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LOIUMITB> POWER

MYSTICS OF THE FORCE

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rom the moment Uncle Oiven referred to Ben Ke nobi as a '\vlzard " (and "3 crazy old ma n"), Mystics have been a vita l part of Star Wars. The supernatura l ab ilities of the Jedi , and the ir opposites in the Sith, form a co rnerstone of the myt hology of a galaxy far, fa r away.

Du rin g t he days of t he Jed i Order, some Mystics lived clo istered lives 'Nit hin t emples spread througho ut the galaxy, see king to deepen the ir con nection with the Force t hrough constant rigorous study and medita tion With the rise of the

Empire and t he exte rmi nation of the Orde r, Jedi no longer fi nd Force-sensitive individua ls and offer a venu e fo r instruction and tra inin g. Those who lean toward the disciplines of the Mystic often now fin d themse lves un fe tte red to expand the ir knowledge of t he Force. Yet with this freedom comes danger-not only of discovery by agents of the Empire, but also of fal ling into t he t rap of their ow n hubris, reach in g too far, and risking the embra ce of the dark side of t he Force. UNLIMITED POWER greatly expands t he opt ions for Mysti c characters in your FORCE AND DESTINY ca m paigns_It prov ides players with new ways to run Mystics and gives Ga me Maste rs suggestions for inc luding Mystics in t heir sto ri es, from stand -alone encou nte rs to advice for incl udi ng t hem in ongo ing campa igns_ Along the way, it gives new equ ipmen t , new Force povvers, new rules for us ing the Force in different ways, and even advice for running charac ters who have falle n to t he dark side of t he Force

Chapter I: Lumi nous Beings introduces three new spe cies 'Ne ll-suited to the Mystic's deep co nn ect ion to the Fo rce t he Thisspias ian, the Vurk, and the Tholo thia n. The chapter also features the ,A., lchemist, t he Magus, and the Prop het, three new Mystic spec ializations tha t delve into the myster· ies of the Force in different ways. The Alc hem ist p ractices a lost art. never embraced by t he Jedi. to chan nel the Fo rce into physical form. They craft objec ts of great power, givi ng life to the in animate, and crea ti ng concoctions to hea l the body_ In Lhe past, va ri ous orde rs who used this art fe ll to the da rk side. The Alchemi st must wa lk a ca refu l pa t h. The Magus experiments wi th t he Force, seeking out so-ca lled forbidden know ledge, forgotte n ri tuals, and sLra nge practices. Unrestri cted by t he Jedi Order, the Magus can ma nip ulate t he Fo rce to exh ibit myst ica l powers, doing amaz ing and seeming ly imposs ible things Fina ll y, the Prophe t acts as an interpreter of the Fo rce to thei r fo llowers, offering a voice of hope in the struggle aga inst the dark. Where the Advisor offers counse l to an individual, Prophets influence entire commun it ies- pote ntially even t he enti re ga laxy, if given the means to spread their message. Wit h t hese species, specia lizations, new signature abi lities, and Force powers, th is chapte r IS ext remely useful fo r any cha racte r wi t h a Myst ic be nt.

Chapter II: Dangerous Crafts details new Items, weapons, and veh icles suitaole to t he species and the spec ializatio ns prese nted in th is boo k. From Ouro Blades, t rad itiona lly wielded by the Roya l Guard of t he Th isspiasian Blood Mon arch, to reli cs and esoteric mystical too ls like the Tholothian Puzzle Box, the gear presented in this cha pter offers a wide varie t y of opt ions fo r Mystic characters. Mystics often find themselves travel ing far from the beate n path, venturing far across the ga laxy to INherever their ca lli ng takes them. Veh icles like the T- 13 A irspeede r and t he Tagge Dustcrawler may offe r needed tra nsport, and sta rs hips such as the H-Type Nubia n Yac ht, the massive Ithorian he rd sh ip, and t he Man da lorian Pro tectorate "Fang" Sta rfigh ter al l co uld be encou nte red along the jou rne y, or utilized by a Mystic on thei r pat h to delve deep ly into the mysteries of t he Fo rc e Chapter III: Guided by the Force offers GMs extensive guidel ine s for integrating Mystics into an ongoi ng FORCE AN D DESTINY campa ign, as INel 1as providi ng example enco unters and adventure seeds gea red towards Mystic cha racters_ The Living Force is presented as a ca m pa ign eleme nt, offering GMs suggestions on usi ng visions. pre senting the wil l of the Fo rce as a narrative theme, and more. The chapter con ti nues wi t h a section on expanded Force powe rs, and new rules for flex ible and freefo rm Force use, as we ll as Force duelsco ntests pitting each ind ividual's maste ry of the Force aga inst the other. The ch apter conc ludes with a sect ion that expands upon t he materia l in FORCE AND DESTINY govern ing Player Characters fa lling to the dark side. The ma terial in t hi s chapter gives a GM guida nce on allmving a falle n cha racter to con tinu e as a da rk side Player Character-i ncluding the ra mifica tions of that fa ll for the campa ign, op portu niti es for cha racters to be in opposit ion, and t he effects on the Mo ral· ity ru les.

MYSTICS IN STAR WARS

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MYSTICS IN THE CORE

a foc us on the commo n peopl e, Mystics are wie lders of mo re pote nt powers, using the deepest secrets of the Fo rce. and influenc ing others for good or ill. They are draw n to a hi gher ca lli ng, a deeper und erstandi ng of the Force. whether to seNe

Mys tics are ra re sights in the dense ly-pop ulated Core. It is among t hese wo rld s where t he grip of the Empire is stro ngest-and IN here discove ry is the utmost danger. The light of hope is too easily ex tinguished in t he maze of sp rawli ng cities, and MystiCS 'Nit hin t he halls of powe r ca n attrac t too muc h atten t ion . As a Forc e se nsit ive in an era of persecu ti on, the ce nter of powe r is perhaps the last place one shou ld be

here are no Force users with a deeper con nection to the Force tha n Mystics, In man y ways, they are the diametric

opposite of the Consular. Whereas Consulars are disciplined, medi tative Force users who bring pea ce to t he galaxy through

others, or serve themselves. In t he days of t he Old Repub lic. few common citizens enco untered Jedi who wa lked the Mystic pat h. Few made

a point of traveling am ong t he populace. Most spent t heir time in study and co ntemp lation of t he Force, while others offered thei r tute lage in rarified company, comm unica ting t he will of the Fo rce to leaders of the ga laxy. Not all Myst ics we re Jedi, either: Myst ics followed othe r path s such as t he Gu ardians of the Whi lls or t he Night sisters of Dathom ir. This relative ra ri t y con tributed to t he mysterious reputation of the Mystics. Peop le spoke in hus hed tones abou t the clo iste red wizards in thei r towe rs, possessed of strange powe rs and offering counsel to th e very powerfu l.

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MYSTICS RESURGENT /

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Ironical ly, yv ith the rise of the Empire and t he sup pres sion of t he Jedi Order, it is now more common to en co unte r a Myst ic than it wa s du ring the days of the Repub lic. Many Mystics calle from worlds INhere th eir conne cti on to the Force made them a revered pa rt of the cult ure, eit her in a religiOUS or shamanic trad itio n or as a charismatic leader. In days past t hese in dividua ls wo uld have bee n found by the Je di and brou ght into t he O rder to receive instruction an d train ing, which te nded to remove t he m from everyday society. Now, Mystics tend to rema in wit hin the cultural trad itions of their home s. Ce rtainly, those who disp lay overt use of the Fo rce att ract t he attent ion of the Empi re and are soon elim inated. Ma ny, however, have been ab le to avoid notice. Wha t does the Emp ire ca re abo ut a village shaman on some bac kwa ter world in the Western Reaches? Mystics re ly upon the Force as the ir crucial guide and mento r, which teaches them to tru st t he ir instincts. These instincts have served to keep ma ny Mystics safe From notice as the da rknes s in the ga laxy has grown.

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The time has co me to ca st out t hat da rkness. Mystics, with t heir knowledge of the hidden secrets o f the Fo rce, ca n offer light and hope at a time wh en it is most desperately needed Force-se nsitive students are appearing, and the only t hing that can save them fro m either fal lin g to the da rk side of the Force or fall ing beneat h the might of the Emp ire is knowledge and in stru ction. Mystics, fol lowing the will of the Force, sea rch the galaxy fo r repos itories of hidden lore: ancie nt holocrons, powerfu l ve rgences, an d long-forgotten relics. Increasing their knowledge of the Force, Mystics hope to forge a new legacya new light aga in st the darkness. The Force can offe r hope and a path forwa rd_ Mystics light the way.

Yet t hese are also the worlds where the Jed i had their greatest te mp les. Whi le the Emp ire ha s crus hed the Order, torn down thei r te mples, and either dest royed or co nfiscated their treasures, there are still unknown cac hes and way stat ions t hat may co nta in secret knowledge vita l to a deeper understandi ng of t he Force. Forgotten rites or methods su ppressed by the Jedi Order could now be fou nd and utilized to serve the greater good . If one is wi lli ng to take t he risk, vital know ledge might even be stolen from wi thi n t he laby rin thi ne va ults of th e Empire itse lf. Mystics, prov ided t hey are ca reful, could discove r muc h in places such as these It IS also here, In the center of ga lactic civ ilization, where the message of hope ca n be most effec tivel y spread . Pro vided the opportun ity to commun icate t heir message, one might influ enc e not just Ind ividuals or sma ll comm unitie s, but entire syst.ems and beyo nd . The halls of powe r are filled with ind ivid uals whose decis ions affect billio ns of lives, and if t hose individuals could be given t he proper co un se l. the effect wou ld be immeas urab le. A sto ne thrown into that pond cou ld have ri pples felt in th e farthest co rn ers of the galaxy. The difficu lty would be in locati ng t hose in positions of power wh o are open to rece ive such counse l. With t he Emperor's disso lution of t he Ga lactic Senate, that task has become far more dau nti ng- al thoug h there are certain ly Mystics who may be draw n to se ize power for themselves, rathe r tha n re ly on counse lin g others. Afte r all, who better to enact t he changes required by the wi ll of the Force?

MYSTICS IN THE OUTER RIM The scattered world s of the Oute r Ri m are the far fronti er of the ga laxy- sma ll, spa rsely-popu lated se ttlements and undeve loped pri mi t ive worlds, fa r removed fro m the ma inst ream of ga lac ti c civilization. Th is is the t rue territory of the Mysti c. Among the dista nt and nearly-fo rgo tten world s, one might more easi ly avoid the ever-watc hful eye of the Empire. In an almost lawless region, where settlers, outl aws, criminals and Rebe ls alike all te nd to mind thei r own busin ess, the ~trange powers of a Myst ic might draw some degree of attent io n, but far le ss than t hey would in the Co re. Shou ld th e Empire take not ice, t here is always some forgotten co rner of the map where one might go to re ma in hidden.

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INTRODUCTION

UOLIMITED POWER

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Ancient secrets can also be found beyo nd t he edges of civilization. Lost planets, distant fortresses of ancient orders, long-forgotten Fo rce-sensitive tradit ions- ali po tential sources of new knowledge to deepen a Mystic's connect ion wit h t he Fo rce. Knowledge hidden for thousa nds of years and practices pe rhaps unknown eve n to the Jed i may lie shrouded among t he isolated and sec luded reaches. Rumors and hints of such things drift t hrough t he babble and chatter of trading posts and spaceports. the stufr of spacers' yarns told over a drink. A keen discernment and words in the ri ght ear can send a Mystic off in pursuit of the truth that lies behind such tates.

The charisma and captivating presence of a Mystic can also serve them well in the advancement of thei r goals in this part of the galaxy. Many find themse lves in posi t ions of influence in sma ll settleme nts, where they might fulfill a rel igious or a civic ro le. Tend ing to th e needs of a commun ity, whet her as a cou nse lor, a judge, or a shaman, one can offer help to those who most ne ed it. Other Mystics wield their influence more ind irectly. So me are val ued for their insight and advice to those in autho ri ty-w hi ch, in the Ou ter Rim, might include outlaws or crime lords. The benefit of serving suc h an unorthodox master. assum ing the Mystic can rema in true to thei r pri ncip les, is that often such organ izat ions do not ba lk at the strange powers of a Fo rce sensitive in their employ. A cri me lord may not be entire ly t rus tworthy, bu t might ma inta in someth ing approaching a sense of loyalty to an individua l they see as valuable. There is also no love fo r t he Empire among those ci rcles, wh ich offe rs a Mystic a certa in degree of assurance. Additiona lly, t he dens of in iq uity where out laws and criminals thrive tend to attra ct t ravele rs from all over the Oute r Rim, and a Mystic may find them a good place to acq uire inf0rmation and rumors to aid them in tMe diswvery of lost arts. At the edges of society, Force users might be able to be a bit more ope n with their powe rs, but even he re, remaining in place for too long is not recommended . Those who wish to curry favor with the Emp ire in order to. increase t heir own authority inevitably speak of what t hey have seen, and t he ri sk to others posed by the simple presence of a Mystic is too great a t hreat to ignore_Given th at, Mystics often drift from world to world, never staying in place for too long. They are cast about on the tides of the galaxy, washing up upon distant shores and touch ing the lives of others, on ly to move on aga in. A Myst iC who does sett le in one location does so as far from civil ization as poss ible, to avo id the risk to the mse lves and othe rs-a crazy hermi t, far out in the wil derness, practicing strange and esoteric rites.

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INTRODUCTION~ . ' UNUMrTED POWER

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MYSTERIES OF THE GALAXY

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f all of the Force-sensitive careers, Mystics deal most in the abstract. More tha n any other Force user, Mystics

concern themse lves with the untouchable and incorporeal. All Mystics tend to see ex iste nce in one of three ways: through an

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understanding of time, through an understanding of people,

and through an understanding of their own psychology_ /

Bei ng in touc h with time means see ing (though per haps

not comp reh end ing] the past and t he future as easily as one can see the presen t. The Force ebbs and flows, and through drea ms. visions, or mere intui tion, carries knowledge forward (or backwa rd) on the currents of ti me. By following that flow. a Force user can see and predict the future. Through the Force, knowledge is never truly lost or dest royed. Mystics are also in touch with people via the Liv ing Fo rce that flows through nea rly all bei ngs. The emotions, fea rs, hopes, pains, and trium phs of the galaxy's sentient beings call out to Mystics th rough the language of the Force. By sensing minor disturbances, Force users can tell if a person is suffering or in distress. By sensing st illness and peace, one can see hap p iness and ca lm. Lastly, all of the most powerful Mystics are in touch with their inner selves. Prejudices, b iases, personal terrors, and even hidd en desi res can bl ind Mystics from the truth. They cannot know the Cosmic Force without understanding the Living Fo rce, and th ey can not understand th e Living Force if they don 't understand their own mind s. True mastery of the Force req ui res deep in trospection, and even the most en lightened Mystics can be surprised by their own feeli ngs.

Once they master these three aspects, Mystics eventually perceive the broade r implications o f consequences, connect ions, and contro l. Kn owing the future doesn 't automatically mean knowing how to change the future. Actions over time, actions by people, and actions of the self resul t in consequences. Mystics must understand how action s rip ple through time. Even the Force changes through cause and effect, and understand ing those cha nges help s a Mystic und erstand the co nseq ue nc es Mystics need to know how to forge and break connections. The Force manipulates events such that two uncon~ nected people may find themselves at the right place and the right time with a commo n purpose. In regards to the Force, the re are no coi nc id ences. Mystics who can see those connect ions, or the frayed ends of a bro ke n connection, can tug on one string of a web and affect individuals, places, or events from afar. Lastly, M ystics must learn control over thei r powers. With out that con trol. a Force us er can do irrepa rable harm to peop le or t hings. Sometimes not using the Force at all can resu lt in a beneficia l cha nge. Understa nd ing one's own limitations represents a true understanding of one's control and discipline Ultimately, Mystics discover that they may not have any con trol at all. This terrif4es many disciples, but a few find th is rea lization freeing, pro mpting th ese enlightened Mystics Lo take the fi nal step and allow th e Force to guide them.

MYSTIC BACKGROUNDS

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he path of a Mystic is an unpredictable and mysterious one. While som e Mystics have meditated for deca des and rece ived only mi ld enlighte nm en t, othe rs have com e across Visions and hidden knowledge with little to no effort. Mystics also come from a wide variety of backgrounds, some enlightened, some agnostic, and even a few materialistic. What unites all Mystics is a willingness to peer into the infinite, regardl ess of whether their eyes have been opened through dedicated practice or sud den in sight.

ARTISTS The Fo rce grants people thoughts, visions, and emotions that some ca n' t process, so they turn to other means to communi cate these Idea s. Th ese artists often fin d them selves frustrated, driven to express an id ea bigger than the artistic med ium. While most artists create in order to find an audien ce, Mystic artists crea te to find answers. The an swers

LUMINOUS BEINGS

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can be personal, to seek en lightenment. The answers can be socia l, mot ivati ng oth ers to be and do better. Because of art's emotiona l nature, hovvever, arti sts ca n be tempted to the dark side. These artists use their work to shock, provoke, and upset~ not to illustrate a greate r truth, but to en hance those dark feelings, reinforcing hate and anger. Advisors with an artistic background tended to be teachers an d critics. Their aim was to improve ot her peopl e's creativity and means of exp ression, not only pointing out flaws but cul tivating improvemen t, encouraging strengths, and fostering growth. Over time, however, these would-be Advisors found themselves guiding their charges' emotional and spiritu al maturity, helping them be better peo ple as well as better crea tives. In turn, the menlo rsh ips improved the Advi sors ' ow n works, their own understanding of the galaxy, and their own psyches. Their stud ents' breakthroughs become their own breakthroughs. opening th eir inn er eyes to the ways of the Force.

Some Alchemi st s started out as sculptors. clothing designers, and body modifiers, working in the physical. They found them selves drawn to making a thing with a pu rpose, a reason given form. Admi rers would tell these artists that their works had a mind of their own , a life and personality. Th is praise, however, never felt true. They we ren't the ones who gave it life; something else. something unexplainable, did . Without realizing it. these artists had designed with the principle that Force follows form follows function, until one day they had discovered al l three meant the same thing.

Artist ic Seers confused their own ideas with Forceinspired insights. These tortured individuals jotted down these ideas, but words fa iled to convey the true meaning. This turned into a process of writing and ed iting that seemed endless, frustrating, and pointless_These writers and poets scribed long polemics eviscerating tyrants or oppressive systems, works of fiction that had a deep seed of truth. or manifestos urging people to rise up. When these writers managed to overcome their own parano ia and fears, they found themse lves with a renewed purpose as Seers.

It might surprise some that many Makashi Dueli st s did not start off studying com bat or warfare. A numbe r of them had an artistic be nt, an d being draw n to t he fluid motions of the body, tended to be danc ers. In t heir early stud ies, they moved their bodies to music, but that didn' t fee l quite right. In an epiphany, they danced in sil ence and found a rhythm that had no sound and no touch, bu t st ill felt real. Over time, their dancing helped achieve a meditative state, merging mind and body with a tempo indescribablethe Force.

Artists on t he pa th of the Magu s tended to make the medium th e message. These art ists blended diffe rent artistic forms but also integrated thei r ow n bodies into the art. The suffering t hey infli cted upon themselves represented the sufferi ng of the galaxy. The blood they shed expressed the vitality draining from society. The body modifications t hey endu red reflected the changes and distortions of oppression. Some of these artistic projects perfectly mirrored ancient rituals to enhance perception, bringing them closer to an unexpected enl ightenment.

Artists who eventually became Prophets combined sound and word, mixing and matching the cade nce of language with metaphor. Pitch, tone. and volume helped convey their message as much as the content. Not surprisingly, these proto-Prophets started off as spoken -word poets and singers, sometimes in a rel igious choir, but just as ofte n as street perform ers. When peop le. with no prompt ing what soever, shouted out, call ed bac k, and joined in the perfo rmance, these artists bega n to see words as a co nnecti ng power. From there, it didn't take much for the artist to hear the Cosm iC

Force calling back.

AUGURS Augurs served a straightforward function: they exposed the truth to those who listened. They could have been anything from a fortune-teller to a psychologist. offering insights on what people should do, but also revealing hidden truths

to help people make their own decisions. Some augurs received academic or institutionalized traini ng, while others simply had an uncanny intuition (such as a village elder or community lea der) , Most were content with this role. The few who had th e hum ility to delve deeper discovered the

Fo rce as t he so urce of th eir wisd om. Au gurs who fell to t he dark side encouraged their vic tims' darkest desires and instincts, en hanc ing t heir anger and push ing them toward viole nce. These augu rs sometimes inflicted ha rm on others, mistaking pain, deprivaUon. and violence for a means to understanding. Augury is the most common skill for an Advisor , although these individuals didn't on ly assist high-ranking officials or people in power. They were drawn to anyone in mental or emotional distress. In many cases. the disenfranchised and powerless suffer more anxiety and fear. Alchemists who bega n as augurs served a variety o f roles. Some experimented with chemicals to produce visions, ei ther through street drugs or corporate-sponso red researc h into mi nd-enha ncing medicines; Other alchemica l augurs produced va 9cines to inoculate a popu lation from an impen ding outb reak or produced analge· sics to ease pa in. A ll of them shared the ab ility of diagnosis, isolating the source of an ailment and pe rceiving a cure. Of all of the augur backgrou nds, Alchemists have the most practical of mind sets; looking forward to results, th ey take a little longer to accept the Force as a guiding principle.

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Augurs who would become Makashi Duelists frustrated those who came to them for advice. Sometimes these augurs wou ld give direct (and rather blun t) advic e, almost commands. Other ti mes, their word ing was so vague as to be worth less, a puzzle to provoke end less questions and doubt. Petitio ners wa ndered off confused and often angry. yet the words would stick in t heir minds. wh irli ng co nstantly in thei r conscious and subconscious, unti l understanding cam e with a flash of clarity. These augurs would often come to their own understanding of the Force in similar ways, unaware that they too need to be shocked or surprised out of their own limited vision.

Soon -to-be Proph ets usually served a community as an augur, sometimes in a religious role, but in others proselytizing a united ethos or philosophy. They may have represented a margina lized group seeking a coheSive Identity. a group of caf-house revolutionaries plotting rebellion, or even a rioting group of agricultura l workers who needed a voice. These augurs didn 't simply predict the future. Their wo rds linked each individual not only to each other, but to an ideal and legacy of resistance. In a way, these augurs served as condui ts of idealism and information, and it look little to see the Fo rce as the true sou rce of th is knowledge. Seers sea rch fo r tru th . Those who were once augurs may have been class ic wise men and wo men. but others took on pro fessions such as arc haeologists, scientists, and reporters. All of these augurs sha red an instinctive feeling tha t the current, common knO'ivledge didn't tell the full story. Arch aeologists dug to reveal a lost past, scientists experi mented and observed to find a hidden principle, and reporters researched and interJiewed to find an unspoken narrative. It takes veri little for augurs to become Seers; they have been seeking truth all thei r lives.

