I admit I'm a bit confused about the way how "Star Wars – Saga Edition" handles it's defenses, especially because of the addition of the heroic level.
Reflex Defense: 10 + [your heroic level or armor bonus] + Dexterity
modifier + class bonus + natural armor bonus + size modifier
Alright, assuming I get this right, I see this Problem for my DEX build: Armor is actually BAD for me.
Let's assume a human Scoundrel (+2 Reflex Defense) with 18 DEX (+4 DEX modifier) at lvl 1 and no feats that give Reflex Defense, wearing a Combat Jumpsuit ( +4 Reflex Defense, 4 Max Dex Modifier):
Level | DEX | DEX-Bonus | Arm Ref-Bonus | Lvl/Arm? | Arm Gain? | Ref-Def
1 18 +4 / 4 max +4 Armor +3 = 20
2 18 +4 / 4 max +4 Armor +2 = 20
3 18 +4 / 4 max +4 Armor +1 = 20
4 19 +4 / 4 max +4 Equal 0 = 20
5 19 +4 / 4 max +4 Level -1 = 21
6 19 +4 / 4 max +4 Level -2 = 22
7 19 +4 / 4 max +4 Level -3 = 23
8 20 +5 / * NO ARMOR Level NO ARMOR = 25
By level 4, the Armor itself has no advantage. By level 8, wearing NO armor is better, or you need armor with higher Max Def Modifier that still doesn't add any amount of Defense (becaue as far as I can tell, most Light Armor with Max Def Modifier of 5 adds 2 or 3 Reflex Defense).
Either I completly missunderstand something, or the addition of "heroic level" to the Defense stats makes Light Armor completly useless for mid- and lategame, except maybe for some special benefits coming from the armor itself.
Am I calculating it wrong, or is armor really of that little use past level 8 for a DEX based Character?
If it is, wouldn't I just be better of to not get Armor Proficiency (Light) in the first place? After all, it's a wasted Feat for no (or negative) gain later in the game.
Not to mention, that "wearing nothing" is for free!
Best Answer
You are absolutely correct that light armor becomes less useful at late-game. I suspect this is a deliberate design choice, as it fits with the tropes of the setting, things like Armored Villains, Unarmored Heroes and Armor Is Useless. Remember, in Star Wars, some of the most powerful characters on screen (read "Jedi") run around in their pajamas and bathrobe.
It's worth noting that with both Feats and Talents, SW:SE has a much faster inherent power curve than other D20-based games. I played SW:SE for many years alongside D&D games, and (baring the well-known unbalancing effects of "Tier 1" classes) a Level 7-8 SW:SE character always felt more like a Level 10-12 D&D character.