks across the battlefield, crashes into the side of the sail barge, and plummets into the waiting mouth of the Sarlacc. (However, Expanded Universe sources would claim that Fett spent a Force Point to keep from dying, and that the Sarlacc found him "somewhat indigestible.")

The thugs remaining on the skiff fire at Luke, and all miss.

Luke makes an unarmed attack against a thug, rolling a 6 for a total of 17, and dealing 11 points of damage. Luke's kick sends the thug tumbling off the side of the skiff and into the Sarlacc's beak.

Round 6

Initiative Table

Chewbacca moves to the edge of the skiff and successfully uses the aid another action to grant Lando a +2 bonus on his next Climb check.

Lando attempts a Climb check but rolls a natural 1, for a total of 14. Thanks to his use of the Fortune's Favor talent, Lando doesn't fall into the Sarlacc pit.

Han moves to the edge of the skiff and successfully uses the aid another action to grant Lando a +2 bonus on his next Climb check.

The thugs remaining on the skiff fire at Luke, and all miss.

Luke rolls a 9 on an attack against a Weequay thug for a total of 23, dealing 19 points of damage. The thug flies off the side of the skiff to be consumed by the Sarlacc below.

Round 7

Initiative Table

Chewbacca successfully uses the aid another action to grant Lando a +2 bonus on his next Climb check.

Lando rolls a 13 on his Climb check for a total of 27, which lets him climb most of the way up to the skiff with the help of his friends.

Han successfully uses the aid another action to grant Lando a +2 bonus on his next Climb check, which should get him up onto the deck of the sail barge.

The thugs on the skiff with Luke move in to attack him with vibro-axes. They all miss.

With multiple thugs in range, Luke uses the Double Attack feat to strike two adjacent thugs. With attack rolls of 6 and 15 resulting in a 15 and a 24 respectively, each thug is struck. Damage rolls of 18 and 22 are enough to kill the two thugs, who fall into the sands of the Great Pit of Carkoon.

The thug on the sail barge manning the blaster cannon sees Lando being pulled up onto the skiff and fires at the vehicle. The blaster cannon shot severely damages the skiff, bumping it -1 step further down the condition track. Since this puts the skiff at the -5 step on the track, it tilts and wavers, spilling Han over the side and causing Lando to lose the progress he had made. Fortunately, Han, Chewie, and Lando all make the DC 15 Climb check (accounting for favorable circumstances) to catch themselves and keep them from falling down into the Sarlacc pit.

Round 8

Initiative Table

Chewbacca uses the aid another action to grant Han a +2 bonus on his next Climb check.

Lando delays, waiting for Han to be pulled up.

Han makes a Climb check, rolling a 19 and pulling himself back up onto the skiff safely.

Lando makes a Climb check, rolling a 3 for a result of 13, making no progress.

At this point, no more thugs remain on the skiff (and thugs inside the sail barge are delaying), so Luke uses his surge Force power to leap over to the side of the sail barge. Luke rolls a 16 on his Use the Force check for a total of 28, granting himself a +30 bonus on his Jump check. Luke rolls a 10 for a total of 47, allowing him to jump 15 meters (or 10 squares), which just gets him to the side of the sail barge.

A Weequay thug with a readied action opens a hatch on the side of the sail barge and moves out to attack Luke, but misses.

Luke finishes his action by making an unarmed attack against the Weequay (which provokes an attack of opportunity from the Weequay, who misses), rolling a 14 for a total of 25. Luke deals 11 points of damage, tossing him down into the sands of Tatooine.

The thug manning the blaster cannon aboard the sail barge fires at the skiff again, doing minimal damage to the vehicle and none to Han, Chewbacca, or Lando.

Round 9

Initiative Table

Chewbacca delays to give Han time to help Lando.

Han leans over the side of the skiff to extend a vibro-axe to Lando, aiding him on his Climb check.

Chewbacca takes his action to hold Han's feet as he hangs off the side of the skiff.

Now that Lando is further down into the Sarlacc pit, the DC of his Climb check has increased to 20. Lando attempts to Climb once more, rolling a 7. This results in a Climb check total of 19, not enough to make any progress, but not causing Lando to slip further down, either.

Luke moves the rest of the way up the side of the sail barge and attacks the gunner manning the blaster cannon. Luke rolls a 15 for a total of 29, dealing 20 points of damage to the thug and killing him with a slash from his lightsaber.

Two thugs attempt to shoot Luke, who chooses to deflect them both. Their attack rolls are a 17 and a 3, for totals of 18 and 4. Luke rolls a 7 and a 14 on his Use the Force checks to deflect, resulting in a 23 and a 25 respectively (the latter accounting for the –5 penalty for the second deflection). Additionally, Luke chooses to redirect one of their shots, rolling a 7 on his ranged attack roll for a total of 19. This strikes a thug and deals 16 points of damage, killing the thug. The second thug flees in fear.