Some augurs I'I/ho vl/a lked the Magus pa th appeared mad . They wo uld act with no discernib le pattern. One day, they plas tered poste rs with images or ph rases t hat ca ugh t a pedestria n's imagination. On another day, they sent messages thro ugh the HoloNet to warn officials of incoming dangers. On sti ll ano ther day, these augurs shouted out warn ings on the street corner to change t he mood of a crowd Magus augu rs may appear not to act with a goal; however in actual ity t hey can see t he flow of the Force and do its willwhatever t hat will may be.

CON ARTISTS Fo rce sens itives don't necessa rily need to come from a backgrou nd of enlightenme nt and self-reflect ion . Especially during t hese tumultuous tim es, Mystics can emerge even from a history of gambling, t rickery, and swindl ing. So me used their ab ilities to con the wea lth y or powerfu l, ra t iona lizi ng t hat two wro ngs do make a right. Othe rs pulled co ns to make a living 'ivh ile doing what they cou ld to mi tiga te harm. A few did th eir best to ignore their conscie nce. What un ited these con artists wasn't t heir CrIm inal sk ill s, bu t a nagging se nse that life co uld offer somet hing greater. While a crim ina l life doesn't usually lead to en li ghte nmen t, when these con artists so ugh t answers, they found t hem rat her quickly. Afte r al l, they co uld recogn ize a good con, and whe n the Force turn ed out to be the rea l thi ng, they became ardent tru e bel ievers Advisors who starte d off as ca n artists saw fi rstha nd the tricks and t rade of the crimina l underwo rl d, and used t heir knowl edge to help others avo id t hese traps. In some cases, t hey worke d fo r cas ino owne rs and crimi nal bosses as spotters to find cheaters or as "coo lers ' to manipulate a table, making it harder for others to win. Pretty soon , even adv ising people of co ns and cheat ing felt inadeq uate; it only embo ldened more greed and gambling. These con art ists went on to find ot her answers. These budd ing Alchemists didn't use the ir ab ilities for goo d at fi rst. As co n artists, t hey created fakes: harm less chemicals instead of dangerous drugs, a "price less" pa inting for the ri ch, or even weapons that did n't function (for the trul y brave or foo lish). Whe n t he fakes some how helped improve live s, such as that dose of fake sp ice curing someone's addiction or t ha t co unte rfei t pa inting in spi ring the rich patron to dona te to charity, t hese con artists cha lked It up to happy acc id ents . Soon, th ey foun d t hemselves glad of these mistakes and gave up th e criminal life to do good When a con artist becom es a Makashi Duelist. it is usually due to a lifetime of moveme nt. These individuals know a wide variety of co ns and move fro m place to place, sensing whe n a place or a mark is "hot" or "co ld." In order to figu re out a target's mett le, they fi rst tested out st rengths, perform ing sma ll t ricks to gauge gull ibil ity and lying to buy t ime. When they saw an opportun ity, t hey wh ittled down their op pos ition With blows or word s- perfec t Makashi Duelist tech ni que.

Prophets who started as con arti sts sold futu res- literal futures- and tricked gro ups of people into believing t heir sp iritua l nonsense. They rationalized that it didn't harm anyo ne if people believed someth ing fa ke. Bes ides, fa lse hope is better t han no hope at all. When t he fabricated hope propel led people to do great th ings, no one was more aston ished t han t he can artist. These ind ividuals th en rea lized t heir higher ca lling, and th at thei r hope was not so false after all. Con artist Seers were fortune-tellers. On more civilized worlds, they served as entertainment ; eve n the audience knew t he performances were fake. Using tells, vague ph rasing, and eve n modern tech niques such as HoloNet da ta d ives or surve illance devices to eavesdrop before t he show, fake Seers pretended to read their audie nce 's past in orde r to predict t heir fu ture. Whe n t heir pred ict ions had more tha n a ring of t ru th in them, these can artists cou ld not deny t he source of their insigh t. The Magus way urged these co n artists to be skeptics Educating themse lves in the techn iques of stage magic, th ey spo tted shell games, sleigh ts of hand, body read ings, and a variety of other tricks . Often abrasive, they spen t a lot of time critiquing relig ious doctri nes, busting cu lts , and expos ing sca ms. When these skeptics discovered an ancient ritu al from an outdated religion ca ll ed the Force, they enth usiast ically tried to debun k it and failed . Th is drove t hem to dig deeper and fi nd more secret s, until they becam e devout Magi.

ECONOMISTS Econom ics is the stud:,1 of resource allocation, bu t deep in its heart, it IS t he study of peop le and t heir cho ices. Th ese proto -Mystics saw patterns, an' invisib le hand that moved resources to peop le in need, enric hed planets, and co nnecte d disparate commu nities, defying the black-and-white mora lity of a prof'it spreadsheet. Co ld econom ic t heories and practices can clash 'l'v ith the warm t h and light of the Force, however. If a po licy ca n ma ke five mi llion people te n t imes as wea lt hy. but at the opp ression of one mi llion, co uld t hat be argued as good po licy? What promotes a fa ll to the dark side more than t urning suffering in to mere numbers to be man ipulated? Eco nom ic Advisors served on po litica l councils, corporate boards, or in high -leve l academic positions. They had an unca nny knack for see ing tre nds and shifts in buye r and se ller behavior. Whe n their bosses decided to pick rap id but dest ruct ive profi t over slow, steady, and constructive growth, t hese eco nom ists beca me frustrated at how a si ngle individual could ca use such misery. Peers told t hem t hat economi cs has no moral ity and t hat the market wou ld right itse lf. Rejecting t his co ld concl usio n, t hese econo mists fo und that the Force anS'vve red the ir quest ions durin g their crises of consci ence

LUMINOUS BEINGS

UNUMITED POWER

!

Alchemists who were economists saw the distribution of goods as an indicator of health. Alchemists with this background tossed out supplies and balms, like messages in a bottle out into the ocean , thinking market forces delivered them to the right person at the right time. The patterns hinted at a benevolent intelligence, and the first test of this understanding came when they encountered individuals, organizations, or corporations that hoarded their creations. These econom ists began to push and disrupt these acts of selfish ness , a call to act ion from the Force. Some econ omi sts have seen people, comm unities, or eve n whole plan ets climb and fall in periodic waves. A[te ring t hese econ omi c va ri ances to so fte n the fall and ease the cli mb require d a variety of techn iques. Direct econo mic stimulus plans fo r short-term gains, gradua l educationa l support for long-term growth, and even the right word or phrase wh ispered in an inf[uentia l ear were all valid actions akin to the thrusts, footwork, and feints familiar to all Maka shi Duelists. By comparing macro-economic acts to individual physical actions, these economists began to understan d the Makashi form. Economists tend to predict doom and gloom. Every spike in productivity comes with a depressed fa ll. Every crash comes with predictions of lengthy austerity. Would-be Prophets predicted these disasters in Ho[oNet broadcasts, articles, or even old -fashioned declara tions on the street Their words brought despair (or merely eye ro[ls) to many, but helped just enough people to give these economists a glimpse of a high er purpose. This ca lling kept them seekin g the trut h until they discove red the Force Economic Seers saw planets as poo ls of wate r, al ternate ly evaporat ing (exports] and being fed by a river (imports). Th e idea of this flow of water tlck[ed ... something in the back of their minds. They researched, argued with academics, and

bothered experts, all in search of an unseen manipulator oiling the pool, carving out the banks. and damming up the flow. When they compiled this knowledge, they saw potential futures that could not be explained with straightforward supply and demand models. They saw the living and breathing Force staring right back at them. Some economists lived the life of their own convictions by budgeting their existence (usually due to impoverished backgrounds) . They spent their time sifting between their needs and desires, isolati ng what they could survive without. and identi fying what they absol utely needed. Taking a li t era l accountin g of one's li fe on an economic ba lance sheet can reveal essen tial sel f-t rut hs as much as any medi tation (th is is a reaso n why so me Jedi turned to a life of monastic auste rity) , [n some cases, desperation for a meaning beh in d the austerity drove t hese individuals on to the path of the Magus

LUMINO US BEI NGS UNLJMJTED POWER

POLITICAL EXPERTS Politica[ experts found themselves able to see the bigger picture and used thei r time to change (or maintain) [ocal governments. [f only people acted this way, these experts thought, then these problems would be solved. The needs and desires of the community should influence the laws of th e community, not vice versa. Emboldened or frustrated by the political process, these experts looked for something bigger and more meaningful, and awakened to the power of the Force. Not all po litica [ awa ken ings come wit h en lightenmen t Some political experts did n' t learn to serve their commu nit ies, and in stead tried to manipu late them by appea ling to their ba se de sires and fears, or punished them with restrictive Ja"vs. They sought to control others, a seductive desire from the dark side of the Force. Po litical experts who would become Advisors worked within the system, seeing the system as a network of people. Pol itics isn't an unfeeling machine after all, but a web of people pushing and pulling toward their own desires_ They pressed hands, spoke encouraging words. and made essential contacts. These politica[ experts became adept at pulling strings, seeing them reverberate throughout the web. This webbing began to resemble the connections Mystics see throughout the galaxy. Pol itical ex perts who saw the galaxy like Alchemists viewed law and governance as an unfeeling machine, and devised co ncoc tions and inventions to fix that mac hine Medici ne ca n treat the symptoms of a broken system. suc h as diseases cause d by a ma lfunctioni ng wate r pu rifier, and make t he whole fee l better. The infected communi ty ca n then become productive and vital. and thus provide the energy and will to fix the broken part. It is then a short step from thinking of a community as a living being toward seeing the Force as a living thing. Makashi Duelist-style tactics in politics utilize every social weapon: propaganda, speech writing, door-to-door campaigning, and personal connections. These political experts used this arsenal to push righteous taws or candi dates into action. They worked like a steady drop of water, ch ipping away at the rock of the status quo. Eventually, they led a tidal wave of support, motivating the people themselves into a mighty river, washing away the po[itical elites Their un derstanding of the Force happened in the same way: bu ilding wit h ea ch action, cresting at a single moment, and openi ng t heir eyes to t heir destiny.

Th e Prophets of the politica l sphere were pun dits, com mentators, or critical analysts- both professional and ama teur. They saw how a ca ndida te or pol icy cou ld affect the ir listeners and wou ld advise acco rd ingly. Whe ther motiva ted by do om and gloom or by a compassi on for their au dience, these polit ical experts began to see how their local commu nities were connec ted, then cities and planets, and eventual ly saw how systems across the galaxy influenced each other. Poli tical Seers sought long-term changes and balances. A bit removed from day-to-day politics. they came from aca demia or governmental analysis groups, or were self-ed ucated inte ll ectuals. Th ey were all united by a co mmon abil ity· they were able to forecast how a set of laws and systems allowed people the freedom to choose their own path. Yet they kept seeing something else, a greater law pushing and nudging in the background. When they pulled back the final veil, they discovered a vast system. that of the Force. A Magus utilizes rituals, but can also experiment, modify, an d apply new rites. Political experts of this background experimented like social scientists. They took a politica l system and subt ly influe nced a va ria ble, ch ipping away like a water drop on a stone to see wha t holes cou ld be crea ted. What patterns could they see, and could they replicate t hem elsewhere? Their awakening had begun the moment th ey realized they could influence these systems directly. They became a new variable, changing outcomes through shee r force of will. Their awakening arrived when they realized the variable was the Force.

RELIGIOUS ECSTATICS Ecstatics allowed the Force to flow through them uninhibited_ These people interpreted the Force through their own religions, adding insights and ideas that for some illuminated, others perplexed, and a few terrified. This "madness" and speaking for the gods were actually thei r attem pts to describe their thoughts and feelings of the Force. When they discovered t he Force to be a universal power, they didn 't abando n their re ligion, but sim ply fou nd the truth s wi thin. forging a new yet still traditional pa t h. Allowing unchecked emotion to fuel religious fervor, however, can take an ecstatic toward the dark side. Mistaking fear and anger for religious insight can lead people towa rd victimizing innocents. Instead of listening to the Force, these ecstatics listened only La pain, rage, and terror, and then chan neled it right back into the wo rld Quite a few ecsta ti c Advisors pra ctice d a kind of psychometry, tou ching peo ple to bring viSions. In so me ca ses, their communities ostracized them, so they didn·t reali ze their abilities were gifts, not curses. In other cases, peopl e kept the ecstatic a vi rtual prisoner. using their abilities to further their own goals. A few becam e the center of a religion, though perhaps not the leader. Self-actualization occurred wi th en lightenment; they no lon ger believed they were tool s for oth ers and beca me ac tive agen ts of the Force.

Alchemists who were ecstatics didn't sim ply use drugs recrea tionally, althou gh some Alchemists with this background did come to thei r enli ghten ment experim enting wi th mood-a ltering, consciousn ess-en hanci ng substances. Som etimes they worked to create an alternative drug. isolat ing the dangerous compounds while ex tracting the che micals that enhanced the body and mind. Why did they achieve visions and inSights, however. whereas ot hers merely experienced a high? After some searching, they discovered that they didn't need drugs to see the energy binding the galaxy together. Ecstatics who eventually became M akashi Duelists we nt through life wi th litt le int rospection , acting and reactIng nonsto p in a INhirling, spinning motion. They proc laimed a philosophy of living in the moment. Plenty of peop le got caught up in this whirlwi nd, drawn to their orbit but never really landing. Most of these ecstatics simply indulged their own self-gratification, but a few struggled to balance instinct, intellectual thoughtfulness, and caution. When they finally reconci led this struggle, they discovered the Makashi form fit seamlessly (nto thei r mlndset. Ec sta tic Prophets usually had so me connec tion with a fri nge religious group These ecstatics quickly gathered a following, one that either threatened the leadershi p of t he original rel igious group or the authority of the dominant culture. For some, these emotional bursts of Insight frigh tened them. Were they mad? When others found essential truths in their uncontrolled actions and babbling, these ecstatics began to won der if they did have a connection to something greater. Most ecstatics ten d to have a Seer-li ke quali ty; t heir attrac tion to sudden, life-changing vi sions or insights mim icked traditio nal seers, who used mind-alteri ng substances, isolation . meditation, and deprivation to achi eve similar states. Ecstatic Seers spent their lives seeking answers, trying more and more extreme activities-usually something

that defi ed death- to provoke an intense emotional reacti on. They ach ieved a sense of peace when they got in touch wi th t he Force, bu t they never lruly got away fro m the chaotic and ra nd om natu re of th eir visions Magus ecstatics fo und themselves usi ng strange ri tua ls and techniques to bring themselves to a higher state of consciousness. At first, they needed somethi ng to shock them out of their physical comfort, using fasting, icy cold or hot and sweaty immersions, and the like. Some pushed further, scou ri ng their bodies in order to bolster th e mind . A few adopted ri tuals to ch allenge thei r emotional or mental limits with pain, inte nse pleasure, disgust. or terror. Thei r use of t hese rituals bordered on obsessive and se lf-destruct ive. Eve n whe n they embraced the Fo rce, these Magi never quite gave up thei r extrem e ecstatic ways.

LUMINOUS BEINGS

UNUMrTED POWER

MYSTIC MORALITY

m

ystics, more so than any of t he other Force discipli nes. have a danger of losing sight of the ind ividual. t he sm all. th e sup posed ly in signif"icant. and risk becom ing rem oved from life as they get cl oser and close r to t he Cosmic Force

When t he Fo rce and the galaxy move at t he pace of millenn ia. wha t is t he sign ificance of a single su ffering pe rson?

So me Force disc ip lines, suc h as the Sentine l. suffer f rom

be ing too persona l. Mystics and t hei r emo tional wea knesses suffe r from distance. Mystics tend to trave l to re mote locations to get away fro m the struggles of th e ga laxy. Most Jedi did this to clear their heads and hearts, bu t Myst ics mis take th is iso lat ion as the goa l ra ther tha n the method, turning distant and co ld. Parad oxically, Mystics can fall to the ot he r ext reme and become ove r'vvhe lmed by the suffe ring and pain of the ga laxy. They fee l and empat hize wit h t he hurt, but to t he poi nt of para lysis, falling victim to the angu ish they should be striving to succor. These Mystics remove themselve s from society, becomi ng worthless to others and costing t he galaxy a vital force for good ,

I~

In li ght of this , Mystics' emotional stre ngths te nd to focus on the here and now. Alleviating t he hurt of a si ngle indi vidual , be it through charity, shared co mpass ion, or enco uragi ng hope, may make only a t iny cha nge, but it remi nds the Mystic that tiny changes move rivers and moun tai ns.

I

Perso n-to-pe rson contact also remi nds Mystics whom they serve. Th ey may thin k they are se rva nts of t he Fo rce , but in reality, the Fo rce also se rves the living. breathi ng people that inhabit th e ga laxy. This cyc le of life feed ing t he Fo rce and t he Fo rce feed ing life requires t he Mystic to pa rticipate in t he day-to-day activ it ies of the so -ca ll ed unen lightened masses Wi t hout them , the Fo rce is emp ty and wi t ho ut purpose. Players may rep lace Table 2 - 1: Morality on page 50 of the FORC E AND DESTIN Y Co re Ru leboo k with Table 1- 1: M ystic Moralit ies on page 17. Players may choose to ro ll ra ndoml y on t he tab le or se lect a Moral ity based on their background, core phi losophy, or desired cha racter arc Each character starts play wit h a Morality va lue, as described on page 49 of the FORCE AN D D ESTINY Co re Rulebook.

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LUM INOUS BEINGS

UNUMrTED POWER

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TABLE 1-1: MYSTI[ MORALITIES

diDO 01 -08

Emotional Strength

Emotional Weakness

Compassio n: Mystic compassion is differen t .

Sorrow: The galaxy is a big place. and with so many people suffering, it can overwhelm a Mystic. How can a

representing a universal compasSion, a love for aU life, from the lowly worm to the most noble of philosophers.

single person help anyone else when the re is so much unhappiness? The Mystic lets sorrow paralyze. or worse, affect thei r use of the Force.

All beings belong with the Force and all deserve to know

Its peace.

09- 16

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Fear: So much can go so wrong. The Force is in a precarious bal ance. Perhaps it's best IO let a liLUe suffering

Caution; The Cosmic Force moves in a span of eons. Pushing loo hard usually re quires turn ing to l he dark. side of the Force. That desire, that fea r, is the reason ror the fall. Best move carefu lly and let the Force move at its own pace.

go unimpeded now so the futu re can be more certain. Perhaps this is sa fe. un less t hat future never co mes

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17-24

Ce r tainty: Th is doesn't simply cover confidence o r pos it ivity, but also an unsha ka ble faith of the Force. The Myst ic dives into confl ict without hesitation , for there is no con fli ct, only the Force ebbing and flowi ng.

Egoism: Confidence can t urn into reckl essness or stubborn ness. When Mystics think themselves invu lnerable or correct at all times, t hey thin k the Force revolves around them. This egoism may cause a Mystic to make a fatal error and bring others to harm .

25-32

Clarity: Certainty relies on faith . Clarity relies on knowledge. These Mystics know without a doubt that the path they walk is the right one and can communicate it LO others without misunderstanding.

Confusion: With visions come possibilities. The fu ture isn 't set in stone, but a river that can flow in one direct ion or another. When Mystics de lve deep into the future, they may become paral yzed by the myriad of possibilities.

33- 40

Hum ility: The Force is so much bigger than anyone individual, and Mystics know they are merely drops in the pond. This frees them to act when needed without fear that they are taking on too much.

Wor t hlessness: Knowing oneself to be insignificant in the light of the Force can overwhelm anyone, and a Mystic more so . The Force always has a purpose and a place for everyone, but Mystics may feel t heir actions are useless.

41- 48

Discipli ne: M ystics especially need diSCipline to keep from be ing overNhelmed by the Force. Some Mystics want to be oveM helm ed and lose themselves. The Forc e provides so much peace and unde rstanding. but the Mystic must focus so (he physica l world can rece ive th is insighL,

Coldness: Mystics have a special vulnerability to removing themselves from mortal emotions and concerns. A single life has no sign ificance to the Force, and so these Mystics turn co ld l o lh e wo rld.

49-56

We llness: The Mystic gai ns a form of ha pp iness and satisfactio n in good works and knowin g one's place in the communi ty. They work. which is good; t hey depend on others. which is good; and they prosper, which is good,

Rigid: Knowing o ne's place sometim es means beco ming comp lacent, becom ing unable to change, grow, or conceive of a better way. They think the way things are should always be the same . ..

57- 64

Pride: While pride m ight seem dangerous, l his is a pride in being part of something bigger, wi t h a greater purpose. Prideful Mystics know they can make a change for the better.

Arrogance: By tapping into the Cosmic Force, Mystics can control tremendous amounts of power. This may deceive Mystics into believing lhey are gods.

65-72

Modesty: Mystics eschew credit and thanks. After all , anyone can do this worle Th is attitude ensures discipline and focus to the task at hand, and thus the Mystics focus on hel ping others and reducing suffering.

Vanity: The Mystic turns self-deference Into false modesty, denigra ting themselves and expecting others to bolster their ego. A twisted passive-aggressiveness can emerge, in which the Mystic demands recognition for this modesty

73-80

Joy: Despite, or because of, Mystics' ability to see into the past and the fu ture, some learn to enjoy the beauty of the mo ment. person, or place in front of them . Each instance is uniq ue, even in t he timelessness of the Cosm ic Fo rce.

Antipathy: UnlikE Coldness, t his Mystic still has emotional engagements, but simply doesn't und erstand the magn itude of pa in. This kind of insen sitivity ignores the fact that pain, even when fleeting, ripp les ha rm throughout t ime and space.

81-88

Fond ness: Th is Myst ic has a kind of men tor-like love, the good fee ling that comes with guid ing and helping people. Th is feeling should be unconditiona l; they wish t heir students to grow, change, and surpass their teachings.

De manding: Someti mes over-protecLiveness turn s into control ling behavior. How else to save someone than to prevent them from making mistakes? This behavior treats people as smaller. less than even a pet, requiring constant control

89-96

Independence: With trust in t he Force comes an independence and a lack of reliance on other people, This isn't a bad trait; these Mystics may still enjoy the company of others, butlheir happiness doesn't reqUire others to act or think in a certain way. This allows Mystics to appreciate a person for who they are.

Obstinance: Trust in the Force sometimes turns dark and becomes a denial t hat other people, especially those who aren't experienced in the ways of the Force, can ever have knowledge or feelings more relevan t , more important, or better-suited to a situation than the M ystlc's,

97- 00

Roll twice on this chart. The PC has multiple emotional strengths and weaknesses

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LUM IN OUS BEINGS

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NEW SPECIES

m

ysticism, the exploration of the spiritual and the divine.

exists throughout all species across the galaxy. There are

even

rumors of droids who have developed their own mysticism La explain their sentience in a galaxy full of organics. The desire to understa nd the world beyond the mere physical isn't an offshoot of intell igence, but a necessary part of it.

