Introducing gear templates into your campaign takes a major step away from the simplicity of equipment design, purchase, and use that the Saga Edition rules provide. The gear templates presented in this section balance out the benefit of the templates with drawbacks, so heroes still have a reason to pick up a standard heavy blaster pistol rather than an Iridonian heavy blaster pistol. Items that have had a gear template applied represent rare samples that are found only once in a great while. All templated items have the Rare tag applied to their Availability, since they are found only on one planet or in the possession of one particular group.
Gamemasters should be cautious when introducing gear templates into the game. Items with templates applied should not be included in the list of items a character can buy; rather, they must be found or earned. Items with gear templates applied make great rewards for completing missions or defeating important villains, but if they can be found in every shop or purchased off of a computer shopping network then they are no longer special. Even when these items are available for purchase, such as buying a suit of Eriadun flex armor on Eriadu, only one such item will be available, since they are above and beyond the weapons and armor found commonly throughout the galaxy. Unlike the heroes in the Knights of the Old Republic video games, your heroes probably should not walk around with unique items on every part of their bodies. Instead, treat these special weapons as exceptional rewards or prized finds.
In a Knights of the Old Republic campaign, a hero might have access to a wide variety of exotic gear with special properties not found in more common types of equipment. Rather than list individual pieces of equipment from dozens of worlds in the galaxy—such as a Bothan heavy blaster pistol or a suit of Arkanian battle armor—this section presents several gear templates that can be applied to normal equipment statistics to produce an unusual version of an item.
To create an item using a-gear template, choose a basic piece of equipment (such as a blaster rifle). then choose one of the templates from the sections below. Apply the changes to the equipment’s statistics and effect as described in the template. Some templates have restrictions, either because of the template type (for example, weapon templates can be applied only to weapons) or because of specific prerequisites (for example, only weapons that deal stun damage can have the Bothan Weapon template applied). Gamemasters might rule that some weapons cannot be altered due to cultural or logical prerequisites; for example, since a bowcaster is a weapon unique to Wookiee culture, it makes little sense for there to be an Echani bowcaster.
General Templates
Templates denoting a particular place or method of manufacturing might cover both weapons and armor. The following general templates can be applied to suits of armor or weapons, using the rules described in the template’s entry.
Arkanian Manufacture
Developed on the frozen tundra world of Arkania, weapons and armor of Arkanian manufacture are engineered to function in extremely cold environments. Arkanian weapons deal energy and fire damage: however, if an Arkanian weapon is used with an ability that consumes more than one shot in a round (such as Rapid Shot or Double Attack) the weapon overheats and cannot be fired for one round as it cools down.
Arkanian armor doubles its equipment bonus to Fortitude Defense against cold weather hazards, but has no equipment bonus to Fortitude Defense against heat-based hazards. Arkanian items cost 10% or 1,000 credits (whichever is higher) more than other items of their kind.
Restrictions: This template can be applied only to armor or to ranged energy weapons.
Cinnagaran Manufacture
Cinnagaran items are manufactured on the sprawling metropolis world of Empress Teta, which has been at the center of galactic wars for over a thousand years. Cinnagaran armor and shields grant DR 5 against weapons that deal sonic damage, but its Maximum Dexterity Bonus is reduced by 1.
Cinnagaran weapons deal energy and bludgeoning damage. Cinnagaran items cost 10% or 1,000 credits (whichever is higher) more than other items of their kind.
Restrictions: This template can be applied only to armor or to ranged energy weapons.
Cortosis Weave / Phrik Alloy
Weapons and armor made of cortosis weave or phrik alloy share a special property that prevents lightsabers from slicing through them with great ease. A lightsaber does not ignore the DR of a weapon or suit of armor made of cortosis weave or phrik alloy. A piece of equipment with this template costs 20% more than the base item.
During this time, almost all melee weapons are coated with a cortosis weave due not only to an abundance of the material but also the presence of large numbers of lightsaber-wielding combatants; as a result, they are not given the Rare availability tag during this era. During other eras, however, these materials are far more difficult to find, and are given the Rare tag as normal.
Restrictions: None.
Echani Manufacture
Extremely rare, items of Echani manufacture are hand- crafted by the powerful and skilled Echani warriors, and each individual item is unique. Echani armor weighs half as much as ot her armor of its kind, and once per encounter the wearer can move at their normal speed (not the adjusted speed for wearing the armor) for one round, though the armor’s bonus to Reflex Defense is reduced by 1.
Once per encounter the wielder of an Echani weapon can declare that the critical range of his weapon is increased by one (thus scoring a critical on a 19 or a 20 on most weapons). However, any roll other than a natural 20 is not considered an automatic hit, and if you still miss the target you do not score a critical hit. The use of this ability can be declared after the attack roll is made, but before the attack is resolved. However, Echani weapons have half as many hit points as other weapons of their kind. Echani-manufactured items cost 10% or 1,000 credits (whichever is higher) more than the base it em.
Restrictions: This template can be applied only to armor or to weapons that deal slashing or piercing damage (no lightsabers).
