[RPG] Does Force damage bypass DR

damage-resistancestar-wars-saga-edition

I am running a game of Star Wars Saga Edition and one of my players is insisting that force damage, which is done only by a few force powers (e.g. force lighting), completely bypasses damage reduction. The issue is that I can't seem to find his rule stated anywhere and have no idea where he is getting this from. I think he might be thinking that force damage is like magical weapons in D&D which as far as I can tell isn't that case in Saga Edition. Any help clearing this up would be great.

Best Answer

This is likely the result of confusion based on previous Star Wars RPG editions.

In all of the Star Wars D20 RPGs (including Saga; see page 119 of the Core Rulebook), lightsabers have bypassed damage reduction granted by personal body armor. In the original D20 and Revised D20, Force Lightning dealt energy damage which is the same type of damage dealt by lightsabers and it was often argued that this allowed it to bypass DR just like a lightsaber. However, the change to force damage effectively invalidates this argument.

Nowhere in the Core Rulebook does it state that force damage bypasses damage reduction.

However, in some cases this definitely makes sense; for example, Force Grip allows a force user to crush bones or organs in a target (the classic Force Choke used by Vader is accomplished by crushing the target's larynx) and it's reasonable that no amount of armor worn by a target can protect bones or organs from being crushed.

In summary, take it on a case by case basis and apply your own ruling that makes sense according to the situation at hand.

You are the GM, and what you say goes. Lay out your ruling, justify it if you feel generous, but stick to your guns and don't let your players guilt you into changing your position.