The Galactic Empire, despite al l of its power and efrective fear tactics, ca nnot suppress this natura l desire.

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Th e Galactic Emp ire has plenty of its own fea rs rega rding spiritua lity. Mysticism ignores the sup remacy of the Empi re. A be lief in a greater power literally means a disbel ief in the supremacy of the Empire. The Empire hasn't developed a way to mon itor thought (yel), and so can 't detect belief and fa ith in the divine. Lastly, the rank and file of the Empire don' t realize this, but mysticism, specifically the ability to connect with the Force. provides a way for individuals to pass knowledge and power to others across vast distances. Worse yet. it allows a vital, sentient desire to pass from planet to planet, unhindered by Star Destroyer blockade, undeterred by ISB propaganda, and uninhibited by the looming presence of the Emperor: a desire called hope, A Force user of any species can become a Mystic. The following species have a special talent, unique history, or cultu ral tenden cy to embrace mysticism and th us become a Force-using Mystic. When individua ls accept the spi ri tua l, they step closer to th e Force. The Empire underestimates the power of an individual voice. Embracin g the Livin g Force empowers the Cosmic Force, mu ch like an individ ual si nger melds into a rich, multifaceted choir, Soon, that choir can overpower the sound of even the most insidious of Imperial propaganda.

THISSPIASIAN Thisspiasians are a people with great passions tempered by measured calm and discipline. They are attached to tradition but also quick to adopt the new, blending both together seamlessly_The Galactic Empire has failed to supp ress their spirit. In fact, their defiance migh t spawn a new wave of Force-sensitive warnors.

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Physiology: Th iss piasia ns are lwo-meter tal l serpentine crea tures with fo ur arms, distinct flowing beards, and long hair su rro unding th eir hea ds and faces, The lowe r two sets of arms are so mewha t vestigial in nature, and Th issp ias ians usually keep the m hi dden beneath t heir clothes. Their rept ilian nature enco urages constant movement and activity to maintain blood flow. Though Thisspiasians sleep for a couple of hours a day, thei r main form of rest is a physiological condition sim ilar to a tra nce that can last for minutes or hours The trance provides the neurological repa ir necessary for good mental and physical health. Just like how other sentient beings who miss sleep can become emotional and irritable, so do Thisspiasians if they skip this trancelike state_

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LUMINOU S BEINGS

IN.JMJTED POWER

Society: Outsiders consider Thisspiasians walking (slithering) contradictions. Their history values tradition, and their cu lture continues to practice several dozen small rituals and practices (such as eating their food live) taken from a myriad of historical Thisspiasian cultures and civilizations. This doesn't mean that Thisspiasians are rigid or dogmatic. They have been remarkab ly fluid in adapting to new tech nology and spacefari ng cultural norms. Plenty of pl anet-born Th isspiasia ns have loa th ed giving up ea ting live thi ssp mi ce, but once offwo rld. t hey quick ly adopt t he pract ice of cooking thei r meals without comp laint. (When ret urn ing to their homeworld, however, a common pract ice is to gorge on a live mouse banquet.) Most outsiders know Thisspiasians only because of the fighters who volunteered to serve in the Galactic Republic's mili tary during its in itial founding. Tales depicted them as passionate and aggressive in one moment and ca lm and reasoned the nex t. Th is is no doubt due to the nature of their work; war and combat have a tendency to bring out extremes in any sentient being. Outsiders who first meet a Thisspiasian perceive then as tranquil and ca lm, but amongst friends, fam il)!, or on their homeworld, the individual in qu estion might be loud and boisterous, Perhaps the initial impression wa s si mply a self-imposed politeness in a sea of alien faces. The confluence of reaso ns why the Th issp iasians joined the Rep ublic requi res an un dersta ndi ng of the Thissp ia sia n character. A co nstitut iona l monarchy ruled the homewo rld at t he time_ The Blood Monarchy, a hered itary li ne that led bac k over twen ty thousand years, techn ically provided cultural leadership, but a democratic parliament maintained practical. day-to-ctay governance. Even before the Galactic Republic, the monarchy was already a holdover from ancient times_The then-current Blood Monarch saw an opportunity

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lhisspiasi an

to expand Th lssp ias ' eco nomy but to also secure her reign by join ing th e Republic. The dec ision was met with the usual acceptance of a society in flux: via loud , angry discussions

and some mild violence. At the same ti me, the planet saw a resurgence of ancient Th iss pia sia n martial disc ip lines (see lhe sid ebar Warriors

for the Galactic Republic on the preceding page). The Blood Monarch gave these warrior-monk societies. generally conservative and pro-inde pe ndence, a purpose: join the

Repu bli c and fi ght for Th isspiasian glory. The gambit worked, and the plane t's monarchy bec ame a paradoxical sym bol for galactic democracy.

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Currently. an Imperia! Governor con trols the politics and governance of the planet. b ut the population seethes with anger. frustration . and rebell ion. Originally. the Empire had occupied the planet to su ppress Republic loyalists, but also to rec ruit Thi sspiasians to th e Em pire in light of t heir "b loodthirsty and ba rbaric" warrior cu lture. Floo ding t he pl anet with ant i- RepL. b lic propaganda, the Empire hammered on the decadence and distance of the Republic and offered the Thisspiasians a chance to fight for the Empire. The Thisspiasians answered with reSista nce. Orbital bombardments followed , and t he Th issp iasia ns answered with more resistance. Fi nall y, the Governo r rem oved the Blood Monarc h and demand ed subservience. Instead. the empty monarchica l seat serves as a potent symbol for insurrection.

lholothian

Vurk

On the othe r ha nd , many Th isspia sia ns stil l co nsi der the hered itary li ne wa ste ful and archaic. This tension between royalists and monarchical abolit ion ists has been both dampen ed in some ways and intern;ified in others. The Imperia l occupation rorced these differing factions to wo rk together and . on the surface, t he groups hold no ani mos ity toward ea ch ot her. Th isspiasian s can already see frac tures, however. Roya lists wear the quills of the gian t ystervark both as a symbol of their loyalty and as a makeshift weapon. A few carry a small via l o f blood, a statement of their genetic link to the Blood Monarch's line. Abolitionists, in tu rn, wea r a small pin in t he shape of a cygna t (a sma ll nat ive biting pest). Th is pin con cerns even some mode rate Thissp iasia ns, since nearly two hundred years ago the terrorists who assassinated the Blood Mona rch wore a similar symbol. IF Th isspias survives the Ga lactic Civil Wa r, hi storians wond er which sy mbo l and resu ltant rit ua ls will be come the dom ina nt part of their cul tural lexico n: the ystervark quill, t he cygnat pin, or the Imperial crest? Or perhaps Thisspiasians will buck trad ition and choose a new symbol altogether? Homeworld: Thissp ias is a rocky, temperate world in the Exp ansion Region . The homeworld jo ined the Ga lactic Republic ent husia sti ca lly despite its distance fro m Co ruscan t, sendin g warri ors to bolster the fledgli ng Re pub lic army. As a result, Th iss pias has ben efited from membership in the Senate whi le acting as a magnet for trouble in other moments in history.

LUMINOUS BEINGS

lNJMlTED POWER

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Fo r exa mple, because of its cl ose assoc iati on with the Galactic Re public and physical loca tion in the galaxy, Thisspias has been the site of many historical battles, such as t he conflicts during the Great Mani fest Period. These various battles have been immortalized with monuments or t hrough the actua l re lics of war.

language: Alth ough planet-bo und indivi duals are mostly literate in Thisspiasian, those who travel ed offworld learned to read and write Basic quickly. The Em pire has been trying to stamp out their language, but each attempt only emboldens them more. A few eschew learning Basic altogether in protest , but they are ch ided as fool ish

On the othe r hand, membership in the Galact ic Sena te allowed Thisspias to wield plenty of influence, especially to protect the homeworld. As pivot point.between the Core and the Outer Rim , Thisspias benefited from a volume of trade and cultu ral exc hange. Their pe op le have plenty of reasons to rema in loyal to t he Galac ti c Repu blic.

Perception of the Force: Some Th isspia sians practice meditation whi le in their tranceli ke rest, using guided focu s and discipline to sort thoughts and feelings. A select few push further, opening their minds and spirits to touch upon the Force. Furthermore, Oppo Rancisis, the Blood Monarch heir who lived deca des before t he rise of the Em pire, becam e a Jedi Master and refused to ta ke t he throne. Th is historical connection to the Jedi Order and the common practice of meditation give Th isspiasians a strong connection to the Mystic tradition and to the Force.

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Wound Threshold : 10 + Brawn

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Strain Threshold: 8 + Wi llpower

"",,...,,;; . Starting Experience: 100 XP •

Special Abilities: Thisspiasians begin the game with one rank in Discipline. They sti ll may not train Discipline above rank 2 during character creation.

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Rest and Meditation: Thisspias ians need very little sleep to funct ion. They only ne ed to sleep for two hours to heal all stra in they are suffering from, instead of for a full night (they cannot sleep multiple times in a day, howeverD. In addition, once per session Thisspiasians ma y spend ten minutes meditating; if they do so, they heal st rai n eq ual to twice t heir ra nks in Di scipline

THOLOTHIAN A near-human species from one of the oldest planets (at least politically) in the Republic, the Tholothians are an unassu mi ng spec ies, once full y in tegrated into galact ic soc iety, but now contained on their homev..'orld by the Galactic Empire.

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Physiology: Tholo thians are a humanoid species with various shades of darker skin tone and a varie ty of blue and viol et eye colors. Instead of hai r, they have scales on their head s and several pale tendrils that descend from their backs. In all other aspects, they resem ble humans in physiology.

/ LUMINOUS BEINGS

u........a>POWER

Society: Historica lly, Tho lothian civili za t ion cha nged and adapted re latively smoothly, especially co mpared to ot her spec ies, For examp le, Tho lot hian astronomers had predicted t he ex iste nce of ot her civilizations cen turies before t he first ou tsider hyperdrive exp lorat ion sh ips encou ntered Th olot h, and the ho meworld did not suffer the cu lture shock that norma lly comes wit h initia l contact. In fact , Tho loth ian cu lture has bee n remarkab ly adaptab le and flu id, chang ing with the times with less-t han-expected bac klash, t rad itional ist outcry, or nativist anger. Once highl y ega litaria n and cosmopo litan , Tholot h's popu lat ion was majority but not plura lity Tholothian, Over centu ries, hund reds of cultures and spec ies t raveling thro ugh the system to sett le in the Sli ce instead stayed on the plane t. Tho lothian society has added bits and pieces of th ese va rious cultures into th eir arc hitect ure, art, and language [with various loanwords), Li ngu ists ca n t race historical layers in language, grammar, and even ve rb tenses. Techno logica lly advanced but not obsess ively so, Tholoth's economy has always bee n slow and steady Thi s Th oloth ian cu lt ural fUSion changed when the Empire took con t ro l of their homewor ld . Imperial censors re moved anything co nsidered fore ign (including non -Tholothians) fro m Th oloth, impos ing homoge ny on to the language, cultu re, and art If t he censo rs cou ld t race the origins of th e offe nd in g materiallo a non-Th olothi an species, out it wen t. Th e Emp ire t hen promot ed a differen t kind of uni ty; fo r examp le, Tholot h's cit ies have slov'o,'ly take n on t he stark, imposing black and v'o,' hite structures of the Empire. Th is in turn has brough t on unprecedented cultural shock Tholottl lans struggle now to und ersta nd wr1 at sho uld be co nside red truly Tholothian, (See t he sidebar rega rding Tholothian Seedpods.) As they resist aga inst t he Em pire, t hey also resist aga inst this revis ioni st history, wondering If they shou ld also reject their cosmopolitan past Some sc holars fear that even if Tholoth does throw off the yo ke of the Empire, Th olothian identi ty mi ght be irrevocab ly altered Whether or not this doubt and Imperial influ ence becomes a perma nent pa rt of Th olothian soc iety re mains to be seen.

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Homeworld: Tholot h, located in t he Co lonies region at t he base of the Slice, has a wa rm , tem pera te clima te. As one of the closest plan ets in the expansion path of the Sl ice, Tholoth be nefi ted highly from trade and temporary immigratio n. The Tholoth ians estab lish ed st ro ng rest rict ions upon deve lopm ent ; they we lcom ed immigrant s, of co urse, but new construction needed to integrate with their ecosystem and infrastructu re. Tho lot h's cities too k on a cosmopo litan cha racter, ble nding and integratin g differen t architectura l styles t hat some how still felt Tho lot hian. As a resu lt, Tholot h has avo ided the giant metropo lises or ec umenopolises t hat see m to dominate the Core \Vorlds.

THDLDTHIAN SEEDPODS

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ndent Tholothian cultural practices centered around a durable tree used in their agriculture. When these people traveled, they carried at least one seedpod with the blessing that if they found a new home, they would tear open the pod, plant the seed, and connect their new home with their old home. Tens of thousands of years later, Tholothians who journeyed away from their homeland would continue this tradition, some carrying a single seedpod in a pack, integrating them into artistic objects in their homes, or wearing them as jewelry. Stories abound that these Hometrees were mystically connected in some way, and that by placing their ear against the bark, Tholothians could hear Tholoth's wind welcoming them home. With the Empire's dismantling of Tholothian culture, this practice has re-emerged stronger than ever in an attempt to get back in touch with their roots (so to speak).

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Certain areas throughout the planet we re designate d wil dlife prese rves, and up unti l t he founding of t he Galac tic Empire, Th olot h had mai ntai ned an arborea l repu tation. The heavier in dustries remain ed offworld in t he surroun di ng planets of the Tho lot h system . Before the Empire, Th oloth was a democracy utilizing a govern mental struc ture similar to the Galac ti c Republ ic, with a head exec utive cha ir and a legis lative se nate

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Due to the homeworld 's posi ti on in t he galaxy and its ax ial t ilt, for half of the yea r Th oloth's night sky is dominated by t he light of t he Deep Core, a bright, bri lli ant ell ipse from hori zon to horizon, brighte r than rn ost moons. The other half of the year, Tholot h's sky faces t he arms and t he edge of t he galaxy, still bri lliant, but muted and da rk Curre nt ly under heavy Imperi al con t rol, Tholoth, at least to its inhabitan ts, now feels like a prison . Imperial command ers have set up estates he re, t urn ing the planet (o nce a sa nctuary to the Jedi) in to a vacation spot. The local popu lation and econo my have been retoo led to serve Imperial desires to turn the pla net in to an officers' garden ret rea t language: Duri ng the Galactic Republ ic era, Tho lothians spoke BaSIC, although differen t co mmunities on the homeworld were more iso lated than others, lending regional accents to their pro nunciation . Because of their cosmopo li tan nature, Tholothia ns co mm on ly knew at least one or two add itiona l languages based on need or pe rsona l interest. Near the end of t he Republi c, educa tors on the homeworl d headed a movemen t to preserve th e na t ive Tho lothian language group, but upon Imperial contro l of t he planet, th is movement we nt undergrou nd. Many fear the Empire's slow, method ica l "Impena liza tion" of Tholot hian cu lture will cause the death of t he Tholoth ian language as we ll

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LUMINOUS BEINGS

UNUMITED POWER

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--Perception of the Force: As longtime mem bers of the Galac tic Republic, Tholothians have had continual contact with the Jedl and the Jedi Order Jedi who wished to remain in contact wi th the temple on Coruscant but needed to get

away from the people, smog. and skyscrapers woul d come to Tholoth to med ita te, Some would hike and cam p out in the vanous nature preserves, givi ng t hem tim e away from the galaxy without fear of wi ld. dangerous beasts. Th e time of year could also be useful for medi tation due to the night sky: Jedi were known to come on Core or Spiral Pea k nights to medita te on the light and the dark and the Republic and the Ou ter Rim. focus ing on the inne r and the oute r respective ly.

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Sin ce Imperia l occupat ion. Tholot h has gone a li ttle wild. The mountains. forests. hills. trees, and snow-covered regions have become un kempt and feral. While the Empi re destroyed the obvious Jedi bu ildings. claiming the old aesthetic ruined Tholoth's natural beauty, storm troopers missed the sm aller. hi dden refuges. Small cave system s with a preternatu ral sense of peace. a one-story ston e stru cture bui lt by a Jedi monk. or the hot spring in the snow-capped mountains all have been grown over by· brambles, hidden by rockslides, or bu ried in ice. Some Tholothians still journey to these location s. A few use them for shel ter to hide from the Empire. Eac h of them holds a t in y bit of history o f the old Jedi Order and perhaps preserves something for a searchi ng Force-sensitive.

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Wound Threshold: 10 + Brawn

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Strain Threshold : 10 + Willpower

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Startin g Exp eri ence: 95 XP

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Special Abilities: Tholothians begin the game with one ra nk in Knowledge (Xe nology) . They still may not tra in Knowledge (Xenology) above rank 2 during charac ter creation.

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Cultural Adopters: When making a socia! skill check to intera ct INith non-Tholoth ians, Th oloth ian s add automalic -tJ. to th e resu lts.

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Natural Roots: When making a check to heal strain while in a natural or wild setti ng, Tholothians heal one additional stra in.

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LUMINOUS BEINGS

UILMTED POWER

VURK This reptilian race has extended their nomadic tradition to the galaxy. Galactic society underestimates them due to their lack of inte rest in heavy industrialization and technology. Th ey have. however, a co mplex system of perso na l govern ance and pol it ical invo lvement t ha t baffles Core Worl d pol iticians and philosophers. Physiology: Reptiles with dark, bulbous eyes and tall head cres:s, Vu rks can brea the underwater as well as they can breathe open air. Th e warm wa ters and atmosphere of their homev'w rld provide much -needed external energy for their metabolism. Although they can function away from such optimal conditions, Vurks do find cooler climates (and most spaceships) a bit uncomfor tabl e. Most Vurks journeying offwo rld utilize a wide variety of tricks to mainta in their body temperature, from wea ri ng heavy clothing, using carefu l medita tion, imbibing hot beverages co ntinua lly throughout the day, or retiring to a nice, hour-long warm bath. Society: Vurks are sem i-nomadic, but in a different way than other species. It is not unusual for a Vurk commun ity or a whole village to decide to move on, not on ly based on the changing of a seaso n, but also for a phi losoph ical need Instead of the vil la ge relocati ng together, eac h Vu rk (and perhaps close friends or acquaintances, but not necessa rily family) may choose to travel together. For all intents and purposes, that village no longer exists. Vurks instead integrate with other communities or form new ones based on needs and desi res. It is not unusual to find a mature Vurk who ha s already been in hal f a dozen successfu l comm unit ies. The galaxy considers them a primitive people, but Vurks have a sophisticated community and social status system based on reputation . Vurks judge each other by their ind ividual accomplish ments. deeds, and actions, and read ily di scu ss those perce pt ions with other Vurks. They don 't conside r this gossip or id le chatte r, but part of the process of being in a community. Of course, two Vurks may perceive a third Vurk in two different ways, but none of lhem see this as a negative. After all. no individuals see things in the exact same way. Vurks don' t expect outsiders to participate, but those traveling offworld na t urall y exte nd thi s pract ice to friends and loved ones. This discussion of reputation and perception leads to continual interpersonal conflicts whe re two or more Vurks may disagree or socia! or economic matters. These con flicts then lead to com pro mises or expe ri ments whe re Vurks try one so lution before attem pt ing an other. In t he end , these di scussions lead to a set of casual ru les governing behavior for each community, prompt ing even more discussion. Those who don't participa te in the dialogue either choose to go with the majority or sim ply leave to found a new commu nity While thiS social stru cture may seem ana rc hic, Vurks don' t object to laws or SOCial structu res per se ; t hey simply believe t hat these concepts are things to be discussed and negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

THE STRICTURE DF VIOLENCE

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n Vurk society. when is violence acceptable? Again, this is negotiated on a case-by-case basis,

but nearly all Vurk agree that causing a death, be it through self-defense or murder, is reprehensible (barring euthanasia). With death, that individual's ability to voice a new opinion, thought, or argument

is silenced forever. From this basic concept, Vurks have developed a Stricture of Violence (although most Vurks don't call it that). The Clone Wars and the Galactic Civil War have left Sembla (mostly) untouched, and thus Vurks haven't had to modify this Stricture. Those traveling offworld, however, have seen a galaxy not only torn apart by war, but also torn apart by injustice. Can killing be justified if it means freeing a group of slaves? Can freedom be preserved with war? Now, with an Imperial presence growing on Sembla, Vurks as a society must eventually reconcile their feelings about the Stricture. In the end, however, each individual Vurk has to struggle with what the galaxy is, versus what they grew up believing.

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Each time a Vurk integrates or fo rms into a new communit y, a new discussion over mores and consent develops. Those who disagree, leave. Those who agree. stay. This social and cultural p ractice has developed and changed for as long as Vurks have had recorded history. To outsiders, this makes Vurks appea r merc uria l or constan tly changing in ethics and mora ls. In real ity, Vurks consta nt ly question concepts of eth· ics and mora ls in ord er to understand where they stand. There are outliers. of co urse. There are those who in tentiona ll y break these social or cultural mores . those who wi thho ld informati on and lie in order to gain som e form of adva ntage. and those who com mit violence to resolve t hei r is sue s. These ind ividua ls gai n a rep utation that ge ts passed on to each co mmu nit y t hey encou nter. Eventuall y, these outli ers get exiled. effective ly turning the m into a commu ni ty of one. Homeworld: Sembla (or Utavu rk) is located in the Outer Ri m . in the Mahrusha sector. at the far end of the Perlemian Tra de Route. With four moons, tidal stresses keep the Vu rk homewo rld tecto nically active, with shallow seas and volcanic islands

Becau se Sembla doesn't sit near any major or minor trade routes, ships hardly travel there. The planet has been histori· ca lly isolated from all of the Galactic Republic's wars. Some Imperial scientists, however. have established a resea rch base to study Sembla as a source of geothermal energy and to experimen t with the planet's unique magnetic magma As a result, the Imperials have also undertaken strip-mining operations to buil d an d power the base. pressing Vurks into a cheap source of labor and destroying nearby islands in the process

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The Empire doesn't respect the working conditions the Vurks mu st end ure. and variou s pockets of resistance have

appeared throughout the homeworld. Vurks on th e other

ers, and oceans. While Vurks don't have a speciflc connection to, or affinity for, the Force. certain concepts are easier for them to grasp due to their cultural background. Failure isn't a setback , but simply a new experience. Pick up and move on. This gives them an openness to try something different or try aga in in a new way. a perfect atti tud e for a Mystic Of the Vurks who initially tried to join the Jedi Order, mo st failed due to th e rigid di sci pline. Instead of becom ing bitter or discouraged, these petitioners merely saw this setback as part of th eir co nt in ua l migration. Perhaps th is was not the community they should be joining at this time. Od dl y, a few of those who fa iled the ini tial tes ts later came back as better candidates.

side of the pla net don't see the results of Im perial power and have not decided yet to take up arms. In this ca se, the habi t the Vurks have of discussing and witnessing firsthand an individual's bad actions may not be fast enough to unite the planet againsllhe Empire. language: On their homeworld, Vurks speak primarily Sem blan. There are of course several hundred dialects and unrelated languages, but ages ago, through an in tense period of planet-wide discussion, the majority of Vurks decided on Semblan as their language. (As a consequence, they also changed the name of their homeworld from Utavurk to Sem· bla to reflect th is decision.) Plenty of Vu rks disagreed an d thus formed communities that speak other languages. Those who jou rn ey offworld, however, learn Basic.

