Form I – Determination (Shii-Cho)
The Way of the Sarlaac
Difficulty: Moderate (10)
Attack: Add Sense Dice
Damage: Add Control Dice
-Add Control Dice to Disarming attempts, either by or against you.
During the Old Jedi Order, Younglings started out by learning Form I
before beginning a Padawan apprenticeship with a Jedi Master. It is
done so, because as Kreia commented, Form I is one of the easiest
forms to learn, yet still powerful. Their training included learning to
deflect plasma bolts from training remotes while being blindfolded or
covered up by a practice helmet.
Form II – Contention (Makashi)
The Way of the Ysalamir
Difficulty: Difficult (15)
Attack vs Lightsaber: Add Sense Dice
Damage: Add Control Dice
Lightsaber (Parrying): +2D
-Subtract 5D when attempting to deflect blaster bolts,
-Add Control Dice when resisting Force Powers
After Form I's proliferation as a lightsaber combat technique, Form II,
or Way of the Ysalamiri, came about as a means of lightsaber-to-
lightsaber combat. It was described as being very elegant, powerful,
and requiring extreme precision, allowing the user to attack and defend
with minimal effort, while his opponent tires himself out, often wielding
the blade one-handed for greater range of movement and fluidity. The
form relied on parries, thrusts, and small, precise cuts—as opposed to
the blocking and slashing of the other forms. Form II countered sun
djem, the goal of early Form I masters, by being well trained in
prevention of disarming and weapon destruction.
Form III – Resilience (Soresu)
Way of the Mynock
Difficulty: Moderate (10)
Defense vs Current Target: Add Sense Dice.
Blaster Bolt Deflection: Add Control Dice.
-Subtract 2D when making normal attacks.
Originally, Form III was developed as a counter to blaster weapons
used by single but mostly, numerous opponents. Due to the rise in
popularity and distribution of blaster weapons, more and more Jedi
were forced to adapt a fighting style which allowed them to combat
various enemies firing from a multitude of directions, mostly basing
their "attack" on the deflection base their style more on wide,
sweeping strokes left the Jedi open to blaster fire. Form III however,
enabled a Force user to maintain a constant shield of deflectionary
strokes by making short, quick sweeps, close to the body, leaving
as little of the Jedi open to attack for as short as possible. Form
III represented the most defensive form of the seven disciplines.
Form IV – Aggression (Ataru)
Way of the Hawk-Bat
Difficulty: Difficult (15)
Damage: Add Control Dice and Half Control Dice, Rounded Down.
Defense vs Current Target: Add Sense Dice
-Subtract 2D from general defense
-Subtract 3D when deflecting blaster bolts.
The history of Ataru stretched back through the Old Republic, at least
as early as the Mandalorian Wars, where it was commonly employed
by Jedi of that day. Ataru continued to be a common form among the
Jedi in the latter stages of the Republic. An aggressive style, Form
IV was fast-paced and effective against single opponents, though weaker
in prolonged combat and confined spaces. Ataru was characterized by
Force-assisted acrobatics, both for attack and defense, and fast, powerful
strikes.
Form V – Perseverance (Shien)
Way of the Krayt Dragon
Difficulty: Difficult (15)
Attack: Add Sense Dice
Damage: Add Control Dice
-Subtract 2D while defending from your current target
-Add 2D when deflecting blaster bolts
To the Jedi of the ancient Republic who developed and employed the
classical Form V Shien, the form was known as the Perseverance Form.
Shien was described as being well adapted to guarding against blaster
fire and enemy strikes without compromising one's ability to launch powerful
counterattacks, though was less effective against a single opponent. Shien
was known to have existed at least as early as the Jedi Civil War. With
its focus against blaster fire, Shien kept in mind that Jedi were often
outnumbered by their opponents and needed to defend themselves while
retaining offensive capability. The opening stance for Shien was a high
guard position, with the hilt held in a two-handed grip above the user's
head, and the blade angled upwards and behind the user. The dominant
leg would be back, enabling powerful step-through strikes to be utilized.
Form VI – Moderation (Niman)
Way of the Rancor
Difficulty: Moderate (10)
Attack: Add Half Sense Dice, Rounded down
Defence: Add Half Control Dice, Rounded down
Blaster Bolt Deflection: Add Half Sense Dice, Rounded down
Saves vs Force Powers: Add Half Control Dice, Rounded down
-May attempt Intimidation, Persuasion and Con as free actions during battle.
The Jedi receives half of his Sense Dice, rounded down, as a bonus to
these actions.
Niman attempted to balance all elements of lightsaber combat, combining the
techniques from Forms that came before into a less intensely demanding
combat style. The result was that the users' skill in each individual area
of lightsaber combat was relatively moderate—they did not excel in any one
area. Due to its "jack-of-all-trades" nature, the success of this form is
largely dependent on the practitioner's intuition, improvisation, and creativity
in combat rather than the rote responses derived from other forms. This
broad generalization made Form VI well suited for diplomats, as they could
spend their time training in the areas of politics and negotiation instead of
combat training.
Form VII – Ferocity (Juyo)
Way of the Vornskr
Difficulty: Moderate (10)
Attack: Add Sense Dice
Damage: Add Control Dice
Passive Defense: -3D
Defense vs Current Target: Add Sense Dice
-May attempt extra strikes or defenses equal to Half Control (round down)
-Must roll Willpower at Moderate difficulty to stop fighting. This check is
increased in difficulty by one step for every Dark Side Point the character has.
Intrepid, somewhat direct movements were used in combination with advanced
techniques involving Force-powered jumps and motions. Form VII did not
appear as fancy as Form IV, as there were not moves like twirling and
flipping, but the technical requirements were much higher. Juyo used
seemingly free-wheeling and open movements, but with utter control on
the part of the wielder. The end result, if practiced correctly, was a very
unpredictable lightsaber style. The staccato swings and flow of the form
made it seem as if the attacks were not linked—but in reality, it was
merely confusing the opponent. Juyo demanded the emotional and physical
intensity of Form V, but it much more effectively controlled it—if mastered.
Juyo, when fully mastered, resulted in extraordinary power.