A Gamorrean thug attempts to move around behind Luke while the Jedi is distracted, provoking an attack of opportunity as he moves out of one of Luke's threatened squares. Luke rolls a 10 on his attack of opportunity and cuts the Gamorrean down with 26 points of damage from his lightsaber.

Sensing that food is close, the Sarlacc attempts to grab Lando with one of its tentacles. Since Lando is hanging from the side of the skiff, he loses his Dexterity bonus to Reflex Defense, and the Sarlacc's roll of 18 is more than enough to grab the gambler by the leg.

Round 10

Initiative Table

Han delays until Chewbacca can hand him a blaster pistol from the deck of the skiff.

Chewbacca holds onto Han's feet as he hands the blaster pistol over.

Han takes the gun from Chewbacca as a move action and uses two swift actions to aim at the tentacle, keeping Lando from providing it with cover.

Lando delays, waiting for Han to shoot the Sarlacc's tentacle. "No, wait, I thought you were blind!"

Luke delays to prepare for more enemies to arrive.

Some thugs come up from the inside of the sail barge and move near Luke, firing their blasters and missing.

Luke stops delaying and uses the Double Attack feat on a Weequay and a Human that have moved into his threatened area. Luke rolls a 9 and an 18, resulting in attack totals of 18 and 27 respectively, both of which strike the thugs. The lightsaber deals 22 and 18 points of damage, split between the two thugs, dropping them both with a few quick strikes.

Round 11

Initiative Table

Chewbacca continues to hold onto Han's feet.

Han fires his blaster pistol, rolling a 10 for a total of 22, which is enough to hit the Sarlacc's tentacle. The shot deals 27 points of damage, causing the tentacle to release Lando's leg and retract back into the pit.

Lando makes a Climb check, rolling a 17 for a result of 27. He makes it most of the way up to the skiff's deck.

Several more thugs move onto the deck of the sail barge.

Luke attacks one thug's vibro-axe, rolling a 14 for a total of 28. This is well more than the number needed to attack the weapon (21), and the Jedi deals 23 points of damage to the weapon, slicing it in half.

Round 12

Initiative Table

Princess Leia moves up onto the deck of the sail barge, then follows Luke's instructions to "Get the gun!" and moves over to a large blaster cannon mounted on the deck.

Chewbacca begins making repairs to the skiff. He moves over to one of the damaged repulsors and prepares to jury-rig some repairs.

Han successfully uses the aid another action to assist Lando on his Climb check.

Lando rolls a 9 on his Climb check for a total of 21, allowing him to climb the rest of the way up onto the deck of the skiff.

Two remaining thugs take the withdraw action to run away from Luke.

One thug continues to fire at Luke, rolling a natural 20 on his attack roll. The critical hit deals 16 points of damage to Luke as a blaster bolt strikes him on his artificial hand.

Luke moves to the thug that just shot him and makes an attack with his lightsaber. With an attack roll of 7 that results in a 21, Luke cuts down the thug with 25 points of damage.

Round 13

Initiative Table

R2-D2 and C-3PO move onto the deck of the sail barge and fall off the side, landing safely in the sand after taking 10 points of falling damage.

Princess Leia manipulates the blaster cannon, rotating it around to point at the sail barge's deck.

Chewbacca makes a Mechanics roll to jury-rig the skiff so they can escape. He rolls a 10, but even with his +10 Mechanics bonus, he knows he won't make the DC 25 needed for jury-rigged repairs. Fortunately, Chewbacca has the Jury-Rigger talent, so he uses it to reroll his Mechanics check, this time rolling an 18, resulting in a total of 28. The skiff moves +2 steps up the condition track to the –1 position, which should be good enough for the heroes to escape.

Han moves over to take cover on the skiff.

Lando moves to the skiff pilot's position and prepares to take off.

Luke moves over to grab a rope hanging from the canopy of the sail barge, motioning for Leia to join him.

Round 14

Initiative Table

Princess Leia moves over to the rope as well, grabbing hold of Luke.

Chewbacca moves to take control of the skiff's magnetic grapplers.

Lando delays, waiting on his companions.

Luke fires the blaster cannon at the sail barge, sending powerful bolts of energy into the vehicle's core. Then he and Leia swing on the rope across the Great Pit of Carkoon, landing safely on the skiff where their friends await.

Lando makes a Pilot check, rolling a 13 for a result of 29, which is enough to increase the skiff's speed by an additional 2 squares, allowing them to pick up the droids and flee to safety as Jabba's sail barge explodes in a ball of fire in the sands behind them.

Next Time

Starship and vehicle combat!