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Perception of the Force: Describing the Force as water or a river fi ts we ll with Vurks, who not on ly live on an aquatic world, but have wandered thei r planet much like the rain, riv-

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Wound Threshold: 11 + Brawn

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Strain Threshold : 11 + Willpower

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Starting Experi ence: 100 XP

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Special A bilities: Vurks begin the game with one rank in Negotia tion. They still may not train Negotiation above rank 2 during character creation.

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Amphibious: Vurks can breathe underwater wi thout penalty and never suffer movement penalties when traveling through water.

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Cold Blooded: Vurks add . to all checks they make while in cold environments (in addition to any other penalties).

NEW SPECIALIZATIONS

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NLIMITED POW ER provides three new specializations: the Alchemist. the Magus, and the Prophet. These don't replace Advisors, tvlakashi Duelists, or Seers, but simply add more optio ns to the expansive nature of the Mystic. The power of the Force, after all , is unlimited.

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During the time of the Jedi Order, Guardians thought in broad terms. How best to serve the ga laxy, to help the most wi th the least resou rces, to urge the ga laxy to\\rard peace withou t sacrificing too much? Mystics thought in even broade r te rms . How best to se rve t he Fo rc e, La urge t he ga laxy toward the lighl, to move bill ions upon billions of people tovvard enlightenment and self-actua lization? To explain how a Mystic might see the Force, it is best to use the analogy of water, speciflcally a river. Wate r can be slow and calm (and suffocating), or it can be rapid, powerful, and overwhe lm ing. A river provides life but can also drown it. Water can be liquid. gaseous, or solid. It can change physical properties, but in the end, it can return to its prev iou s slate. Mystics learn to read. ride, or redi rec t this river.

TALENTS WITH CONFLICT COSTS

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ertain talents give the Player Character who possesses them Conflict at the beginning of each session. The knowledge associated with these talents is dark enough that simply understanding it can tempt a PC to the dark side; see page 51 of the FORCE AND DESTINY Core Rulebook for more on Conflict. These talents are delineated with the following symbol in their header:

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TALENT NAME

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LUM INOUS BEINGS

UNc-TED POWER

:::: .J1·I=vr L:1~hJ,

ALCHEMIST

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uring t he era of t he Galactic Republi c, t he Jedi Order never emb raced alchemy. Vario us sp Irit ua l orders that had

worked in alchemy also all ied wit h the dark side of the Force.

The Sith, the Nightsisters of Da thom ir, and t he Frangawl Cult on Ba rdotta all used the dark side to powe r thei r weapons, ta li sma ns, and magicks. Whether or not the Jed i t ho ught that alchemy led t o the dark side of t he Fo rce has been lost to time. Perh aps the Ord er fel t t hat giving li fe to t he in animate,

pourin g the Force into a dead object. replicated the act of giving li fe, of giving birt h, or of playing god, and wou ld ca use the Jedi to become pridefu l With the rise of the Empi re and t he loss of t he Je d i O rder, now no one ca n "varn a pot ent ial Alche mist away fro m pra ct icing th is lost art. This might be ju st as well. Just like any technology, it isn't the object but t he user tha t makes it good or bad, li gh t or dark, us efu l or de stru ctive. In add it ion , t he Force flows thro ugh everyth ing, eve n in an imate object s Rocks have a measure of t he Force in t hem . How else co uld a Je di move them? W ith tha t reaso ning, not hing should prevent a Jed i fro m imbu ing a machine wit h the Force. save the Jedi 's ovvn fea rs, hat red, and obsessions.

GIVING LIFE TO THE INANIMATE An A lchemi st's add itional career sk il ls are Kn owledge (Education) , Kn owledge (Xenology) , Medicine, and Resilience . Upon cha ract er crea t ion, if t his is t he characte r's fi rst spec ialization, pick two of t hese skills to automaticall y ga in one rank in eac h

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The Jed i bu..ilt their ow n lightsabers not only for r itua l or trai ni ng pu rposes, bu t t o infuse a bit of t he ir own essence

into th e weapon. The Jedi consc iously and delibera tely bu ilt these weapons both as a t echn ical t est and as a med itat ive t est. It cou ld be argued t hat a lightsaber co nta ins the prese nce of its crea tor-and perhaps it s user (sJ . Fo rce alche my extends th is idea and disc ip line furt her, cra ft ing physica l ob jects infused wit h the power of t he Force These objects appear to have a life of the ir own, and in the eyes of a Force se nsit ive, pe rhaps they do . This creates a met aphysical conundrum: if an object possesses a measure of t he Fo rce, how is it d ifferent from a living be ing? A lchemist s te nd to focus on medici nal co ncoctions, since the healing of a physica l body is the most d ire ct met hod of using and influ enc ing the Force. The flo w of a m edic ine, tincture, sa lve, or d ra ugh t mi mics t he flow of t he Force. A lchem ists can work in ot her mater ials, but t his requ ires more tra ining and atte nt ion . A malfo rm ed or malfuncti oni ng mach ine can't be fixed wit h an infusion of t he Fo rce. In many ways, it might exacerbate t he da mage. Fo lk ta les and popular ho lovids of mac hi nes coming t o life and te rroriz ing their creators and innocents m ay be based on t rue sto ries of Alchemist s who fell to the dark side of t he Force. Force- infused objects ca n be tortu red as much as any living creature. \Nhe n t he Alc hemi st is a dark side user, alchemica l m ac hi nes take o n a sinister and da ngerous aura , "ma lfunct io ning" to ca use harm or, in the case of a weapon, increasi ng suffe ring wh en it does cause harm.

' . LUMINOUS BEINGS

UNUMITED POWER

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MYSTIC: Alchemist Career Skills: Charm, Coercion, Knowledge (lore), Knowledge (Outer Rim), Perception, Vigilance Additional Career Skills: Knowledge (Education), Knowledge IXenologv1, Medicine, Resilience

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GRIT

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Cain + 1 stra in threshold

STlMPA[K SPECIALIZATION

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RESEAR[HER

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ACTIVE

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PASSIVE

~ FOR[E TALENT •

BLOOOED Add D per rank of Blooded

Remove. per rank of Researcher from all Knowl-

to all checks to resist or re cover from poisons, ven-

oms, or toxins. Reduce dura tion of ongoing po isons by I round per rank of Blood-

r

k

ed, lo a minimum of 1

•

RESEAR[HER

•

Remove . per rank of Researcher from all KnO'" I-

1l

Ta ke Ule Slim Application Action; make an Average Medicine check. If successfu l. I engaged ally increases 1 characteristic by 1 for the remainder of the encounter and su ffers 4 stra in.

STIMPA[K SPECIALIZATION

•

BLOOOED

•

When performi ng Stim Appl icalion Aclion, may increase difficu lty of check to Haro and ra cget only suffers I strain

1+++)

•

KNOWLEDGEABLE HEALING

\

IMPROVED BLOODED

Add D per ra nk of Blooded

As an action . make a Ha"rd Resilience check

(ttt)

cover from poisons. venoms, or tox ins, Reduce duration of ongoing poisons by 1 round per rank of Blooded, to a min im um of I.

IMPROVED STiM APPLICATION

1/

add 0 or. to resu lts

to all checks to resist or reo

•

GRIT

Aller making a check 1.0 (fafl (l potion or tal isman, may suffer stre. in up to twice ra nks in Alc hemica l Arts. Fo r eve ry t,,'o stra in,

(t t )

edge checks. Resea rching a su bject takes half the time.

•

•

STiM APPLICATION

to

immedialely recover

from all poisons and sideeffects of drugs, Reduce difficulty once per ra nk of Blooded

•

GRIT

•

OEDI[ATION

When making a cra fting check. may add 0 no greater lhan Force rating Spend C) to add ~ and spend () () to add tJ to check.

When hea ling an all y. spend 1 Desti ny Po int to hea l add it ional wo un ds eq ual to ranks in Knowledge lXeno logy j

After being exposed to a substance. as an out of turn incidental . .rnay roll 0 no greater than Force rating. Spend ()() to immediately identify it.s cornposition and effects

Once per session. as an action. make a Hard Knowledge (Xenology) check, adding 0 no grea ter than Force rating to create 1 dose of a poison or drug wi th rarity of Intellect + + ()spent or lower.

Permission: granted to print and photocopy this p,age for personal use only. 19 lFl © FFG

(ttt)

:rr

•

MAGUS

T

o hear of a Ma gus, even during the time of the Galactic Republ ic, would be a ra re event ; to meet one, eve n more so. The Jedi Order, in its wa ning days, ha d become quite

conservative regard ing explorations into the Force. The Jed i either avoided or out ri ght fought the myriad of sect s an d cu lts exhibiting mystica l powers th roughout t he ga laxy. The Force, they reasoned, was all t hey needed. Other teach ings and expe ri ments deviated too much fro m t he clea r path of t he

,.

Jed i and thus da nced too close to illusion and self-deception . lead ing to tem ptat ions toward the da rk

Paradox ica lly. a Fo rce user may be more likely to beco me

a Magus during t he Gala cti c Civil Wa r. Wi t h hope and the ligh t in short supply, some discip les may be more open and will ing to seek out so-ca lled forb idden knowledge. A Magus develop s and collects a hodgepodge of strange rituals and od d practices to co mmune wi th the Cosmic Force. They have no trai ning, but at the same t ime, t hey have no teac hings that would convince t hem not to t ry. The danger, of co urse, comes from a lac k of ove rsight. Wi t hout a guiding hand or p rope r se lf-reflection , a Magus has a greate r chance to ex pe riment INith powers fueled by the dark sid e of the Fo rce.

side of the Force.

FOLLOWING A DIFFERENT PATH The Magus rece ive s Coercion, Discipl ine, Know ledge (Lore) , and Medicine as addi tional ca ree r sk ills. When starting with t his specia lizat ion, the Magus may choose two of t hese skill s and gai n one free rank in eac h. Kn m·v ledge, espec ially forb idden know ledge . fuels the Magus. Un restricted by the Jedi Order, de fi ant of the Ga lact ic Emp ire, t he Magus seeks a con nect ion to the Force through knowledge. The sourc e of that knO'.A/Jedge doesn' t matter; ritua ls, objec ts and p laces of power, and ancient religious and magical texts al l hint at a si ngu lar so urce of energy. Whil e so me Magi crave know ledge for its own sake, most exp lore the Magus path in orde r to con trol t he Fo rce itse lf

f

/

If t he Force fl ows t hrough everyt hi ng and IS a part of everyt hing, t hen by man ipu lat ing the Fo rce, the Magus can man ipulate rea lity. The Force ca n be used to make ma tter, affect matte r. affect life. and perha ps .. .even create life With t his power, the Magus can do amaz in g and impossi ble th ings. No, not im po ss ib le. fo r not hing is impossib le if one be lieves in th e Force.

( I

This confide nce, however, is t he biggest trap for Magi. They ca n do impossib le th ings, ye s, bu t It is the Force t hat allQ',\IS them to do so , not their knowledge or talent. Des pite what they may think, Magi still have mortal t rappin gs. They have hi stories, memories, ea rly tho ughts, and em otio ns t hat can neve r be truly removed. Hubris may be the grea test enemy for Magi. Thi s hubris can trick Magi Into t hinking t hat pushi ng here or pu ll ing t he re mi ght be for t he good of all, or for t he good of t he Fo rce, but in reality. they are ma nipulat ing the Fo rce fo r t heir own se lfis h needs. Many a Fo rce-using t yran t became a Magus before falli ng to t he da rk side.

LUMINOUS BEI NGS

UNUMITED POWER

MYSTIC: Magus

TOUGHENEO

•

I

decrease

•

PASSIVE

•

CONFIOEN(E May

ACTIVE

b

Career Skills: Charm, Coercion, Knowledge [Lore), Knowledge (Outer Rim), Perception, Vigilance Additional Career Skills: Coercion, Discipline, Knowledge (Lore), Medicine

•

•

dirticully

FOR(E TALENT

RESOLVE When inVOluntarily suffering strain. suffer 1 less strain per rank of Resolve. to a minimum of 1.

of

Discipline checks LO avoid fear by 1 per rank of

Confidence

t.:,

•

(ONFIOEN(E

• Arter rolling O. fer wou nd s up to twice ranks in Chan nel Ago ny to add automatic . for every two wounds suffered to the results.

May decrease diffi cu lty of Discipline checks to

avoid fea r by 1 per rank of Confidence

•

,;

•

INhen healing lrVOunds due to Healing Trance. make a Qitical Injury Difficulty of the check equals severity of the Critical Injury.

Remove .

per rank o f Se-

cret Lore from all Knowledge (Lore) checks. Reduce the difficulty of all Knowledge (lore) checks by 1.

RESOLVE 'Nhen involuntarily suffering strain, suffer 1 less

Remove . per rank of Secret Lore from all Knowledge (lore) checks. Reduce the difficu lty of all Knowledge (Lore) checks

Resilience check to heal a

strain per rank of Resolve. to a minimum or I.

by L

I

'.

• After rolling

r

SECRET LORE

SE(RET LORE

0,

•

TOUGHENEO After rolling 0, may suffer wounds up to twice ranks in Channe l Agony LO add auto mati c . for every two wounds suffered to the results.

may suf-

fer wounds up to twice ra nks in Channel Agony to

add automatic .

MINO OVER MATTER The character may spend one Destiny Poinl to recover strain eq ual Lo Wil lpower ra ting.

fo r ev-

ery two wounds suffered to t he results.

• Once per session, may perform the Power of Darkness maneuver. Increase ....,ound threshold and strain threshold by 1 per Dark Side destiny point currently in the Destiny pool untit the end of the encounter.

OEDICATION When making a Crafting check, may add 0 no greater than Force rating_ Spend () to add :tf and spend () () to add -tJ. to check.

LUMINOUS BEINGS

UNLIMITED POWER

Permission' granted to print and photocopy this page for personal use only_ © LFl © FFG

PROPHET

T

A CANTOR FOR A CHOIR

ca us ing resentme nt and anger, which promises a fall toward th e dark side. So for Prophet s. they proselytized not to convert, but to offer a voice of hope and an opportunity to lea rn

Prophet s ga in the fol lowing additio nal caree r skil ls: Charm, Coercion, Deception , and Leadership _ Charac ters who start with t his spec ialization fi rst get one rank in two of these skil ls without spend ing experience.

he Jedi Order's prose lytizi ng ebbed and flowed , mu ch as the Force did throughout t he Old Rep ubl ic. Understand in g

of the Force co uldn't be press ured upon a stude nt without

about the power of the Fo rce. Now, dest royed

with and

the

Jedi

the

Republ ic shattered,

Order

Ga lactic

Prophets

carry a fervor not seen before In the history of the ga laxy_ To

them, their knowledge of the ligh t side of the Fo rce reflects the struggle aga inst the dark If the Galactic Empire is the shadow blotting out the stars, then Prophets are single poi nts of light. hoping to ignit e a candle here and t here to light up the sky

'.

like Advisors, th is spec ialization d irectly int eracts wi th people, gran tin g them insight and cou nse l when needed. Unlike Adv isors, Prophets address the crowd, no t the ind i· vidua l. The ir message has t o reach as many ears as possib le, in the hope that the ir ideas or warnings catch fi re. Proph ets influe nce communities, cities, o r even pla net s if given a med ium and a message. Th e med ium co mes in a variety of forms: a sermon on a soapbox or an alta r, a HoloNet posting or recording, rlyers or tracts passed fro m hand t o claw, or even images on a poster, pai nt ing, or pi rat e transm iss ion. It doesn't matter what med ium, o nly the passio n and tru t h of t he message. The message might be filtered th ro ugh a re ligious lens, but not always. Prop hets are keyed into t he Cosmic Force mo re keen ly, and images of the future provide wisdom, guidance, and, fo r fol lowers, an ide ntity. Si nce Prop hets are on ly mortal, they can only t ry to interpre t with mortal con cep ts and me tap hors. Th ey then have to t rans late that message into simple language, furt her diluti ng the content. The next person 's limited unde rstand in g then further alters t ha t message_ The real q uestion is whether thi s con stanl alteration by verbal or Visual t ra nsm issio n d isto rts t he message or en hances it ju st as the Force inte nd ed. Prophets who use their abili ti es for evil or se lfish ends have an easier time now durin g the Ga lactic Civi l War. Those sufferi ng from the Empire's ru le want a voice of hope to give them a reason to live on , and as long as the message doesn't violate Imperi al restrict io ns on re ligion or po litical sedition , Prop hets can enjoy a safe (and profi table] career. Eve n on planets free fro m t he Emp ire, other sources of oppression (slavery, Hutt in fluence, corporate int erests, and the like] may drive people to a religious charlatan, especially one who can produce miracles. Even well -mean ing Prophets should be wa ry, si nce It is much too easy for them to insert their own desires, need s, or fears int o t heir visions, dist orting them into their mvn ends, man ipu lati ng t he ir fo llowers into be li eving their own egos .

LU MINOUS BEINGS

UNUMITED POWER

b

•

MYSTIC: Prophet

•

GRIT

ACTIVE

•

PASSIVE

:tJ

Career Skills: Charm, Coercion, Knowledge ILore) , Knowledge IOuter Rim), Perception, Vigilance Additional Career Skills: Charm, Coercion, Deception, leadership

•

•

RAPID RECOVERY

•

'When healing strain after an encounter, heal I additlonal strain per ranK of Rapid Recovery.

S[ATHING TIRADE

•

Take a Scathing Tirade action; make an Average Coercion check. Each causes one enemy in short range to suffer 1 strain . Spend tJ to cause I affected enemy to suffer 1 additional strain.

-,I

•

•

INSPIRING RHETDRI[

(+ + 1 l eadersh ip check

*"

Each causes 1 ally in close range to recover 1 strain, Spend Q to cause 1 affected ally to recover I additional strain

•

RAPID RECOVERY an encounter. heal I additional strain per rank of Rapid Recovery.

FEARSOME When an adversary becomes engaged with the character. the character may force the adversary to make a fear check, with the difficulty equal to the characte(s ranks in Fearsome.

Characters affected by Overv.'helmingAura add automatic Y to fear checks the character causes and aulOmatic to fear checks not caused by ile character.

*"

TWISTED WORDS When ta rgeted by a social check, may spend @ or @ @ and suFFer 1 strain as an incidental to inflict stra in equa l to ranks In Coercion on spea ker.

WIlen healing strain after

•

RAPID RE[DVERY VVhen healing strain after an encounter, heal 1 additlonal strain per rank of Rapid Recovery.

Take the Inspiring Rhetoric action; make an Average

Remove • per rank of Plausible Deniability from all Coercion and Deception checks

(+ +) *"

•

PLAUSIBLE DENIABIUTY

CONGENIAL May suffer a number of strain to downgrade difficulty of Charm or Negotiation checks, or upgrade difficulty when targeted by Charm or Negotiation checks, by an equal number. Strain sur· fered this way cannol f>.x. ceed ranks in Congenial.

•t

•

FOR[E TALENT

•

GRIT

•

IMPROVED INSPIRING RHETORI[

•

Each ally affected by Inspiring RhetoriC gains D on all skill checks for a number of ro!"'nds equal to ranks in Leadership,

CONGENIAL May suffer a number of strain to dovmgrade difficulty of Charm or Negotiation checks, or upgrade difficulty when targeted by Charm or Negotiation checks. by an equal number: Strain suffered this way cannot exceed ranks in Congenial.

Once per session, may take the Font of Power action Until the end of Lhe encounter, characters within medium range add automalic 0 or • to checkS based on alignment

LUMINOUS BEINGS lJNIMfTED POWER

Permission granted to print and photocopy this page for personal use only_ © lFl © FFG

,I

...

NEW TALENTS

T

he followi ng pages describe each new talent introduced Each en try includes the information

In U NLIM ITED POWER.

required for gameplay. See page 135 of th e FORCE TlNV Core Rulebook for more information on talents_

AND

DES-

ALCHEMICAL ARTS Activation: Active (Inc idental)

Ranked: Yes Trees: Alchem ist

Force talent. After making a crafting che ck to create a potion or talisman, the character may choose to suffer strain no greater than twice their ranks in Alchemical Arts. For every

two strain, they may add

0

or •

to the results. If they

choose to add . , they also suffer I Conflict per .

BLOODED Activation: Passive Ranked: Yes Trees: Alchem ist The character adds

0

per rank of Blooded to their checks

to resist or recover from the effects of po isons, venoms, and other tox ins. Reduce the duration of any related ongoing effects or damage from loxins. venoms, or poisons by one round per rank of Blooded, to a minimum of one

FONT OF POWER Activation: Active (Action) Ranked: No Trees: Prophet Force talent. Once per game session , the cha racter may perform the Font of Power action. For the remainder of the encou nter. if the character is a light side Force user, wheneve r anoth er Force use r withi n med ium ra nge rolls 0, add automatic 0 to the res ults. If the character is a dark Side Force user, whenever another Force user withi n medium range rolls 0 , add automatic . to the resu lts.

IDENTIFY INGREDIENTS Activation : Active [Incidental. Out of Turn) Ranked: No Trees: Alchem ist Force talent. After being expos ed to any unknown sub· stance, as an out of t urn inc iden tal, the character may ro ll no greater tha n the ir Fo rc e rating. They may spend etet to immediately iden tify the composilion and any effects of th e subSLance.

o

At the GM's discre lion, this might provideD to the character's later attempts to recreate this substance.

BLOODED (IMPROVED)

IMPROVISED CONCOCTION

Activation: Active (Action] Ranked: No Trees: Alchem ist The character may take the Improved Blooded action, making a Hard Resilience check. If they succeed, they immediately recover from the effects of all poisons and the side effects or aftereffecls of all drugs. Reduce the d ifficulty of the check onc e per rank of Blooded, to a minimum of Simple (-) .

CHANNEL AGONY

Activation: Active (Act ion) Ranked: No Trees: Alchem ist Force talent. Once per encounter, as an action, the characte r Knowledge (Xenology) check, may make a H ~rd add ing 0 no greal er than t heir Force rating. If the character succeeds, they create 1 dose of any potion , poison. or drug (such as the ones found on page 81 or page 181 of the FORCE AND DeSTINY Core Rul ebook) out of available materials The rarity of this item must be lower tha n or equal to t he cha racte r's Intellect + + spent.

