SWRPG - The Force

[Pinky]

THE FORCE

"Life creates it, makes it grow." - Yoda, Empire Strikes Back

The Force is a very slight thing that is impossible to notice outside of overt displays of power, and even overt displays are minimal in nature. The entirety of the Force is available to all practitioners, with Jedi and Sith merely being polar opposites in philosophy and intention.

The Force is separated into two major disciplines: the living and mystical Force. Since the Force is a single entity all those that have affinity for it are talented in both, but are usually more adept to one than the other. The rare few who have exceptional gifts in both physical and spiritual arts are capable of becoming Jedi Masters or Dark Lords.

The cornerstone of the living Force is in using the Force to become aware of the immediate surroundings. Adepts of the living Force often become renowned warriors or tribal kings even if they are not trained in the traditional methods of the Jedi or Sith. Endurance is the dominant valor of the living Force: even though the Force itself is limitless the practitioner is not. Meditative trances are also part of the living Force.

The mystical Force focuses on the supernatural aspects, sharpening mental perception, piercing the mind either of themselves or others, and may even enable one to see beyond the self. Mystical adepts gravitate toward positions of influence as court councilors or sages even if they are not trained in the Way. Disturbances in the Force are what mystics sense, like waves moving through a galaxy-spanning ocean of power. They come as ripples of the present or headwinds foretelling the future. The farther away a person or event is, the more difficult it is to sense.

Force Ranks

This is a ranking guide that all Force-sensitive characters must abide by. All characters have access to Level Zero; each player may use three points to improve the character's level in living and mystical Force. Each new level strengthens the previous level's abilities, in addition to gaining new abilities. You don't have to spend any points, they may be reserved for later, but spent points can not be recovered.

Living Force.
-Level 0.
Battle Precognition, Force Vision.
-Level 1.
Art of Movement.
-Level 2.
Breath Control.
-Level 3.
Force Body.

Mystical Force.
-Level 0.
Force Empathy, Force Telekinesis.
-Level 1.
Force Persuasion.
-Level 2.
Comprehend Speech.
-Level 3.
Battlemind.

Saber Forms: Living Force/Mystic Force Requirements.
-Form 1: L2/L0
-Form 2: L0/L2
-Form 3: L0/L3
-Form 4: L3/L0
-Form 5: L1/L2 (shien) or L2/L1 (djem-so)
-Form 6: L1/L1
-Form 7: L3/L3 (juyo) or L3/L3 (vaapad)

Battle Precognition: a sub-form of Force Vision which has been specifically developed for combat. This is the ability that Force-sensitives have to see the future in their mind an instant before it actually happens, enabling Jedi to pull off the impossible feats which have won them fame across the galaxy. At base level it's little more than a hazy intuition, while the highest level commonly available is much more precise.

Force Vision: the Living Force is as an ocean of power, and each creature, object, and event send waves through the metadimension in equal proportion to their magnitude of importance. When a flea is born it creates an equally minuscule ripple in the Force; when an entire world is suddenly bereft of all life the shockwave can stun those who are attuned to Force. Proximity and complexity are also factors in determining how clearly places, people and events can be sensed with this ability. The High Council is compiled of the most skilled Seers in the Jedi Order, and it is rumored that when they are assembled the Council can perceive anything across the galaxy.

Art of Movement: the fundamental physical enhancement technique. The body is designed in such a way that only a minor fraction of its full potential may be used consciously, so Jedi have developed a method of using the Force to tap into a greater portion of their latent ability. With this, the Jedi may perform feats of uncanny agility, move with unnatural speed, and act with impossible strength. The downside is an exponential increase in exhaustion.

Breath Control: one of the more situational techniques, it is taught to all members of the Order to underline the "be prepared" mentality instilled in all Jedi. With this, the Jedi quickly alters their metabolism so that they can continue to subsist on one breath for extended periods of time. A Knight who is adequately trained in the Living Force may survive for as many as ten standard days in this condition, although any activity will reduce that amount of time.

Force Body: a dangerous technique that is reserved only for those who are fully trained in the Living Force. When exhaustion has caught the body in its merciless grip even the Jedi must succumb, and fatigue is particularly troublesome since the Force takes an exacting toll on those who use it. In cases where highly trained individuals have reached their utter limit, the Force may be used to obtain a temporary reprieve. This comes at a dire cost to the practitioner's body due to activity that goes beyond safe measures, and worse for any additional use of the Force.

Force Empathy: this is the technique that senses emotion so that the Jedi may know the intention of other living beings. Since all things radiate the Force, no matter how weakly, interactions send tiny ripples through the metadimension. Generalities of fear, anger, aggression and hate, or lack thereof, can all be perceived with this ability and Jedi are trained to understand what each sensation means in a variety of contexts according to different species. It is not to be confused with true telepathy.

Force Telekinesis: one of the best known abilities attributed to Jedi, and one of the most taxing. The training required to perform this move is available only to those of the Order. It is the art of physically manipulating objects with pure Force. Since the Force flows from the practitioner, there must be an unobstructed path between the source and the target. The Force may move around objects, but this increases the difficulty while diminishing the power and range of the technique. Highly trained Jedi may push hard enough to knock down several humanoids up to five meters away.

Force Persuasion: the opposite of Empathy, this ability uses the Force to impress feelings of trust and agreement upon other creatures. Used in tandem with a tone of voice that has been developed for its tendency to influence those who have become "open" to suggestion, this is used most often by Jedi that are arbitrating in a dispute between multiple parties. If those who are being manipulated are strongly against the suggestion, or for some other reason have taken a strong position, it may fail.

Force Comprehension: this is a crucial skill for a consular. By using the Force to focus on an individual, while also refraining from aggressive invasion of the mind, the Jedi may understand any language - even if they don't know it, or lack the physical capacity to perceive the full range of sound and other forms of communication. Practitioners are warned against using this for sensitive negotiations that may take extended periods of time.

Battle Mind: while most techniques of the Mystical Force are subtle and poorly suited to immanently dangerous situations, Battle Mind is a way which the scholarly Jedi may minimize their lack of physical prowess. It is a form of meditation in which the mind reaches a sublime state, temporarily strengthening one's connection to the Force. Commonly required for Jedi who wish to learn Form 3, Soresu, enabling them to deflect attacks and become a zone of tranquility amidst the sea of chaos that is a battlefield.