GenoHaradan Manufacture
A secretive guild of assassins and bounty hunters, the GenoHaradan have items specially crafted to suit their darker purposes. GenoHaradan armor provides a +2 equipment bonus on Stealth checks to sneak but reduces the equipment bonus to Fortitude Defense by one (minimum +0). GenoHaradan weapons grant a +2 equipment bonus to the attack roll of a contact poison applied to the weapon (for melee weapons), or a +1 equipment bonus on attack rolls with weapons set to stun (for ranged weapons). GenoHaradan weapons are somewhat fragile, and become disabled until repaired when the wielder rolls a natural 1 on an attack roll. GenoHaradan-manufactured items cost 10% or 1,000 credits (whichever is higher) more than the base item.
Restrictions: This template cannot be applied to melee weapons that deal energy damage or to ranged weapons without a stun setting. This template can be applied only to a suit of armor that provides an equipment bonus to Fortitude Defense.
Iridonian Manufacture
The Iridonians are a mysterious species known for their savagery and aggressiveness. Iridonian armor and shields provide DR 2 against bludgeoning damage. Iridonian weapons gain a +2 equipment bonus to damage rolls when using either the Power Attack or Power Blast feats. However, all Iridonian weapons are considered Illegal, and visibly displaying an Iridonian weapon or wearing Iridonian armor always imposes unfavorable circumstances on Deception or Persuasion checks against law enforcement officials and other authority figures. Iridonian-manufactured items cost 10% or 1,000 credits (whichever is higher) more than the base item.
Restrictions: None.
Krath Manufacture
Items created by the Krath typically have a cruel and dangerous twist. Krath armor and shields provide DR 2 against energy damage. If an attack roll with a Krath weapon equals or exceeds the target’s Fortitude Defense as well as Reflex Defense, the target takes 1d4 damage at the beginning of its next turn. Krath-manufactured items cost 10% or 1,000 credits (whichever is higher) more than the base item. However, Krath weapons and armor hold the taint of the dark side within them, and any character wielding a Krath manufacture weapon or wearing Krath armor treat their Dark Side Score as one higher than it actually is for the purposes of being targeted by effects that only affect targets with a Dark Side Score.
Restrictions: This template can be applied only to armor or to melee weapons that deal slashing or piercing damage, and cannot be applied to lightsabers.
Mandalorian Manufacture
A Mandalorian warrior is made great by his or her equipment, and each piece of Mandalorian equipment is unique in some way. Mandalorian items are made with customization in mind; any character making a Mechanics check to repair or modify a weapon or suit of armor of Mandalorian manufacture gains a +5 equipment bonus on the check. However, Mandalorian technology is often based on the designs of other cultures, causing some unusual interaction between technologies; if a Mandalorian item is disabled all of the modifications to that item are destroyed (and much be purchased anew, not merely repaired). Mandalorian-manufactured items cost 10% or 1,000 credits (whichever is higher) more than the base item.
Restrictions: None.
Massassi Manufacture
Built by primitive creatures for use in the service of the Sith, Massassi items are designed to take advantage of the strength of their wielders. Massassi armor allows a critical hit against the wearer to be turned into a normal hit once per encounter as a reaction. However, if a character does not have a sufficient Strength score (13 for light armor, 15 for medium armor, or 17 for heavy armor) they take armor-check penalties even when proficient in the armor.
When a character scores a critical hit with a Massassi weapon held in two hands, that character triples his Strength bonus to damage (before multiplying for the critical hit); like armor, if a character does not have a sufficient Strength score (15 for Medium weapons, 17 for Large weapons, or 19 for Huge and bigger weapons) then he takes a −2 penalty to attack rolls with that weapon, even if proficient. Massassi-manufactured items cost 10% or 1,000 credits (whichever is higher) more than the base item.
Restrictions: This template can be applied only to armor or to melee simple weapons.
Prototype
Prototype items are unstable and not ready for release to the general public, but they might have properties that other items do not. A prototype item can have two modifications from the Tech Specialist feat instead of just one. However, a prototype weapon treats a natural roll of 1, 2, 3, or 4 as though it were a natural 1 (thus, automatically missing), and the weapon becomes disabled until repaired. A wearer of prototype armor takes 1 more die of damage from a critical hit (before multiplying); thus, a heavy blaster pistol that scores a critical hit against a target wearing prototype armor deals 4d8 damage base, which is then doubled.
Restrictions: None.
Verpine Manufacture
The insectoid Verpine are technological masters who can create items with exceptional characteristics. Verpine armor and shields provide DR 10 against ion damage. As a swift action, a Verpine weapon can be switched to ion fire mode, changing the weapon to deal ion damage instead of normal damage (at the same damage dice). However, Verpine items are designed for their unique physiologies, and they require the owner to have a minimum Dexterity of 13+ to wear their armor effectively (otherwise the wearer takes armorcheck penalties) or a minimum Intelligence of 13+ to operate their weapons properly (otherwise the wielder takes a −2 penalty to attack rolls with that weapon). Verpine-manufactured items cost 10% or 1,000 credits (whichever is higher) more than the base item.
Restrictions: This template can be applied only to armor or to ranged weapons that deal energy damage.