Activation: Active (I ncide nLal) Ranked: Yes Trees: Magus Force talent After rolling 0, the cha racte r may choose to suffer wounds no greater than twi ce their ranks in Channel Agony. For every two wounds, they add . to t he results. A character who has purchased this tal ent automatically ga ins I Confl ict pe r rank purchased at t he begin n ing o f a ga me sess ion

Activation: Active (Action) Ranked: No Trees: Prophet The character may take the Inspiring Rhetoric action, making an Average leadership check. Fo r each one ally within close ra nge recovers one strain . For each tJ-. one ally benefiting from Insp iring Rhetoric recovers one add itional SLrain.

CONGENIAL

INSPIRING RHETORIC (IMPROVED)

Activation: Active (Incidental) Ranked: Yes Trees: Prophet When attem pting a Charm or Negotiation check, the cha racter may suffer a nu mber of SLra in to downgrade the difficulty of the check a number of times equal to strain suffered. This number can not exceed their ranks in Conge nial. When th e characte r is t he target of a Charm or Negotiation check, the cha racter may suffer a number of strain to upgrad e the dirficulty of the check a number of times equal to strain suffered. This number cannot exceed their ranks in Congenial.

Activation: Passive Ranked: No Trees: Prophet Each ally affected by Inspiring Rhetoric ga ins D on all skill checks for a number of rou nds equal to this character's ranks in Leadership; this d oes no t stack with itself.

(t t t)

LUM INOUS BEINGS ~POWER

(t t t )

*- et

INSPIRING RHETORIC

(t t)

*"

MIND DVER MATTER Activation: Active (Inci denta l) Ranked: No

Trees: Magus The character may spend on e Desti ny Poin t to recover strain equal to their Wil lpower rating.

OVERWHELMING AURA Activation: Ac tive (Mane uver) Ranked : Yes Trees: Prophet

Force talent. The character may take the Ovenvhelming Au ra mane uver. suffering 1 strain and committing a number of 0

no greater than their Force rating or ranks of Overwhelming Aura. The character adds automatic

tI equal to 0

commit-

ted to their social checks. Opponen ts within short ra nge add automati c @ equa l to 0 comm itted to their soc ial checks.

OVERWHELMING AURA (IMPROVED) Activation : Passive Ranked: No

Trees: Prophet Force colent While Overwhelming Au ra is active, characters affected by this characte r's Overwhe lmin g Aura talent add automatic T to fear ch ecks the character cau ses and automatic to fear checks not caused by the character. A cha racter who has pu rchased this talent automatically gains 1 Con fli ct at the beginn ing of a game se ssion

*"

POWER OF DARKNESS Activation: Active (Maneuver) Ranked: No Trees: Magus Force tolent. Once per session, the cha racter may pe rform the Power of Darkn ess maneuver. If they do so. they in crease the ir wound threshold and strain thresh old by J per Dark Sid e Destiny point currenLly in the Destiny pool un til the end of the encoun ter. A character who has purchased this talent automatical ly gain s 1 Conflict at the beginning of a gam e session. RESOLVE Activation : Passive Ranked: Yes Trees: Magus When the character suffers strain. they suffer one less strain per rank of Resolve, to a minimum of one. This does not apply to volu ntary strain loss. SCATHING TIRADE Activation: Active (Action) Ranked: No Trees: Prophet The character may ta ke the Scathing Ti rade action by making an Average Coercion check . Fo r each ~ . one enemy within short range suffers one strain. The cha racter can also spend t) ; for every U spent. one target already affected suffers J additi onal strain.

SECRET LORE Activation: Passive Ranked : Yes Trees: Magus The ch aracte r removes . per rank of Secre t Lore from their Knowledge (Lore) check s. The cha ra cter reduces the diffic ulty of all Knowledge (Lore) checks they make by I (this does not increase with additional ranks of Secret Lore). STIM APPLICATION Activation: Active (Action) Ranked: No Trees: Alc hem ist The character may take the SUm Application action. To perform this action, they must have access to drugs. a medpac. or stim packs. They make an Average Medicine check. If successful. on e all y they are engaged with (including themselves) increases one characteristic of the character's chOice by one for tne remainder of the encounter and suffers four strain. A sin gl e character's individual characteristics may each only be increased once by Stirn Application duri ng an encounter.

(++)

STIM APPLICATION (IMPROVED) Activation: Active (Incidental) Ranked: No Trees: Alchemist As an inciden tal, when performing the St im Appiicalion action, the character may increase the di ffic ulty of the Medicine check to Hard If they do so, the target of the action surfers on e stra in instead of four.

(+++).

TRANSMOGRIFY Activation : Active (Incidental] Ranked: No Trees: Alchemist. Magus Force talent. When making a cra fting check, the character may add 0 no grea ter tha n Force ra ting to the check. Th e character may spend () to add to the resu lt. and may spend ()() to add \1 to the result.

*"

TWISTED WORDS Activation: Active (Inc idental. Ou t of Turn) Ranked: No Trees: Proph et When the character is targeted by a socia l check, th e cha racter may spe nd @ or @ ~§> and suffer I strain as an incidental to inflict a number of strain equal to their ranks in Coercion on the character who made the ch eck.

(++1

LUMINOUS BEINGS

....."",-

j }

MYSTIC MOTIVATIONS

m

otivation might not have a defi nitive mechan ica l impact on a character dunng most game sessions. However, because it is more focused on the narrative elements of a

story, Motivation serves as a crucial cho ice fo r defining a characte r and the ir actio ns. A Mystic's Mot ivation should connect to the Mystic'S past and future, and should even to uch on a Mystic's Fo rce t raditions and the ir approach to how they view and how they use t he Force. We lt-developed characters with d istinct Motiva tio ns are usually mo re fun to roleplay t han aimless ones, because such cha racters have a reason to act on their own init iative and not ju st in response to the stimulus of the plot Estab lishing the se kinds of detai ls he lps the player tell a bette r story involving t he character

/

/

/

\

/'

\

LUM INOUS BEINGS

----

UNUMrTED POWER

TABLE 1-2: RANDOM MYSTI[ MIlTIVATIllNS

diD

Result

1-2

Amb ition

3-"

Cause

5-6

Fa ith

7- 9

I---10

,

I

-- ----

Mysteries

, ROI I once on each of a~y two categories

- - -- - - - - - - - -

At the same time, when a PC has an interesting Motivation, it he lps the GM crea te scenarios and challenges that prompt t he character to react , develop, and reveal ot he rwise unsee n nuances, For examp le, a character who wa n ts to unlock the myster ies of life itse lf may be templed to resc ue a wise sage from an Imperia l labor camp so that the character can gain a measu re of thei r wisdom for themselves,

MYSTICS AND MYSTERIES The FORCE AND D ESTINY Core Ru lebook presen ts t hree pri mary categories of Mot ivation - A mb it ion, Cause, and Faitheach of IN hich co ntai ns numero us examples, In addition to these, Unlimited Power offers an entirely new selection of Motivations created with Mystics in mind, under a new category: Mysteries. Naturally, characters of other careers are also welcome to choose a Mystery if there is on e they are particularly devoted to pursuing.

Any being can be motivated by their ambition or a cause, but a Mystic Lends to be deeply interested in th e most fundamental mysteries of their universe. They wan t to understand t he ir world on a pro found . even in st inctual leve l, and ofte n esch ew world ly t hings for such knowledge. So metimes they seek the answers to these mysteries for personal growth and enlightenment. Somet imes they seek them for power_ And somelimes. as they seek one, they nnd the other as well.

/

Players can choose the Motivations that fit their characters du r ing character creation. or they can roll random ly. To choose randomly from the expa nded list, a player first rolls o n Tab le 1-2: Random Mystic Motivat ions instead of usi ng t he correspond ing Ta ble 2 - 3 : Ra ndom Motivation from the FORCE AN D D ESTI NY Core Rulebook, on page 85, A player who rolls Mysteries then rolls again on Tabl e 1- 3 : Specific Myst eries to determine which Mystery to use as the character's Motivation, Otherwise, the player should consu lt the appropriate table in the F ORCE AND D ESTI NY Core Rulebook for the category rolled,

TABLE 1-3: SPECIFIC MYSTERIES dlDD Result 01-10

11 - 20

I,I Death: What happens to beings when they die? Is death a necessary part of existence, or is something to be fought , ,I

against at every opportunity? Can someone cheat death and, jf S0, what is the cost? These are the questions that drive

the character.

! The Force: What is the Force? How and why does it exist, and does it have a will of its own? Does the Force determine l one's actions. or obey one's commands? Or is it both, and if that is true, how is tha t possible? Many ancient Jedi I meditated on the mysteries of the Force, though to solve them all is likely impossible. ,

21- 30

r

1 Destiny and Fate: Th e character wants to know if destiny tru ly exists. Do all bein gs have a fate set down for t hem at the moment of the if creation? Can one thwart their fate. or is it an exercise in futility? And if one fulfills their destiny, what

then? Above all, the character wants to know what their own destiny

IS,

and must deCide whether to fulflll or avoid it

31 - 40

Happiness: What is happiness? What docs it mean to be satisfied and happy with one's life, and is it fair to obtain happiness while it is denied to others? The character strives to undcrstand the true nature of happiness, and hopes that by unlocking this mystery, they may find happiness ror themselves as well.

41-50

Balance: Does the universe require balance? For every good thing in the galaxy. must there be a bad thing as well? Can the light ever win ou t over the darkness, or must they always be locked in eternal struggle? The character strives to discover these mysteri es. and may see the mself as dU ly-bound to bring balance to the ga laxy. for good or for ill.

51-60

Suffering: Why is there suffering in the galaxy? If the Force exists. created by life. why does it al low beings on countless worlds to spend lives in agony and pain? In fact. how could any benevolent higher power allow suffering to exist? By understanding the nature of suffering. the character hopes to unlock its role in existence. and gain some insight into why some people must bear burdens of pain and unhappiness

61 - 70

The Jedi: The Jedi existed for thousands of years before being wiped out by the Sith and Darth Sidious, In that time, they grew and changed in many ways, until their origins were a mystery even to themselves, The cha racter hopes that by uncovering the mysteries of the Jedi, they might finally understand the role this order played in the galaxy.

71-80

Ot her force Traditions: The Jedi are not the on ly prac tit ioners to t ry an d understand, and even use, the Force. There have been many Force~us i n g t raditions Lhroughout the ga laxy, some of which still ex ist today, The character wishes to understand these other trad itions, Perhaps they know some fundamental truth or the Force that the Jedi, or t he Sith. never truly understood,

81-90

The Dark Side of the Force: What is the nature of evil? The character seeks to truly understand the Force's dark side and. in doing so, hopes to gain some insight into what it means to be evil. The character may plot to use this knowledge to further their own sinister aims. or hope to use this knowledge to combat the darkness, However. there is always the risk that by trying to understand evil, It may corrupt the character in some way,

91- 100

,

I

(

/

Life: Is life simply a biologica l and chemical creation? Or is it something more? Force users have an understandi ng lhal the Force is linked to life. and li fe to the Force. Howeve r, what it means to be a living being is sti ll la rgely not understood, They also grapp le with t he queslion, is life someth ing sacred that must be protected? Or does life have no meanin g without death, and thu s death is something to be welcomed just as assuredly as one welcomes life?

( LUMINOUS BEINGS

......ITU>POWER

...

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SIGNATURE ABILITIES

I

n addition to the specializations available within a given career, a character also has access to that caree(s signature abilities. These abllities are special, elite talents for only

experienced characters of the specified career. They are feats only possible through skill and ability gained over a long and

successful career.

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SIGNATURE ABILITY BREAKDOWN

The Mystic ca ree r has access to two signature abi lities: Prophecy and Unma tc hed Destiny.

A signature ability is composed o f three elements: the nodes linking it to a ta lent tree, the abi li ty's basic form, and a series of upgrades that augmen t the abil ity.

SIGNATURE ABILITY: PROPHECY

NODES Each signature ability has four nodes lined up across its top. These four nodes match up with the four talents on the bottom row of a talent tree. Each node can either be active, showing a bracket facing upward, or inactive, remain ing blank, To be able to attach a signature ability to a tree, the character must own all of the ta lents along the bottom row of the destination ta lent tree that match up with the active nodes on the signature abi lity.

ABILITY BASIC FORM To acquire a signature ab ility, a character must flrst purchase the basic form of the abil ity. Thi s takes up the en ti re first row of the signa ture ability tree and is purchased with expe rience points. The experience cost of each upgrade is listed in its box.

UPGRADES

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To attach a signature abil ity to a talen t tree, the character must own all of the talents along the botto m row of the destinat ion ta lent tree that match up with the active nodes on the signature ability. Then, once a signature abili ty ha s been attach ed to a ta lent tree, the character may purcha se the ability 's basic form and its upgrades using experience. just as if they we re talents

After purchasing the basic form of a signature ability, a character can further customize the ab ility by purchasing upgrades. Upgrades, much like talents, are purchased with experience poin ts, and each upgrade may only be purchased if it connects to the basic form of the abi lity or a previously purch ased upgrad e. The experience cost of each upgrade is li sted in its box.

ACQUIRING SIGNATURE ABILITIES Before pu rchasing a signature abi lity or any of its upgrades, a cha racter must "attach" l hat abil ity to the bo ttom of one of thei r current in -career talent trees. Once a signature ability has been attached to a tree, no other signature abilities may be attached to that tree, and the attached ability cannot be removed or switched to a differen t tree. A character can only acquire a signature abil ity from thei r career and can on ly attach that ability to in-career talent trees.

LUMINOUS BEI NGS

UNUMITED POWER

The future is always in motion, and trying to predict it through the Force is a tricky and even dangerous endeavor Even if one can sift through the shi fting strands of fate and pick out the futu re most like ly to occur, trying to bring about or stop that future may cause one to take actions that end up having the opposite effect. Nevert heless, many Force users delve into the dangerous art of prophecy, because if they succeed, the rewards can be great beyond measure.

BASE ABILITY Once per game session, the charac ter may spend 1 Des tiny Po int and make a Hard 1+ + + ) Vigil ance ch eck to utter a prophecy. If they succeed on th e chec k, they correct ly foretell a single eve nt that focuses arou nd themselves They must describe th e~even t in a brief summary. The GM can rule if the description is too involved; for exam ple "I see mysel f sitting down at a table, and receiving a great fortune " is an acceptable prophecy, wh ile · 1 see myself Sitting down at the sabacc table in the Misty Rancor Cantina and win ning 1_2 million cred its· is not. At any time before the end of the current game session, they may spend 1 addit ional Destiny Point. at which point the foretold event tra nspires. The CM should in terpret the prophecy to fit the scene, and possibly reveal an interpretation of the prophecy that the character did not expect. The CM can . however, decide that the prophecy cannot come to pass at that ti me (generally becau se it does not fit the CM's planned narrativel_ In this case, the foreto ld event does not transpire, but the GM must flip all dark side Destin y Po ints to ligh t side Destin y Points. After all. the fu tu re is always in motio n

UPGRADES Proph ec y has several upgrades that can improve its effects and make it easier to use. Any upgrades that appear in Prophecy's tree mu ltiple times have their effects stack. Destiny Upgrade: To activate Prophecy. the character does no t have to spend a Destiny Point. They stHI must spend I Destiny Point to trigger the occurrence of the pro phesied event.

Mystic Signature Ability Tree: Prophecy

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PROPHECY BASE ABILITY Once per game sesSlor]. me character may spend I Destiny Point and make a Hard (• • + 1 Vigilance check to utter a prophecy. If they succeed, they foretell a single event, the rocus of which is centered around the mselL At any ti me before the end of the game session. they may spend 1 Destiny Point, at which point the fore:old event transpires. The GM should interpret the prophecy to fit the scene. possibly revealing truths the character did not foresee in the process

•

REDU[E SETBA[K

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RE[URREN[E

•

FLOWOFTHE UNIVERSE

One add iLional time before the end of the game session. the character may spend 1 Destiny Point to have th e

prophecy's foretold event recur, likely in a different form.

•

SHARED REVELATION

•

REOU[E SETBA[K

•

DESTINY Prophecy cosl S 1 fewe r Destiny Points Lo activale It still requires a Destiny Point to trigger the occurrence of the prophesied event.

Doom Upgrade: Add . to any checks a character makes to prevent the foretold event from occurring.

Reduce Difficulty Upgrade: Reduce the difficulty of the skill check to activate Prophecy to Average

Flow of the Universe Upgrade: The character adds 0 to checks they make to attempt to bring the foretol d event to fru ition

Reduce Setback Upgrade: The character removes . the check to activa te Prophecy.

Recurrence Upgrade: One additional time before the end of the game session. the character may spend 1 Destiny Point to have the prophecy's foretold event recur, likely in a different form.

[t tl

from

Shared Revelation Upgrade: The prophecy may pe rtain to any on e oth er character who hears it, instead of the character making the prophecy.

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~ Mystic Signature Ability Tree: Unmatched Destiny

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UNMAT[HED DESTINY BASE ABILITY Once per game session. after making a Force power check. the character may spend 2 Destiny Points to rerali up to 2 Force dice. Conflict generated as part of this Force power check is doubled

•

IN[REASE NUMBER

•

Reroll up to 1 additional Force die per Increase Number upgrade.

DESTINY

IN[REASE NUMBER

ber upgrade.

SIGNATURE ABILITY: UNMATCHED DESTINY The most powerful Mystics have an unmatched mastery of the Force. Their connection is so deep and so instinctive that they can call upon it at will. However, this powerful connection has a cost. and these Mystics risk open ing th emselves

to the dark sid e of the Force.

BASE ABILITY Once per game session, after making a Force power check,

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the character may spend 2 Destiny Points to rerall up to 2 Force dice. If the characte r gains ConFlict as a resu lt of the check. the Conflict they gain is doubled.

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UPGRADES Unmatched Destiny has several upgrades that can improve its effects and make it easier to use. Any upgrades that appear in Unmatched Destiny's tree multiple times have their effects stack.

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Destiny Upgrade: Unmatched Destiny req uires one fewer Destiny Po ints to activate. Frequency Upgrade: Unmatched Destiny can be used one add itional time per session .

SHARED DESTINY Unmatched Destiny can be used after another character at short range makes a Force power check

vate.

Reroll up to 1 additional Force die per Increase Num-

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IN[REASE NUMBER

Unmatched Destiny costs I fewer Destiny Points to acti-

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UNLEASHED PDWER

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FREQUENCY

For each 0 0 reSU lt, add aulomatic 0 to the check. For each • • resu lt. add automatic . to the check.

In crease Number Upgrade: Reroll up to one additional Force die per Increase Number upgrade. Shared Destiny Upgrade: Unma tched Destiny can be used after another character at short range makes a Force power check to allow them to rerall a number of their Force dice up to the number that the cha ra cte r would be allowed to reroll. Unleashed Power: For each 0 0 genera ted on t he Force powe r check. add one automatic 0 to the results, For each • • generated on the Force power check. add one automatic . to the results.

FORCE POWER: CONJURE

S

orn e of the more esoteric uses of the Force can seem like magic to the ignorant and uninformed. While most Force users can move objects with the ir min d and sense what's going on aro und t hem with otherworldly perception. some Force -sensi tives can do far stranger and more won drous things. These individuals often learn the ways of the Force as a part of one of the many minor Force traditions

scattered around the galaxy, Organizations such as the nowdestroyed Nightsiste rs of Dathomir or the secre tive Dagoya n Order teach ways to use the Force that would seem strange to most of t he ancient Jedi. or those who now struggle to inherit the ir mantle. Th e Nightsiste rs \-vere known to be ab le to use the Force to summon a glowing green ichor known as the ·Water of Life." With this, they could form tools, weapons, and even facsimil es of living creatures. While this power could not create co mp licated tec hnological implements such as a blaster or a speeder bike, the most powerful Nightsisters were said to have been abl e to conjure blades th at co uld with stand

a Jedi's lightsaber, and even imbue the bodies of the dead with a ghastly parody of life.

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BASIC POWER The basic power for Conjure allows the user to create an approx imation of a close-comba t weapon or other small objecl using the Force. which lasts fo r a short ti me befo re ceasi ng to exi st. The power has one basic effect. •

The Force user may spend () to create a facsimile of a Brawl or Melee weapon with the following profile: (Brawl or Melee; Damage + 3; Critical 3: Range jEngaged]: Corto sis). Th is item appea rs anywh ere within short range of the user. The item fu nctions as normal. but at the end of the user's next turn. the item diSSipates. If the item is moved beyond short range From the Force user, it also immediately dissi pa tes. At the GM's discretion, th e user can also conjure a simple tool or other useful low-tech item that has an encumbrance of no greater than one t his way. The user may not activate this mu ltiple times.

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• Force Power Tree: Conjure

•

FOR[E ABILITY

Prerequisites: force Rating 1 +

•

[ONJURE BASI[ POWER The Force user calls forth a spectral object to their hand. which lasts for a short time.

The user may spend () to create a facsimile of a Brawl or Melee weapon anywhere within engaged range. At the end of the use(s next turn, this item dissipates. At the CM's discretion. the user can instead conjure a simple tool and other useful low-tech item with an encumbrance no greater than 1

.OURATION

•

Commit 0 to sustain 1 conjuration per Duration upgrade purchased while it remains at medium range.

•

NUMBER Spend ()C) to

• m~ale

addi-

Spend() to incre<.:S€ the maximum encumbrance of the facsimile that can be conjured by 2 per Magnitude upgrade purchased.

tional, identica l conjurations equal to ranks in Number up€rade purchased,

MAGNITUOE

•

Spend () to increase the maximum encumbrance of the item that can be conjured by 2 per Magnitude upgrade purchased.

•

•

NUMBER Spend ()() to create additional, identica l conjura tions equal to rilnks in Number up€rade pu rchased

•

CONTROL

CONTROL

•

DURATION

Spend () to add 1 of the following weapon qualities to the conjuration: Defensive I. Defleclion 1, Stun 4

•

Spend () to add 1 of the following weapon qualities Lo the conjuration: Burn 3, Pierce 3, Vicious 3,

MAGNITUDE

RANGE

.OURATION CommiL0 to sustain 1 conjuration per Duration upgrade purchased while it rema ins at short range.

