[SW SAGA] Can a heroic droid catch a Second Wind?

I'm getting ready to play a droid as a heroic character in a game next weekend and I'm trying to figure out a few of the ways that they differ from organic characters.

I already saw they apply their Str to Fortitude Defense, which is nice. Also, they still get Force Points (despite having no connection to the Force :smallconfused:).

My current question that I'm having trouble with is: Can a droid catch a Second Wind to regain 1/4 their hit points?

Page 146 of the Saga Edition Core Rulebook describes the rules for Second Wind, saying "Only heroic characters can catch a second wind; nonheroic characters, creatures, objects, devices, and vehicles cannot."

Now, droids can be heroic characters. I really wouldn't consider them creatures, objects, or devices, and they're definitely not vehicles (mostly). I would expect droids to be called out separately here if they were unable to use a Second Wind despite being played as a heroic character.

However, on page 188 in the chapter all about droids, it says "Repair: Droids can regain lost hit points only through the use of the Mechanics skill."

Does this provide the exception to the general rules for heroic characters taking a Second Wind?

I couldn't find anything about this in the Errata & Clarifications document, nor did I see anything in Scavenger's Guide to Droids.

Actually, I'd consider droids to potentially be objects or devices... but that's irrelevant. I did a quick google of "star wars saga droids second wind" and found a d20 forum that had a consensus that droids can have second wind; just not anything that has a pre-req of having a Con score.
The blurb about only regaining HP with Mechanics refers to the fact that resting for extended amounts of time won't let a droid regen hp.

Example: The Terminator has been defeated by the T-1000. It finds an alternate power source and restores its systems. Second Wind. :smallwink:

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Originally Posted by Crossblade

The blurb about only regaining HP with Mechanics refers to the fact that resting for extended amounts of time won't let a droid regen hp.

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I figured that was the case, but a literal reading of the passage really means something quite different. In fact, Second Wind might be the only exception to this rule since droids can't benefit from Treat Injury and don't regain hit points naturally over time. That's why I wanted to get some outside opinions.

I'll double-check this with the GM later today and see what he thinks. I don't really think I'd mind too much either way he wants to go with it.

There are two places in Scavenger's Guide to Droids that definitely suggest droids can take second winds:

p56, Droid Oil Bath: "A droid immersed in an oil bath for at least 30 minutes can activate a second wind, even if it has already done so that day."

p69, Playing and 8D Smelter Droid: "... the Extra Second Wind feat to express the droid's resilience,"

Both of these are very strong indicators that the design intent (at least of the writers of Scavenger's Guide) is that Droids _can_ take second winds, albeit subject to the the standard heroic/non-heroic/non-heroic with ESW restrictions.


Also...

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they still get Force Points (despite having no connection to the Force :smallconfused:)

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The way I explain this to my players is that yes, they have no connection to the Force, they can't learn to channel the force into their actions, which is what Force Sensitivity and UtF checks are. What force points represent is instead the Will of the Force being executed through them, just in the same way that it manipulates, well, everything. A player deciding to spend a FP isn't necessarily that character exercising any kind of ability, but rather, a universal sense of heroic-ness making the impossible possible.

Note: This makes no sense in context with a lot of the Jedi powers that interact with FP. But it does work for Droids.

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Originally Posted by IdleMuse

Note: This makes no sense in context with a lot of the Jedi powers that interact with FP. But it does work for Droids.

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Jedi are more in tune to the Will of the Force and can thus either draw upon it or corrupt it for their own ends more easily.

I played a droid character once, and I took second winds all the time. No one saw anything that said that I couldn't, plus it would make droids way too fragile if they were completely unable.

On a semi-related note, toughness is a great feat for droids. No con score means that you HP will be at levels you would expect for a low-level DnD wizard. Squishy.

Droid PCs are only prohibited from taking any feat, talent, etc; or trying anything, that has a Constitution prereq (because they have no Constitution score.) A droid PC can train Endurance, but it cannot take the feat Shake it Off (because that feat has a Con requirement.)

Since second wind does not have any ability score requirement, only a current HP total, droid PCs can second wind.

Thanks, everyone. Seems my GM agrees with you.

Also, nice finds, IdleMuse.

In addition, I think of a droid PC 'second winding' as the T-800 from Terminator II. Sure, he gets a steel bar stabbed through him, and it puts him down, but he reroutes to secondary power and around the damaged material, and gets up to finish the job.

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Originally Posted by Alejandro

In addition, I think of a droid PC 'second winding' as the T-800 from Terminator II. Sure, he gets a steel bar stabbed through him, and it puts him down, but he reroutes to secondary power and around the damaged material, and gets up to finish the job.

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You're the second person to say this, but I think it's inaccurate. You can't take a Second Wind when you're unconscious. This is better emulated by the Soft Reset talent from the Independent Droid prestige class.

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Originally Posted by KillianHawkeye

You're the second person to say this, but I think it's inaccurate. You can't take a Second Wind when you're unconscious. This is better emulated by the Soft Reset talent from the Independent Droid prestige class.

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So it's not waking up from a disabled state, but it could still be like shutting down for a few seconds and rebooting the core processors.

I was only making a cinematic example. Your fluff may vary.

I could also say the T-1000 takes a moment to reconstitute itself after receiving multiple bullet strikes, but it doesn't stop being aware.