MASTERY Spend () () () to summon the facsimile of a creature of silhouette 1 or srnoller instead of an object, This creature is bound to the user's Will, and mindlessly follmvs that character's commands until the end of the Force user's next turn, If the user has the corpse of the creature being conjured to Imbue with false life, this faGimile I<.:sts until the end of the encounter Instead, but the user gains 7 conflict for doing so

UPGRADES Contro l Upgrade: The Fo rce user gains the ability to imbue a created weapon with certain defensive qualities, which might manifest around the item as a blurred protective aura, a form that twists and shifts to protect the wielder, or a halo of crackling energy. Spend () to grant one conjured weapon one of the following qualities: Defensive 1, Defl ection 1, or Stun 4. The user can activate this multiple times, granting the weapon an additiona l quality each time (but may not grant the same quality more than oncef

Control Upgrade: The Force user gains the ability to imbu e a created weapon with certain offensive qua lities that might manifest as a palpab le darkness around the Item, a keening wail whenever the weapon is swung, or etherea l green flames. Spend () to grant one conjured weapon one of th e followin g qualities: Burn 3, Pierce 3, or Vicious 3. The user can activate this multiple times, granting the weapon an add ition al qual ity eac h t ime (but may no t grant the same quality mo re than once). Duration Upgrade: Th e power gai ns the ongoi ng effe ct: Commit 0 after successfully activating this power. One con jured facsim ile per Duration upgrade purchased remain s in existence as long as it stays within short range of the user. If the facsimile moves beyond short range of the user, it ceases to exist. Magnitude Upgrade: Spend () to in crease the maximum encumbrance of the facsimile by an amount equal to twice the number of Magni tude upgrades purchased . (If using the Mastery upgrade, this upgrade increases the Silhouette of the summoned creature by an amount equal to the number of Magnitude upgrades purchased, instead. ) This may not be activated multip le times.

LUMINOUS BEINGS

UNUMITED POWER /

Mastery Upgrade: Conju rin g items is a stra nge use of t he Force known only to a few, such as the Nightsisters of Dathomir, and fo r good rea so n: knowledge of suc h conju ration can lead to far darker paths t han mere duplication of phYSical t hings. Masters of the abi lity can give false life to entire living be in gs or, far more horrifyin g, raise corpses to figh t like ab ominable puppets on fo ul st ri ngs. Only t he grea test of t he Nightsisters have ever be en known to master such an ab ility to th is extent.

tude upgrade purchased. The user may actIVa te this multip le times, increas in g t he num ber of facsimiles conjured by this nu mber each time. Range Upgrade: Spen d () to increase the range at which the facsimile can be conju red and sustained by on e. This ca n be activa ted mu lt iple times, increasing the ra nge by one each time [to a max irnu m of ex treme range)

The Force use r may spend ct ct ct to create a facs imile of a living crea ture of silhouette 1 or smalle r instead of an object. Thi s creature uses t he prollie or a living mi nion NPC of t he Fo rce user's choice, obeys the wil l of th e Force use r, and ceases to exist at t he end of t he Force user's next turn. The Force user may spend a maneuver to direct their facsimi le, allowing it to perform an action and a maneuver. If, however, the user has a corpse of si lhou ette 1 or smaller avai labl e, t hey ca n instead an imate it , bringing it to false life and gainin g 7 Conflict in the process. Th iS abo mi nation uses t he pro fil e of t he decease d being, obeys the will of the Force us er, and ceases to be anima ted at the end of the Force user' s next turn . The Fo rc e user may spend a mane uver to direct t he corpse, allowing it to spend an action and a ma neuve r.

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Number Upgrade: Spend ct () to co nju re one add iti onal facs imile of the same type as the fi rst per M agni -

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LUMINOUS BEINGS

UNUMrTED POWER

.. /

FORCE POWER: ALTER

m

any Force users have t he ability to sense the life fOKe of

the environment around them. Some Force users take

this sense a bit further By tapping into that living gestalt, t hey can manipulate the land around them. Intruders may find vines choking their path or mists rising up to block their

sight. Meanwhile, allies find that t rails and pd.ths mysteriously open up before them. on ly to vanish once they have reached their desti nation.

BASIC POWER The basic power for Alter allows the user t o tap in to the liv-

ing Fonze of their surroundings, manipulating the nearby environs. The basic power has two uses, both of which Gao on ly be used in natura l terrain that can change form easily, such as dirt, sand, mUd, and thick vegetation.

•

The Force user may spend () to ma ke aU terraifl

cur~

rently within short range difficult terrain unti l the end of their next tum . The Force user must be touching the ground to man ifest th is power. The user may not acti vate this mu ltiple times. •

The Force user may spend () to make all terrain currently with in short ra nge normal terrai n until the end of their next turn, The Force user must be touch ing the ground to manifest th is power. The user may not ac tivate this mu ltip le times.

UPGRADES Control Upgrade: The Force user may spend()a nd make an Average Survival check. Success allows the Force user to locate food , water, and other critical suppli es within extreme range. In some cases, the GM may determine that there are no such supplies availabLe (for examp le. if the Force user is on the surface of an airless moon). The user may not activate this multiple times.

(ttl

Control Upgrade: The Force us.er may spend () to give all characters within short range of the Force user concealment, adding. or 0 to appropriate checks (see page 219 of the F ORCE AND D ESTINY Core Ru\ebookl This lasts for the duration of the pOli'ler. The user may not activate this multiple times. Contro l Upgrade: The Force user may spend()to share the senses of non-sentien t animals and similar creatures within range of their power The Fo rce user adds 0 to Perception and Vigilance checks, and at the CM's discretion, may be able to learn or notice things they could not normally pe rce ive. This lasts for the duration of the power The user may not activate this multiple times. Control Upgrade: Th is power can affect firm natural terrain. such as packed earth. stone. or ice. Control Upgrade: The Force user may spend() () to make a small p atch of terrain within the power's area of effect im passable t errain. This patch is no more t han 3 meters across. The nature of the impassible terrain is up to the Fo ree user; it could be a mass of solid rock, an impenetrable morass of twisting underbrus h. or a bubbling pit of steam and superheated water. Th is lasts for the duration of the power. The user may activate th is multiple times. choosing a new patch of terrai n to affect each time. Control Upgrade: The Fo rce user may spend () () t o create a corrosive atmosp here in a small area with in the power's area of effect. This area is no more than 3 meters across. The rating of the co rrosive atmosphere is equa l to the Force user's curren t Force rating. This lasts for the duration of the povver. The user may activa te th is multi p le times, choosing a new patch of terrain to affect each time.

Force Power Tree: Alter

•

FORCE ABILITY

Prerequisites: Forte Rating 1 +

•

ALTER BASIC POWER The Force user can tap into the Uving Force of their surroundings, manipulating the nearby environs. The Force user may spend() to make all terrain currently within short range difficult terrain unlil the end of their next rum . /

The Force user may spend () to make all terrain currently within short range normal terrain until the end of their next turn

•

CONTROL

•

Spend() and make an Average Survival check to instantly discover food. water, or other c!ilical supplies within extreme range.

RANGE

•

Spend C)C) to increase powers range by a number of range bands equal to Range upgrades purchased.

(++)

CONTROL The Force user may spend C) to give all characters within short range of the user concealmenl

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•

CONTROL

DURATION

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Commit 0 after successfully activating the prn.ver to sustain its effects while the user remains within range of the affected area .

Spend () to share the senses of animals within range of this p0\\"er, adding 0 to Perception and Vigilance checks. and ga ining other benefits.

•

STRENGTH Spend () to allow a number of targets equal to the number of Strength up€rades to ignore this power's effec ts.

CONTROL Spend ()C) to make a small patch of terrain within the affected area impassible.

•

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MASTERY When (he user activates this power without spending C) generated from • results, add 0 to all other Force power checks made within this power·s area of effect. When the user activates this power without spending C) generated from to all other Force po'Ner checks made within this powers area of effect

STRENGTH Spend () to allow a number of targets equal to the number of Strenglh upgrades to ignore this power s effects.

o results, add .

Control Upgrade: The Force user may spe nd () () to upgrade the diFficulty of all checks made by opponents whil e in the power's area of effect once. This lasts fo r the duration of th e power.

Mastery Upgrade: When the user activates th is power withou t spending () generated from . results, add 0 to all other Force power ch ecks ma de within this powe r's area of effect for t he durati on of t he power.

Duration Upgrade: This power gains the ongoing effect: Commit O after successfully activating the basic power to sustain its effects as long as the user remains in the area affected.

When the user activa tes this power without spending () generated from 0 restJ lts, add . to all other Force power checks made within thi s power's area of effect for the duration fo the power.

Range Upgrade: The Fo rce user may spend () (} to in crease the range of the affec ted area by a number of range bands equal to the Range upgrades purchased. The Force user may activate this multi ple times, increasi ng the range by this number each time.

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Strength Upgrade: Spend () to selec t a number of targets equal to the number of Strengt h upgrades purchased: these targe ts ignore this power's effects. The Force user may activate this mu ltiple tim es. in creasing the number of targets that ca n ignore this power's effects by this num ber each time

LUMINOUS BEINGS

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lMMI11!D POWER

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NEW WEAPONS

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ystics are not always drawn to conflict in the same way

other spacers are. A Hired Gun migh t on ly see the wo rl d

as what yo u ca n and ca n't shoot. Mystics, with the ir deep con nection to t he Fo rce, might t ry to esc hew physica l combat

en tirely. Every li fe they take is one less lum in ous being woven into the tapestry of the Force.

St ill. in wartime. it is every sentient be ing's duty to defe nd themselves. Wh ile the Force is a powerfu l al ly, it does have its lim its. Ancient weapo ns aren't always enough to matc h

the dangers that sw irl around a Mystic. Some keep a blaster

After the Emp ire Invaded Lasa n and wiped ou t the pop ula tion, some high-ra nking officers took these weapons as trop hies. These days, the on ly place one is like ly to fi nd a bo-rifle is in the col lection of some Im perial commande r. As a maneuver, the use r can conve rt t he bo -rifl e from its ra nged mode (see Table 2- 1: Ranged Weapo ns on page 47 ) to mele e mode. In me lee mode, the wea po n uses t he fo ll owing profi le (Melee; Damage + 3; Critical 4; Ra nge [Engaged]; Stun 5, Stun Sett ing) . A bo-rifle requires two ha nds to wield.

at the ir side, for safety's sake_ So me ta ke t his desire a ste p

further, seeki ng out weapon ry that resonates with the Force

RANGED ENERGY WEAPONS A Mystic's con nection to the Force does not always come early in life. When pressed. they may sti ll solve problems in the ty pica l fringer fashi on- that is, wi th a blaste r. Some arm themse lves with mundane versions, as a last resort. Oth ers m ight keep an extraordinary p isto l they felt was ··lucky." A Mystic with such a weapon might. at first. be bli nd to the living Force influe ncing their shots. They may even have be longed to a group focused on mixing the mundane and the mystical.

AB-75 BO-RIFLE Du ring the Rep ubli c, the Bo-Rifle was the ceremon ial weapon of the Honor Guard of Lasan. These Lasat were impressive 'Narrio rs, and thei r bo-rifles were equa lly im pressive. Designed to be used in bo th close quarters and at range, these weapons could quick ly be converted from a high -powered blaster rifl e to a doub le-headed staff. At each end of th e staff, bri llian t arcs of electric ity crack led and spat. A skilled Lasat cou ld use the electrified staff to shock opponents in to subm issio n; provided they had n't bludgeoned them half to death first.

HEARTWOOD BLASTER By the last days of the Clone Wars, most war materie l hewe d to a ha ndfu l of sta ndards: blasters locked in drab p lasteel chass is, form le ss body armor rem ov ing all soldiers' ind ividual ity. Tho lot h, haV ing prided itse lf on Its cosmopo lita n aesthet ic for ce ntu ries, struggled wi th these deve lop men ts. Th eir Defense Forces general ly used impo rted mate riel. It was more pract ica l and mo re efficie nt , b ut it also carried an air of menace. To the Tho lothians, clone troope rs carried a sense of being eager to fire on any who stepped ou t of li ne. Tholoth ian Defense Forces solved t his tens ion with th e develop men t of t heir own weaponry. Weaponsmiths incorporated hea rtlNood, a plan t native to Tholoth, into uniqu e weapo ns. Th ese heartwood b lasters were as milch an aesthetic statem ent as they were dead ly. The woode n chassis harkens back to the Tho loth seedpod practice- a rem inder of the communi t y to wh ich th e wielder belongs. Like Tho lot hian socie ty in gen eral, th is sentime nt reach es across the division of species. Anyone who wie lds a heartwood blaster ca n fi nd comfort in remembering t heir home When wielding a heartwood blaste r, a character may suffer stra in up to the ir Force rating as a maneuver. If they do, they add an equal numbe r of au toma tic tJ to the next combat chec k they make that turn.

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Heartwood Blaster

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DANGEROUS CRAFTS ~MrTED

POWER

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TABLE 2- 1: RANGED WEAPONS

AB·75 Bo-Rifle

Ranged

(Blaster)

(Heavy)

Heartwood

Ranged

Blaster

(Heavy)

Lucky Blaster

Ra nged (Ught)

Blu e Shadow

Ranged

Gre nade

(Ught)

Molten Magnel

QuiJlbomb

Ranged (Ught)

Ranged (Ught)

8

4

Medium

4

6

5

Medium

3

5

4

Medium

3

3

9

5

(R) 900

7

Stun Setting

1.000

6

Cumbersome 2, Stun 3

2

400

10

Sho rt

0

(R) 2.000

9

Blast 3, limited Ammo 1

4

Short

0

(R) 1.500

6

Breach 1. Burn 1. Limited Ammo 1, Sunder

2

Short

0

(R)IOO

6

LUCKY BLASTER A bl aster being "lucky" is less about its man ufacture and more abouL its behavior. There is something inherent in

these blasters, something beyond the normal. A spacer might feel that. no matter how long the odds. a blaster like th is will always hit its mark.

Even in the clumsiest hands. there seems to be an unknown influence guiding the spacer's aim. To the trained Mystic. th e Force's pre sence is obvious~t h e blaster almost hums wit h it. Even befo re dedicating themselve s to the Force, a M ystic might be able to hear it. Lucky blasters are rare in the galaxy at large, Their attunement to the Fo rce seems to be completely random. There is no connection between the blasters that display this knack. There is no single factory, nor even one single planet. that can claim it is the source. Not even the Mystics who study them can explain how the blasters' attunement occu rs Those who wie ld these blasters can on ly trust in the Force, hop ing t ha l its will is being done When a characters uses a single maneuver with a Lucky Blaster to Aim, they gain 0 D on their next combat check. This can only occur once per round, and the PC may not use their second maneuver to aim again.

4

Stun Setting

Pierce 2, Blast 3, Limlled Ammo 1, Vicious 3

SLUGTHROWERS Slugthrowers are ol d v;,eapons that use exp lo sive charges to propel metal projectiles. Far clumsier than a blaster, slugth~ rowers fell out of use on most planets centuries ago. For civilizations that lack heavy induslry, though, they remain a viable choice.

ARQUEBUS Th e average sent ient be ing can p ick out visua l detai ls up to three kilometers a'ioJay_Semb la's low landmasses and shallow seas provide excellent visibility. Taken together, these factors had a large influence on Vurk strategy. They favor long distance engagements, avoiding melee whenever possible. The lone soldier who wades into close range is liable to get gunned down withou t mercy. Since heavy indust ry never took hold on Sembla, Vurk sharpshoote rs stil l favor slugthrowers. Most famou s is the arquebus, an older design kept curre nt by skilled crafters. In its original form, th e weapon was little more than a metal tube filled with explosive powder. Over time, sumptuous wooden stocks to brace against the shoulder became standard. The design became more streamlined and reliable as time went on. Modern versions are works of art unto themselves, often featuring intricate obsidian inlays

DANGE ROUS CRAFTS

UHUMn'ED POWER.

j

Accu rate at ext reme dista nces, the weapon is wel l su ited to patient aim ing. A Vu rk sold ier's most devastating shots are the ones arra nged with the most precision. Skep tics have long si nce exp lained t his away in mu ndane ways. Longer prep t ime leads to steadie r ha nds. Ca lcu lations of wind resista nee are more acc urate wit h more observa tion. Desp ite t his, Vurk sages insist on a deeper meaning. The best sharpshoo te rs never care about t he odds. Th ey t rust in the will of t he Force, and the Fo rce guide s th eir hands As a maneuver, a charac ter wieldi ng an arquebus may suffer up to 5 stra in. The PC's next combat chec k with the arquebus gains Pierce with a rating equal to th e stra in suffered.

PANIC PISTOL War is a st ressful past ime Most sentient bei ngs unaccustom ed to batt le choke up whe n an enemy charges the m wit h a sword . So metimes t here isn't enough room or enou gh tim e to line up a shot. Weapo nsm iths designed pan ic pistols- a kind of ove rpowere d slugthrower- to so lve such prob lems They provide a quick and definitive answer to anyo ne getting too close. This is not to say t hey do so wit h elegance. The weapon s ma lfunct ion with more regularity than other, more stand ard slugthrowers. Whi le its power is on pa r With a bla ster. a pan ic pisto l still Isn't a sustai nab le alternat ive to melee weapons. A figh ter with a bro ken wea pon doesn't have muc h adva ntage over anyo ne. While at engaged range, a cha racter wielding a pa nic pistol does not add the + 1 difficulty modifier for ranged attacks in melee. However, the GM may spe nd @ @ to damage the weapon (see Weapon Maintenance on page 166 of the FORCE AND DESTI NY Co re Ru lebook).

THROWN WEAPONS

/

,

/

Like many spacers, most Mystics are fa miliar with grenades Their simple ope ration makes fo r wid espread adoption. Unlike most spacers. though , Mystics gravitate towards more exotic ve rsio ns. Alc hemica l modifications t urn the simplest exp los ives into biza rre, yet effective, weapo ns

genera l, nobod y has yet managed to replicate [he tru e danger of the blu e shad ow virus. However. some depraved individ uals have managed to rerTO-engineer a fa st-acting varia nt that dies off quickly but can - scores o f individuals befo re it van ishes. When a blue shadow grenade de:ora:es, at targe ts that suffer at least one wound from the £;~enade -or are \/;'Ithin med ium range of the detonation \',i--:'.e nOt wearing a rebreather, sea led armo r, or other form 0; em,ironmental protec tion- must make a Formi dable Resilience check. Targets suffer 2 wounds and 2 strain per @ , and a Cr itica l Injury wit h a + 50 modifi er . ~ :ney fail the check. ©" means tha t they mu st make the checr;. again at the start of th eir nex t turn as th e virus runs rar-:pant through t he ir syste m.

(+ + + + +l

MOLTEN MAGNET Magma from Sembla has fasc inated researc hers fo r centuries. Among other traits , it exerts enough magnetic attra ct ion to st ick to meta llic surfaces. While this may fascinate a geologist, it's an idle curios ity to the average citizen. Vurk Rebel ce lls seeking to liberate Sembl a are not the average Citizen . Straining under the Em pi re 's yoke, they've been quite keen to weapon ize the planet's lava. A handful managed to make a breakthrough, usi ng li be rated Imperial resea rch The result ing device is muc h like a grenade. While di ffi cu lt to make elsew here, Vurk Rebe ls have all t hey need to bui ld them on Sernb la. First, they use Im peria l tec hnology to stabi lize and co nta in the magma. Ea rly attem pts coo led and congea led too fast, rendering them useless. To work , the devic es need a smal l touch of the Force: Vurk sages ski lled in alchemi cal arts ImGue th e con tai nm ent unit with the Force to keep the mol ten rock from coo ling. A co mbatant ca n use the device much t he same way as a grenade. On act ivat ion, a brief timer sta rts be fore the weapo n act ivates. Instea d of blasting itsel f apart, howeve r. t he magne t then ad heres to a single target. When t he ti mer ru ns out, the con tainment uni t begi ns extruding its molten metal pay load . The magma t hen chews through armor plating, sco rchin g any organ ic tissue it touche s.

BLUE SHADOW GRENADES QUILLBOMB Of all viruses, epid emio logists most fear one stra in: the blue shadow virus. The waterbo rne virus was long touted as t he ga laxy's most virulent agen t. Incid en ts involving it also proved it to be the deadliest. Decades be fore the Clone Wars, outbrea ks sent pan ic across dozens of systems. Worst of t hem all was the Candorian Sco urge, cla iming milli ons of li ves in on ly 48 hours. By the ti me of th e Clo ne Wars, prop er co ntainmen t ha d erad ic ated the disea se in t he wi ld. Separa ti st sc ien t ists, inspired by t he Scou rge, re-engineered captive strains into a terrifying bio-weapon . Sc hemat ics recovered by the Jedi claim it to be airborne and almost incurable. Whi le the Empi re did its best to bu ry th e plans, dissid ents ma naged to leak t hem after a ra id on th e Jed i arch ives. From an official standpOin t. the Rebe llion co ndemns its use. Fro m a practical sta ndpoint, some of the more vicious ce lls have bu ilt the m in secret. Lucki ly for t he galaxy in

Thisspiasians once viewed the gianl ysterva rk as both worthy foe and reve red delicacy. Xenoa rchaeologists even theori ze t he Blood Monarchy grew from ritual hunts of t hese creatures. Extinct in modern times, the beast's brutal ity left a lastin g imp reSS ion on Th isspias. For centuries, engi ne ers sought to em ulate its defensive plating and toxic spines. In kee ping with t his motif, ancient warrior-sages created weapo ns In the beast's image. Thei r blend of metal work and t he Force eve n paralle ls tha t of modern alchem ists. For 250 yea rs, po isoned ystervark spears were the Roya l Guard's most iconi c weap on. As t he Blood Monarchy's pub lic influ ence fe ll, so too did the ysterva rk's. Whi le Thissp iasians st ill res pect bot h, t he cal l for such weapons has dim inished Be fore the rise of the Empire, only t he Quil lbomb reta ined its mas s appeal.

I DAN GEROUS CRAFTS

UNUMITED POWER

ASH LA STAFF Like the Bo-Rifle, Ashla Staffs were one of the many items pl undered by the Empire during the Fall of Lasan. Unlike the rifles, though , these were not weapons of war. Staffs such as these were the unique property of a Revered Mastermystica l leaders of the Lasat peop le. Li ke t he Jed i, these sages studied and communed with the Force, though th ey referred to it as the Ashla. Quillbomb

The device is not much larger than a closed fist, and wicked-looking spines litter its surface. On detonation, these spines rip through armor, burrowing deep into flesh . Each spine ca rries a dose of synthetic toxin, inspired by the ancient ystervark's venom . With its weak payload, the bomb is less focused on raw explosive power. Rather. it rel ies on drivin g at least one spine intact int.o a victi m's body. The contagions used are ofl en as quick as they are debili ta ting. One spine is enough to immed iat.ely impair motor functions. Any more will cause excru ciating pain.

Ashla Staff

With the Blood Monarchy outlawed by the Emp ire, the Qui llbomb is taking on a new life as a symbol of resistance. Rebels searchi ng for urban weaponry have revi talized the production of these ancient weapons. The bombs are harder to detect than conventional explosives, perfect for sabo(eurs. Storm troopers are begi nning to dread missions to Quash Thisspiasian resistance. Once the subject of mockery, the Quillbomb's body coun t conti nues to rise. True to fo rm, the bomb has damaged both body and mind of the Imperial war machi ne. Though nowhere close in size to t.he ancient yste rvark, these bombs would do it proud.

MELEE WEAPONS Even before the fal l of the Jedi, no t all Force sensitives armed themselves with a lightsaber. The ancien t 5ith wielded swords infused with dark side power. Many a foolhardy Mystic has charged into battle with little more than a club. As long as they count the Force as their ally, they have no reason to fear.

(

DANGEROUS CRAFTS

UNUMrTED POWER

j /

r

TABLE 2-2: MELEE WEAPONS 2

3,000

7

Engaged

o

600

4

Engaged

2

350

4

Ashla Staff

Melee

+2

3

Engaged

Oura Blade

Melee

+1

3

Sembtan Obsidian Dagger

Melee

+0

4

J

/

/

Before t he Fa ll of Lasan , many were qu ick to equate the Ashla Staff to a Jedi's lightsaber Th is wou ld not, by and large, be an accurate comparison . An Ashla Staff's construction migh t reflec t on its owner in a sim ilar way, but that would be the full exte nt of si milarities. The staff might be ta ll and spry, or gnarled and bent. A Revered Master might fashion it from a single branch, once gifted to them by a Tholot hian dignitary. What united these tools was thei r connection to Lasat mystic ism. Among oth er qua lities, they gave stre ngt h to Revered Masters during pa rticularly grue li ng ritua ls. These vibra nt cultura l expressions have beco me rare under t he Em pi re. The Revered Masters who survived the Fall of Lasan have since passed on or disappeared. Some bequeathed t heir staffs to their descendants. Others sold them whi le flee ing the Empire. Many who own these implements now know little of their origina l pu rpose. All they k now is that a mysterious powe r seems to flow through them. There is a fl icker of dest iny in eve ryt hing the staff touches.

/

While wielding an Ashla Staff and making a Fo rce power check, a player may spend 3 strain to add 0 to the res ults

/

/

/

/

After making a successful com bat check with an Oura Blad e, the wielde r may spend tJ to inflict an automa tic hit on the target. doing the attac k's base damage, and may do so multiple times

In their most ico nic example s, the dagger's blade curves back and forth as it tapers to a point. Vurk sages hold that th ese gentle und ul ations mirror th e dua lit y of t heir homeworld. Th e curving edges hearken to t he pla net's shal low seas, while obsid ian inlays evoke the plan et's vo lc anoes. Fo r centuries, they woul d med iate on this contrast, searc hing for harmony. Even if other spec ies la ck tha t cu ltura l context, studying th e dagge r st ill has uses.

/

/ _/

/ Duro Blade

DANGEROUS CRAFTS

...-rED POWER

"

Despite its effic iency. cha ngin g attitudes on Th isspias sidelined the Oura Blade. Over time, t he populace ca me to associa te it with the excesses of the Blood Mo na rc h's Royal Guard. Many Thi sspiasians shunned tradi tion al weapo ns, see ing them as sham efu l re lics of bygone tim es. When Imperial governo rs outlawed the Blood M onarchy, that stance changed . Thisspiasia n Rebe l groups chose weapon s li ke the Ouro Blade as their gea r of choice. The fallen Blood Monarchy had beco me a poignant symbol of resista nce

Li ke many Items made by t he Vurk, Semblan daggers tend to se rve at least two fun ctions. First. they are uti lita rian kn ives, used as both too ls and weapon s. Second , the blade's icon ic de sign has se rved as a meditatio n aid for centuries of Vurk sages.

I

•

Even for the eccent ric designs of ancien t Th isspias, the Ouro Blade is a. strange weapon, wi th a long curved blade that arches out in a ha lf-circ le from th e wie lder's fists. Tradi tional fi gh ting sty les emphasize qui ck, cross-body slashes, and a skill ed fighter can inflict dozen s of shallow, pa infu l cuts on t hei r opponent in a matter of mo ments. Wh ile designed for off-hand use, the Ouro Blade is still effective as a primary weapon.

SEMBLAN OBSIDIAN DAGGER

) /

OUROBLADE

Whe n a Vu rk makes a Discipl ine check at t he end of an encounter to hea l strain, they hea l one addit ional stra in as long as they are hold ing a Semb lan dagge r. At t he GM's discretion, no n-Vurk cha racters can also benefit from t hi s if they have a t horo ugh groundi ng in Vurk culture and the menta lity to appreciate the medi tative properties.

~.

NEW ARMOR

T

hough those who wield the Fo rce in combat ofte n ca llan it as their ally to guard them . they know that other forms

r

[

of protection can be useful as well. Some types do more than merely protect their bodies, bu t can transform agony into

greater power-something those on the path along the dark

side are always eager to seek out.

SITH PAIN HARNESS Co nstant en em ies of the Jedi Orde r, the 5ith have always sought to dominate and destroy. They even see k to pervert the Force itsel f, turning its energies into a weapon to torture and maim. They build all their greatest strengths on the pain they can inflict.

Developed over genera Lions, the 5ith Pain Harness represents the pinnacle of this philosophy. It is little more than a set of interlocki ng meta l p lates, each sharp enough to easily draw blood. Any be ing wea ring t he armor musl take ext reme ca ution, lest the metal carve into their flesh. Granted. the point of the device is not to avoid hurting oneself. Instead, 5ith are to embrace the pain, using it to fuel their hatred The pain t hey feel suffuses all their Force power, a gruesome attempt to spread their own agony. While wearing the 5ith Pain Harness, a character can choose to suffer one wound as an incidental to add auto matic to the next Disc ipline check they make during the curre nt rou nd. They then suffer 1 Conflict.

*"

TIMBER CUIRASS

!

Before the Empire, Tholothian Defense Forces looked the same as their offworld counterparts. Guards wore synthetic body armor and wielded transparisteel riot shields. When deadly force was necessary, they ca rried a variety of blasters to do the job. While beautiful and poigna nt, traditional equ ipment lacked th e practicali ty of offworld gear. In the yea rs fo l-

TABLE 2-3: ARMOR Type Defense

Soak

lowing the Clo ne Wars, the Empire sought to tighten its grip over the Outer Rim. Though it took years to make it there, the full brunt of Imperial force finally made its way to Tholoth. Imperial blockades drove the cost of importing weapons and body armor beyond feasibility. Anything deemed contraband entering the system was immediately seized. Factories mass-producing wea pons were co-opted by the Empire. Traditional weaponsmiths beca me the sale reliable sou rce of arms and armamen ts. Before th e Empire, Tho lothians took the ir heritage for granted . Now that it is their last weapon against the Empire, ThoJothians have embraced it with open arms. The Timber Cuirass has become one of the planet's best prod ucts- a modern update for ancient Tholothian armor. Armorers cra Fted the classic cuirass from a single living piece of Heartwood. Generally, a noble would commission it as soon as they came of age, as th e process could take decades. The cuirass must be shap ed and refined while sti ll growing as part or the tree. On com pletion, the resulting arm or is as strong as durasteel, but on ly a fraction of the weight.

WATERWEAVE Waterweave is a composite material created out of native 5emblan alloys and minerals. While it is heavy and bulky norma lly, its buoyancy actuall y increases wh ile subm erged. Most scient ists are at a comp lete loss to exp lain thi s, and mumb le so met hing abou t air pockets when pressed Waterweave deflects even the strongest blows instead of absorbing their force. Moreov~r, its buoyancy allows users to fight in the water without being dragged down by what would normally be bu lky, restricting clothing. Warriors equipped wi th waterweave report fighting better underwater than on any other terrain

Price

Encumbrance

Hard Points

Rarity

$ith Pain Harness

0

2

(R) 3,500

2

0

9

Ti mber Cuirass

1

2

4,000

4

1

5

2

1

6,500

7

1

5

~aterweave

;

Waterweave armor has encumbrance 7. However, while submerged, the armor's encumbrance changes to 0

1/

---

DANGEROUS CRAFTS

....-rED POWER

I

j

j

NEW GEAR AND EQUIPMENT

T

o study mysteries of the Force is to know that there are secrets in the galaxy no mere historian or scholar will ever discove r. Onl y those open to the Force. for example, might recognize a carved cub ica l t rinket as a powe rfu l holocron, or a set of small rings as a gateway to visio ns of the future Some Fo rce users might turn aside such items as unnecessary to unlocking the secrets of the Force, perhaps even refraining fro m ways to im prove thei r lightsabers, but many more bel ieve any too l that can aid thei r understa nd ing of the Fo rce is one INorth embracing

(

ANCIENT LORE The Jedi kept met iculo us records throughout t heir long protection of the Repub lic. Whi le they knew a great many things, gaps st ili ex isted in their knowledge. They were ofte n consp icuous in their si lence on o ther Fo rce-wieldi ng trad itions. Without written records of the ir ow n, these cult ures couldn't preserve t he ir defining t raditions. Over time, civilizations lose touc h with the ir ancient origins. A civil ization might leave beh ind incompre hensib le ridd les and artifacts. Expl icit instructions might evolve into vague admon itions remembered on ly in children's ta les. A culture might lose the true lessons of t heir past. but all it wou ld take to un lock those secrets is the righ t key. Many sentient be ings find themse lves adrift unde r the Empi re. The we ight of its hum an- privi leging power structures has begun crushing them . Some might turn to t heir ancestra l mysteries fo r guida nce or comfort Some po re over forgotten lore, hop ing to find a glimme r of hope, some small scrap of pm·ver they ca n use to fight back.

/

DAI BENDU HDLDCRON

/

/

,/

/

/

First attributed to the p recursors of the Jedi , t hese objects remain a mystery. At the surface level , Dai Bendu ho locrons resemb le t hose produced by the Jedi. Each holocro n conta in s six t racts, subdivided into four lessons apiece. Unlike ones made by t he Jedi , Dai Bendu ho locrons allow even the most unskill ed of Force sensitives access. Their true key to ma ste ry li es in study. Complet ing each lesson in the tract req uires an amou nt of study and med itat ion up to the CM's decis ion. At its conc lusio n, the playe r must rol l a Discipli ne check of one higher difficulty than it too k to access t hat lesson . Fo r examp le, to comp lete the first lesson , a Mystic must roll an Average Discipline check. To complete the final lesson in a t ract requires a Formidable r•••••) Discipline check.

(t .l

When a Force-se nsit ive character comp letes a tract , t he playe r selects one characteristic. Once per day, t hey may upgrade t he ab ility dice pool of any single check re lated to t hat characteristic by two steps. The player has learned all they ca n from t hat tra ct, and must move on to another Each subsequen t tract prov ides the same benefi t to anoth er characteristic.

DAN GEROUS CRAFTS

UOLIMrTED POWER

•

LASAN CHRONICLES OF THE THREE Life since the fa ll of t he Republic has grown di fficult for th e Lasa t. The Empi re ex terminated t hem in droves, a gru esome example to those who seek to rebel. Many Lasat now search for mean ing in an ex istence t hat seems to on ly want them des troyed. Many turn to the ir spec ies' most ancient teach ings in hopes of find ing some parallels, some guida nce for a people adr ift One of t he most freq ue nt reso urces for th is study has bee n the Ch ro nic les of the Three. This collect ion of ancient parab les fo llows t he three La san myt hic arc het ypes: the Ch ild, the Fool, and the Warrior When a cha racter studies the Chron icles, t hey may use Perception, Knowledge (Lo re). or Disc ipl ine Lo deciphe r it Th ey must then spend an hou r study ing the Chronicles, succheck of the appropriate ski ll at ceed ing at a Hard t he end of it. Dependi ng on their chosen skill. they rece ive a un ique bon us that can be used once during the rema inder of the session. Know ledge (Lo re) grants t he Perspicac it y of the Ch ild , whose desire to learn outst rips all else. The character may add D to anyone Know ledge ski ll check t hey make. Pe rcept ion gives the m t he Insight of the Fool: in knowing noth ing, they see everyth ing. Once, when mak ing a comba t skil l check, they may re-roll one <} of thei r choice . Using Discip line leaves them wit h t he Purpose of t he Wa rrior, whose devotion and tenac ity overcomes all obs tac les. Th e may remove. on a single skill chec k that they make

(t . tl

CONSUMABLES For most Mystics, an object's connect ion to t he Force is a permanent fixtu re. Hal ocrons co ntain t he knowl edge of t hei r predecessors, and wil l conti nue to do so for cent uries to come. A lightsaber is a Jedi 's life. It is as intri nsic to it as that statemen t implies. Some Mystics prefer to see t he Force's prese nce in far more transient items. For example, when an Al chem ist blends Force energy in to a crea tion, they do not see it as trapped there. In t ime, tha t crea ti on will serve its pu rpose, and the energy wi ll recirculate. Other items push the other way, begging for re lease Most da rk side artifacts ca ll out to Force sens itives They prom ise safety or power or knowl edge. A Mystic with t he right tools can exploi t these ite ms, drawi ng both power and tain t into t he mselves

ASHES OF MALACHOR Wars betl'veen the dark side and the light are not only fough t in an individua l's conscience. Centuries ago, the Sit h Order formed the backbone of a terrifying war mach ine. O ne of the ir most fearsome strongho lds resided on the Outer Rim planet of Malachor. Rumors spread tha t the Sith bastion hid unstoppable weaponry and forbidden knowledge Fea ring the worst. the Jed i laid siege to the temple.

)

I

r

!

TABLE 2-4: GEAR AND EQUIPMENT ~ I~em

______ ~i£e____ I~~~um l Rarity

Ancient lore Dai Bendu Holocron Lasan Chronic les of the Three

(RJ 125,000

10

STIMCAF POWDER A common spacer joke runs that caf. not credits, is what keeps the galaxy movi ng. While a Senator might drink it at a local ta pcaf. spacers rare ly have that luxury. With that in mi nd, the deve lopme nt of stimcaf powder makes perfect sense. Pa le and gritty, t hiS powder is the most conce ntrated vers ion of ca f avail able on the open market

3,000

o

7

(RJ 750

°

8

0

3

0

4

FOCUSES, FETISHES, AND FIGURINES

8

The constant ebb and flow of life sends ever-wid ening ripples throughout the Force. Bu ffeted by tides o f the Living Force, Mystics might be unable to detach themselves from the world around them. Novices. keen to hold onto the world they can see, fa il to keep their minds clear. Often. Mystics can use a mental foc us to help th em shu t out the din around themselves. Th inking only of this focus. Mystics open them selves to the wi ll of the Force.

Consumables

Ashes of Malachor Ca lming Sa lve

Stimcar Powder

Thisspiasian Puzzle Ring

Once per session as an action. a Force-sensitive characte r may use the Ca lming Sa lve and make a Force power check. They may spend () generated from 0 results to recover one strain per()spent in th is way.

25 3

500

Vision Cubes

1,000

0

6

Vurk Meditation Orb

1,000

2

6

The battle lert no survivors. The Jedi archives erased all records of the planet, hoping to bury the Sith secrets along with the dead. Over time. spacers began to cla im th ey had stumbled on the lost world of Malachor. They 'd bring back artifacts claimed to be 5ith reli cs. Most were obvious frauds.

A few had a gen uine-and disqu ieting-connection to the dark side. Sm ugglers claimed to make Ashes of Ma lachor from th e pulverized bones left on the p lanel. With t he plan et lost to the galaxy at large, there is no way to confirm this. The results. though. are irrefu table. Some dark essence trapped within t he ashes empowers those that consume it. Gruesome power wa rps their will. increas ing thei r power at the cost of their Morality. A Force-sensitive cha racter may spend a ma neuver to inhale the Ashes of Malachor. They gain 5 Conflict, bu t add "fl: @ to all attacks they make unci! (he end of the encounter.

CALMING SALVE Sentient beings all over the galaxy lead a ha rd li fe. Stress accumu lates over time, threaten ing to overwhelm the less hardy. Resting often he lps, but in the heat of batt le, it's li ke ly a co mbatan t needs more immediate help , Thousa nd s of remed ies, salves, and ba lm s exist to that effect. Th ere is as mu ch variety in the prod uction of these items as in the ind ividuals that consume them.

/

THISSPIASIAN PUZZLE RINGS During the ir induct ion , each Th issp ias ian Royal Guard rece ives a set of in terlocki ng ri ngs, Th ese rings resemble a nest of serpents, twisted and entwin ed , bitin g the ir ow n tails One ca n slide each individual serpent, or rea rran ge its p lace within the collection. Once a spurce of immense prid e, the public now dism isses these reliCS as arcane junk. Their ori ginal intent, however, was to introdu ce a Royal Guard to the Force. Th e puzzle is impossible to solve for those who cannot interact with the Force. The ri ngs wra p arou nd themselves in what appea rs to be an infinite pattern. By working through them. a Gua rd sees the interconnectedness of all things. The device's nea r-impossibility conveys a taste of the future·s hidden nature. To at tempt to solve the puzzle, a cha racter must spend at least one hour working on it and pass a Hard Discipl ine check , If the character fails, they heal 2 strain. If successful, the chara cte r has a vision, lea rning one thing tha t involves them that may (at the CM's discretion) co me to pass in the next week. Once so lved, the pu zzle rings fa ll apart. their con nect ion to the Fo rce spent. If they wan t to pu rs ue ano the r vision , the PC must ob tain a new se t of rings.

(+ ++)

Rubbi ng these salves into the skin opens a sentient being up to the Living Force surrounding them, Those without Force sensitivity fi nd the experience strange but comforting. A Mystic in tu ne with the Force can draw the energy into themselves. When they release it, they wash away their fears in the cleansing warm th of the Force.

/ (

j

DANGEROUS CRAFTS

UNLIMITED POWER

I

VISION CUBES In the tumbling of dice and the randomness of fate, some Mystics may catch glimpses of t he future. Generally a pa ir of six-s ided dice, Vision Cubes are not all that different fro m Chance Cubes. Vision Cub es tend to have intricate scenes painted on their faces. They first rose to prominence as part of a high-sta kes dice game which was since eclipsed by

sabacc. Hle breathtaking art on these dice lends itself we ll to the act of divin ation. Whether t hese vis ions are mere t ricke ry or true fe ats of cla irvoyance depends on the owne r.

I

A cha racter can use a vision cube whi le performing a check (incl ud in g a Force power chec k) to divi ne the future If the chec k res ults in having at least one uncanceled tI. the character adds ">tf and 0 to t he results as well. If the check resu lts in having at least one uncanceled @, the character instead adds Y and. to the resu lts. If the ch ec k has no @ or tI resu lts , the vis ion cubes do nothing- exce pt poten tially look impressive

VURK MEDITATION ORB Ufe on Semb la owes a great deal to the planet's many ac t ive volcanoes. The intense geothermal energy of the planet warms t he world's shal low seas. The seas, in turn, host a cavalcade of life. Lava flows bring mi nera ls and mate rials to the surface. Whil e t hey never developed heavy industry, the Vurk are famous for t he ir craftsmansh ip. The vast majority of art produced on Semb la depicts the vo lcanoes. At times, th is reve rence ha s bordered on religious devotion

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One of the oldest tokens of this revere nce IS t he Vurk Meditation Orb. The orbs are perfect obsidian spheres, roughly 15 centim ete rs across. Part of the consecration process involves polishing the surface to a mirror sheen. Even tho ugh the Vurk invest a lot of ti me into crafting them , they do not co nsider t hem manufac tured. From the t raditio nal standpoint, trley are no t made so muc h as found. Any spherical chunk of obsidian ca n se rve the orb's fu nction. Wh ile the most sacred orbs are perfectly black, sages tolerate - even prefer- t he presence of impurities with in the glass. Sw dying t he opaque sphere al lows a Mystic to foc us inwa rds, leavi ng the vvo rld behind. In this state, they see on ly t he co nn ections between beings, hear only t he wh ispers of t he Force. This medi ta tio n lasts for at least an hour, and for t he 24 hours fo llow ing th is med itation, they may suffer 2 st rain to add () to the results of t he next check to use the Alter or Battle Medi tatio n Force power

TABLE 2-5: LlIlHTSABER ATTA[HMENTS Attachment : Price

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Thisspiasian Stabili zing Coils

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Wa lkin~_Stic k Hilt Disgu ise _

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The Jedi Order dema nded discip line and devotion to an ideal large r than t hemselves. A Jedi sacrifices their ego fo r the sake of duty, but they keep some freedom in bui ldi ng thei r lightsaber. The hi lt of a ligh tsaber conveyed a great deal of its builder's perso na lity. Oppo Rancisis' elegan t designs suggested cu lture and refinement. Mace Wind u's Electrum plated hilts served as a bold warning to would -be attackers. The Empire erased much of th is art, but it sp urred survivors to greater ind ivid ua lity. Many, in searc hing for what makes t hem unique, draw on their own heritage instead of the Jedi Order's.

THISSPIASIAN STABILIZING COILS Th isspias ian weaponcraft focused , for centuries, on grace above all else. The antique ma nners of the Blood Court may embarrass the average citizen, but one can't argue with the ir resu lts. Tradi t iona l weapons from Th is sp ias co rrect for even the clumsiest of maneuvers. Surv ivors of the Jedi Pu rge return to th is ph ilosophy to stre ngthen their \,veapo nry, Thissp iasia n stabi liz ing coi ls are often stylized as a long ta il t hat wra ps itself around the hilt of a lightsaber. Rotating and cur ling with eac h movemen t, this devlCe keeps t he blade perfec tly bala nced. Base Modifier: When making an attack , remove one •. Modification Options: None. Hard Points Required: 1. Price: 5,500 cred its .

THO LOTHIAN HEARTWOOD HILT Whi le most lightsabe rs have sy nthetic hi lts, Tholothia n Jedi prefe rred a more organ ic approach . At t heir height, they crafted heartwood hi lts from the timber of still- livi ng Lrees The wood \'vas then preserved in a speC ialized rit ual- one mo re often used whe n a heartwood tree was dying. The resu lting hilt is resista nt to decay and can house a ligh tsaber's apparatus. The resulting lightsabers are beautiful works of art as much as they are weapons. The res ins used to preserve the timber increase its we ight, and wie lders must take appropriate care in using them. Th is often translates to a stronge r and more delibera te strike whe n this weapo n does con nect

i Rarity

Encumbrance ' HP Required 5,500

0

1

5

8,000

0

1

7

2,500

0

1

6

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f-T_hO_I_ot_h_ia_n_H_e_a_rt_ w_O_Od_H_ilt_ _

LlGHTSABER ATTACHMENTS

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DANGEROUS CRAFTS

UNLlMrrED POWER

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TABLE 2-6: lIGHTSABER CRYSTALS Attachment Price

Encumbrance

HP Required

Rarity

Tai nted Nightsister Crysta l

IRJ 13.000

0

2

10

Unstable Kyber Crystal

IRJ 16.000

0

2

10

Base Modifier : A Jightsaber with this hilt increases its encumbrance rating by 1. Attacks made add 2 ~ to the roll However, the GM may spend @ @ @ @ or @ generated by checks made with this weapon to cause it to become damaged by one step. Modification Options: Non e Hard Points Required: 1. Price: 8,000 credits.

WALKING STICK HILT DISGUISE Often , particula rly elderly Jedi constructed thei r lightsabers in the body of a sturdy walking stick. If the blade is a Jedi's life, "",hy should n't it make t hings a little easier? The pure

utility of this practice fell out of favo r wi th the Jedi Order. Most elderly Jedi did not. afte r all, survive the Purge. Survivors, though, found a similar tec hnique could hid e their weapons in pla in sight. This concealment does come with a cost. The awkward size and inconsistent weighting often interferes with use in heated combat. Base Modifier: Unless ignited, this weapon is completely indistinguishable from a regular wal king stick, and a character must pass a Formidable Perception or Vigila nce check to no ti ce that it is not. The wea pon also ga in s t he In accurate I item qualit y. If the weapon al ready has the Inaccurate item qualit y, inc rease its Inaccu rate valu e by I . Modification Options: Decrease the value of the weapon 's Inaccurate .item qual ity by I. Ha rd Points Required : I . Price: 2 ,500 credits.

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LlGHTSABER CRYSTALS The heart of a lightsaber is its Kyber crysta l. a mineral unique for its inherent connection to the Force. Most knowledge connected with the crystals died with the Jedi during the Purge. Force senSitives who survived were in the dark about much of their nature. With no body of research to consult. M ystics have often taken it on themselves to experi ment. M any have trie d reverse-e nginee ring recovered lightsabe rs to rega in know ledge lost in the Purge.

TAINTED NIGHTSISTER CRYSTAL The Nightsisters rose and fell as a faction untouched by the conflicts between Jed] and 5ith. As such, they had little time to adopt the iconic lightsabers as their weapons of cho ice This has no t stopped dark sid e Mystics from trying to fuse Nightsiste r magic wit h 5it h weapon ry. Most ex periments

yield no fruit. but some have made for particularly terrifying advancements. Tainted Nightsister crystals were once pure Kyber crystals. Soaki ng them in Dathomiri Wa ters of Li fe perve rts their connection to the Force. The resulting b lade emits a chok ing, putrid green smoke when active. Base Modifier: Insta lling t his crysta l changes a ligh tsabe r's base damage to 6 and critica l rating to 2, and th e li ghtsaber gains the Breach 1, Su nder, Disorient 3, and Vicious 4 weapon Qualities. If the crystal is ever removed, the lightsaber loses these qualities and abi lities, and reverts to its previous base damage and critical rating. Modifi cation Options: 1 Damage + 1 Mod, 1 Item Qua lity (Disorient + I) Mod Hard Points Required : 2 Price , (R) 13 .00 0 cre dits

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UNSTABLE KYBER CRYSTAL The Kyber crystal is the heart of a lightsaber, but as with the hearts of organic beings, there can be imperfections. There are many opportunities between m ining an d use for a crystal to become unstable. It could develop hairline fractures in initia l tran sit . Its wi elder might subj ect it to extreme stress in use. Eit her way, power can begin to lea k ou t of the crysta l itselr. Under normal circumstances, these imperfections will not affect a lightsaber's performance. Wi th th e right knowledge. however, a Force user can harness the lea king energy for their own ends. By performing a lengthy ritua l with the lightsabe r, a Mystic can d raw some of its power into themselves for a time Base Modifier: Install ing this crys tal ch anges a li gh tsa be r's base damage to 6 and critica l ra t ing to 2 , and the lightsaber gains t he Breach I and Sunder wea pon qualities. After installing this crystal. a character may spend a single maneuver communing with the crystal and attem pting to harness its power. If they do, they increase their current Force rati ng by I. This increase persists until they use the extra 0 to fuel a Force talent or Force power. However. until the end o f the encoun ter, the GM may spe nd @ {§~ @ @ or @ gene rated by the characte rs' chec ks to have the faul t cause the ligh tsa be r to spu tte r and fail. In t his case . the lightsaber deactiva tes, and may not be igni ted for one ho ur. If the crystal is ever removed, the lightsabe r loses these qua lit ies and abilities, and reverts to its previous base damage and Critical rating. Modification Options: None. Hard Points Required: 2. Price, IR) 16.000 credits

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DA NGEROUS CRAFTS

UILIMITED POWER

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NEW VEHICLES

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ome Mystics may be more occ upied with co ncerns of t he Livi ng Force than with mu ndane matte rs, but a focus on esote ric concep ts does not prov ide one with a method of t ravel when a jou rn ey IS requ ired. Any of the following vehi cl es might be encounte red o r used by a Mystic on their trave ls.

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AI RSPEEDERS

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A lthough phased out of service in favo r of the newer T-1 6. the genera lly reliable T-1 3 can st ill be found in the pol ice and local mi lit ia forces of many \-vo rl ds in the M id and Ou te r Rim, as well as pressed into service by vario us smugglers. outlavvs and the Rebel A ll ia nce. M ystics traveling through the se farflung sett lements are more likely to encou nte r the T- 13 than t hose whose trave ls bri ng t hem closer to t he Co re.

A Mystic's life can lead t hem far from the bea te n pat h, and often a reliable airspeeder, soari ng thro ugh the skies, is a vi tal method of t ravel when a pla net's terrai n is diffi cult or otherwise impassible.

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T -13 AIRSPEEDER The T-13 is an olde r model airspeeder designed by the inc om Co rporation . The speeder ca rries two peop le, a p ilot and a gun ner/sensor operato r, seated in tandem_ In its standard configuratio n, the pi lol'S pos it io n is the forwa rd seaL wit h t he sensor operator [who is also the gu nner in armed models] seated beh ind. In an emergency, t he rea r posit ion ca n also pi lot the craft

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Price/Rarity: 10,000 cred lts/4. Customization Hard Points: 2 Weapons: Forward -mounted light blaste r canno ns (F ire Arc Forward ; Damage 4; Critica l 4; Ra nge [Close); Li nked 1J.

SPECIAL RULE

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Vehicle Type/Model: Airspeede r/T- l 3 Manufacturer: Incom Corporatio n. Maximum Altitude: 200 kilometers. Sensor Range: Short. Crew: One pilot, one gu nner. Encumbrance Capacity: 8 Passenger Capacity: O.

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Back Seat Piloting: When t he T-l 3 is p ilo ted fro m the rear positio n, t he rud ime ntary contro ls reduce the Handling score from + 1 to - l

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UNLIMITED POWER

UBRIKKIAN INDUSTRIES HAULER AIR SKIFF The Hauler air skiff is a higher-a ltitud e version of the ubiqui-

tous Ubrikkian Industries cargo skiff. Air skiffs we re originally designed for cargo and transpo rtation du ties at tibanna gas min ing operations in the upper atmosphe res of gas gian ts. Simple Lo use and featuring a large open deck for ease of hauling cargo. air skiffs have sp read throughout the galaxy. and can be found in use wherever t he terrain is unsuited to the more co mmon repu lsorcra ft cargo ski ff. Air sk iffs are quite ( usto mizable. and it is not unu sua l to see them ada pted fo r uses far beyond the ca rgo hau ling of the ir ori gi na l des ign, whether pressed into service as mass pub lic transportation or fitted wi th armor and weapo ns for use as troop carriers.

The 9400 Grand Wand erer requ ires only a single pilot. but can accommodate up to 8 passengers in varying degrees of comfort. The speeder features a small, uti litarian galley, refresher station, and a complete communications and sensor package. Sleeping accommodations depend upon the ind ividual custom configura tion but range from fold-down racks of bunks to la rge, luxu rious sleeping quarters for one or two occupan ts. Th e main living quarters often featu re a small seating area wit h a Oejarik table, which can double as a din ing surface Especia lly in the less-c ivilized regions of the ga laxy, it is ra re to fi nd any tvvo 9400s whic h are id entica l. Not only were the o riginal vetlic les shipped cu stomized to the ind ividua l customer' s spec ifi cati ons, but over the yea rs, Grand Wande rers have been repaired, kit-bashed, modified, stripped down, and rebuil t exte nsively. Today, no two are alike.

A Seer migh t use the 9 4 00 as a traveling caravan, moving from settlement to settlemen t. dispensing prophecy like a fortune-teller. A Prophet cou ld find themselves using a 9400 Grand Wanderer as a temporary home. or even a permanent one, from which to base a cu lt of Force worshippers. Vehicle Type/ Model: Air skiff/Hauler. M anufacturer : Ubrikkian Industries. Maximum Altitude: 100 kilometers Sensor Range: Short. Crew: One pi lot. Encumbrance Capacity: 100. Passenger Capacit y: 20. Pri ce/ Rarity: 10,000 cred its/4 . Customization Hard Points: 3 Wea pon s: No ne

LAN DSPEEDERS Landspeeders are the most common personal transport in the galaxy. Whether traveling the streets of a bustling Core World city. or traversing the badlands of a barely-popu lated colony beyond the Outer Rim, repulsorcraft like these are efficient, reliable vehicles.

9400 GRAND WANDERER The Ubrikkian Industries 9400 Grand Wanderer is more a mobile home than a vehicle. It was ini t ially designed for use as a recreational vehi cl e for vaca tioning in the wilderness areas o f well-developed Core Worlds during t he d ays of the Repu blic. Over the ensu ing years, the 9 400 Gra nd Wande rer beca me a popula r choice in t he less-developed worlds of t he M id and Outer Rim, no t for recrea tion, bu t as a relat ive ly cheap dwe lling-and one t hat could be moved from locatio n to location as needs dictated

Vehicle Type/ Model: Grand Wanderer landspeecter/9400. Manufacturer: Ubri kkian Ind ustries Sensor Range: Sho rt. Crew: One pilot. Encumbrance Capacity: 6 0 Passenger Capacity: 8 Price/ Rarity: 35 ,000 cred its/5". Customization Hard Points: 3. Weapons: None.

SPECIAL RULE Smooth Ride: The 9400 Grand Wanderer, for all its lack of style, is a relatively com fortable accommodation, easily customizable to individual needs. A character who lives in one gains 0 on any checks to recover strain while in the 9400.

XP·40 LUXURY COACH SoroSuub Corpo ration's XP-40 is the massive Sutlustan con glomerate's ent ry into the luxury Jandspeeder market, catering to t he wea lt hy and powerfu l t hro ughout the ga laxy. Fro m Co re Worl d nob les and corpo rate magna tes to Imperial governors and ot he r high officia ls, t he XP-40 is co mm on ly used by uncommo n peop le.

DANGEROUS CRAFTS

UNLIMITED POWER

WHEELED VEHICLES Speeders may be more advanced. but certain rugged environments cal l for the greater reliability of a wheeled vehicle.

TAGGE DUSTCRAWLER Designed by the House of Tagge for mining operations on airless moons and large asteroids, the Dustcrawler is a connected train of six-wheeled hauling vehic les. The standard configuration features three con nected cars, each with six large independently-articulated kn obbed wheels. The wheels offer excell ent traction in the fi ne dust of most lunar surfaces (whic h often ca uses venting and overheating problems for landspeeders) . and the inde pendent suspension of each wheel enab les the

Dustcrawler to traverse a1\ manner of difficult terrain, The Dustcrawler can be customized for either cargo-hauling or personne l transport. For example, the resort at the Kae len Drift, whe re visitors enjoy the sigh ts of the light from the system's twin suns corusca ting through the belt of crystalline shards, uses Dustcrawlers on its tours of the larger asteroids.

LONGER OUSURAWLERS

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he standard Dustcrawler features three connected cars, but Dustcrawlers are deSigned to be modular and customizable, so additional cars can be added to create a larger train. Adding cars to a Dustcrawler has the following effects upon the vehicle's statistics:

Each additional car adds 1 to the Dustcrawler's silhouette, an additional crew member (a conductor, who coordinates their car with the others), and an additional + 100 to encumbrance capacity. The passenger capacity increases by 10 for each add itional car, and 2 additional hard points are added as well. Each car adds another 20,000 credits to the Dustcrawler's price. Dustcrawlers of four or more cars are often found in use as mass transit vehicles in airless environments. For example, Polis Massa Base uses 5-car Dustcrawlers to ferry workers between the living quarters and the mining operation, carrying an entire shift of workers at a time. Custo mization Hard Points: 6. Weapons: None

Vehic le Type/Model: Groundcar/Dustcrawler. Manufacturer: TaggeCo. Sensor Range: Close. Crew: O ne pilot , one co-p il ot Encumbrance Capacity: 300. Pa ssenger Capacity: 30. Price/Rarity: 60,000 cred its/5.

SPECIAL RULE Expandable: The standard Dustcrawler is three cars long, but the ve hic le is mod ul ar, with add itiona l cars ab le to be connected wit h ease (wh ich increase th e ve hicle's silhoue tte, encumbra nce capacity, passenger capacity, and hard po ints, as shown in the Longer Dustcrawl ers sidebar).

NEW STARSHIPS

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ystics often find themselves travel ing far from the beaten path, ventunng far across the galaxy to wherever their calling takes them. Whereas some Mystics frequently arrange for travel by booking passage from an independent capta in, others fi nd that in the distant corners of the ga laxy. a fast and re liab le ship of t heir own is a more dependable option.

it speed to rival most starfighte rs. The H-type is not perhaps as luxurious as the more well-known J-type vessels, being slight ly smaller and intended more as a pleasure yacht than a diplomatic vessel.

H·TYPE NUBIAN YACHT The sleek and stylish H-type vesse ls produced by Nubia Star Drives, Incorporated sta rted as an exc lusive commission for the royalty and government of the planet Naboo, bu t in the years since the rise of the Empire, as the influence and standing of Naboo's monarchy waned , the design has been made more widely available as a yacht for wealthy customers galaxy -wide. The firm outraged some t raditiona lists, not only by abandon ing their exclusivity, but by offering the vessels in the signature chromium finish wh ich traditio nally marked the livery of the Naboo planetary mona rchy. What the vessel lacks in weapons, it makes up for with a strong deflector shield system and a powerful engine. giving

Hull Type/Class, YachtlH-type. Manufacturer: Nubia Star Drives, Incorporated. Hyperdrive: Primary: Class I . Backup: Class 7. Navicomputer: Yes. Sensor Range: Short. Sh ip 's Complement : One pilot , one co-pi lo t. Encumbra nce Capacity: 75. Passenger Capacity: 8. Consu mab les: Two months. Price/ Rarity : 800,000 credits/7 . Customizatio n Hard Points: O. Weapons: None.

DANGEROUS CRAFTS UM...IMITEO POWER

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LIFE ABOARD A HERD SHIP

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n Ithorian herd ship is not only a city in space, but also features an extensive re"creation of the natural jungle habitats of Ithor,

life in the city levels is similar to that of other large self-contained settlements (like Cloud City on Bespin, for example): wide avenues, public spaces, and tastefully appointed dwellings. The majority of residents aboard the herd ship are Ithorian, but a small population of other species can also be found dweUing in the upper levels, Non-Ithorians often operate shops

or other services for the Ithorian majority or visiting merchant ships.

Each vessel is home to a specific Ithorian herd-an extended tribe connected by tradition and intermarriage. The Ithorians, who worship the Mother Jungle, long ago vowed to keep their world pristine. They moved their tribes to great floating cities in the skies of lthor, and eventually out into space. Each herd is an autonomous, self-supporting collective, governing itself and trading with planets along their course. The herds return to Ithor every three years for the Herd Meet, where matters of planetary import are decided upon, and Ithorians travel to their world's surface to commune with nature.

ITHORIAN HERD SHIP Th ese massive vessels. over 1.000 meters in diameter. were designed by the Ithorians as a home away from home. Based on the repu lsorli ft herd-cities of their native world. yet enclosed for space travel. eac h herd ship features an extenSively-grown jungle habitat in its lower levels. featuring a complete and living ecosystem designed to simulate the jungles of It hor. The upper levels of a herd ship feature the main city: the Jiving quarters. starship landing facili ties and workspaces. Herd ships are armed with fou r tractor beam projectors and twenty turbolaser batteries located around the outer perimeter of (he vessel. A crew of approximately 3,000 Ithorians work constan tly on the maintenance and operation of the herd sh ip. which also serves as the home or up to 10,000 add iti onal lthorians. Th e ships trave l the galaxy on a specific cou rse and sc hedul e, set by the ind ividua l herd. trad ing wit h varyi ng ports of ca ll alo ng the way. Al l vessels ret urn to Itho r once eve ry t hree years, at an event known as a Herd Meet.

Nature is present aboard the he rd ships as well. The lower levels of each vessel are given over to an expansive jungle habitat, grown from seeds and cuttings taken from Ithor. Immense ports of transparisteeJ can be opened to the sunlight of any nearby star. and during periods of travel in deep space, brilliant lights in the ceiling of the habitat simulate the light and energy of the Ithorian sun. Ithorians view their time in the habitat as a religious duty, albeit of a lesser quality than the true jungle of home. Non-Ithorians are not officially barred from entry into the habitat, given the pacifist nature of the Ithorians, but such an intrusion would be considered rude. Trade is the primary occupation of those aboard a herd ship. Each vessel travels a particular course unique to that herd, making port at planets alon~ the way to trade. Vessels are welcome to dock with the herd ship, to bring aboard cargo or to do other business. Occasionally, freighter captains will "hitch a ride" by docking aboard at one port of call and remaining with the herd ship for a time, to depart at a later destination. The Ithorians refer to these pas~ sengers as Ph'thwyll, named for a variety of harmless fungus that attaches itself to the airborne seed-pods of the Johinuu tree. This name is, of course, only used privately among fellow Ithorians. Hyperdrive: Primary : Cla ss 1. Backup: Class 9. Navicomputer: Yes. Sensor Range: Lo ng. Ship's Complement: 3.000 officers, pi lots. and crew. Starfighter Complement: None. Vehicle Complement: Numerous shuttles, landing craft, and uti lity veh icles. Encumbrance Capacity: 75.000. Passenger Capacity: 10.000. Consumables: Three years Price/ Rarity, 600,000,000 credits/g. Customization Hard Points: 4. Weapons : Ten dorsal and ten ventral turret-mounted medium turbolaser batteries (Fire Arc All; Damage 10; Critical 3; Range [Long[; Breach 3; linked I, Slow-Firing I). Four hull-mounted heavy tractor beam emitters (Fire Arc All; Damage -; Critica l - , Ra nge [Sho rtt; Tractor 6).

SPECIAL RULE M assive 2: Wh en maki ng an attack targeting th is sta rsh ip, the Cr itical rating of any weapo ns used co unts as 2 higher.

Hull Type/Class, Herd ship. Manufacturer: Ithorian SkyVards.

DANGEROU S CRAFTS

UNLIMITED POWER

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Customization Hard Points: 3. Weapons: Fo rvvard-mounted twin med ium laser cannons (Fire Arc Forwa rd; Damage 6;

(ciUcal 3; Ra nge [Close]; linked I ) Dorsal turret-mou nted light laser canno n (Fire

Arc All; Damage 5, Critical 3, Ra nge [Closell.

MANDALORIAN PROTECTORATE "FANG" STARFIGHTER A starfighter used by t he Mandaiorian Protectors,

an. elite group of wa rriors sworn to de fe nd t he Con'nord Dawn syste m, the Fang fighter is a formida ble sh ip designed specifica lly for close combat. Feat uri ng wings which pivot around the cen tral cock pit, providing vector thrust cont rol, the Fang is able to perfo rm maneuvers few other fighters are capable of matching. Th e intimidating ship is armed with wing-mounted lase r ca nnons and a proton torpedo launcher beneath the co ckp it. The legendary Fenn Rau persona lly trains all Protectorate fighter pi lots, ma ki ng t he comb in ation of pilo t and vesse l

JED! SOJOURNER

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During the final years of the Old Repub lic, the Jedi O rder cottnnissroned KUEit Systems Engi neering (designers of th e Delta-7 Aethersprite interceptor, fielded in large numbe rs by the Jedi) to provide them with a sh ip designed to ca rry Jedi Knights and th ei r Padawans on long journeys of medi tation and training. The Jedi wo uld vent ure out into th e galaxy, heed ing the ca ll of the Livi ng Fo rce, trave ling to whe reve r th at call led them. This would req uire a versa t ile stars hip, able to provide for the meditative and trai nin g needs of th e Jed i. as we ll as drive, se nsor, and defensi ve capabi lities to meet any act ion requ ired . The resul t was the Sojourner transp ort. Simi lar in size to a light freigh te r, the Sojou rne r fea tures areas devoted to a Jedi's med itat ion and t raining in place of ex tensive ca rgo capa city. Often t he ships were sen t out wit h a ho locron on board, fo r use in lessons or research. Si nce the fall of the Order and the ri se of the Em pi re, these rare ships have become even more ra re- few are be lieved to have su rvived the Great Pu rge. Fi nding such a vesse l (with or without an accom pan ying holocro n) wou ld be a tre mendous benefit to any Myst ic.

hard for anyone to match in batt le.

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Hull Type/Class: Starfighte r/Fang. Manufacturer: Kuat Syste ms Engin eerin g Hyperdrive: Pri ma ry: Class 1. Backup: None. Navicomputer: Yes. Sensor Range: Medium Ship's Complement: One pilot. Encumbrance Capacity: 4 Passenger Capacity: O. Consumables: One week. Price/Ra rity: 175,000 credi ts/B. Customization Hard Points: 1 Weapons: Wing-mo unted med iu m lase r ca nnons (Fire Arc Forward ; Damage 6 ; Critical 3 ; Ra nge [Close]; Linked 3) . Forward -m ounted proton torpedo launcher [Fire Arc Forwa rd; Damage 8; Critical 2; Ra nge [Shortj; Blast 6; Breac h 6; Guided 2; Limited Ammo 6; Linked 1; Slow-Firi ng 11 .

The Punworcca I! 6-class Interstellar Sloop is a so lar sai lera beautiful and ancient class of vesse l that uses an imme nse sai l to draw energy particles from surrounding space to power its hyperdrive.

/ Hull Type/Class: TransporVSojourn er. Manufacturer: Kuat Systems Engineering Hyperdrive: Primary: Class 1. Ba cku p: Class 12 Navicomputer: Yes. Sensor Range: Long. Ship's Complement: One pi lot. Encumbrance Capacity: 20 Passenger Capacity: 6. Con sum abies: Th ree mon t hs Price/Rarity: 120 ,000 cred its/So

DAN GEROUS CRAFTS

UMJMrTED POWER

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PUNWORCCA 116·CLASS INTERSTELLAR SLOOP

The Punworcca 116 was buil t by t he Huppla Pasa Tisc Shipwrights Col lec tive on Geonosis, and was pri mari ly designe d as a perso na l yach t for t he wealt hy and im portan t It is not a pract ica l vesse l-it bare ly has room for 2 passe ngers in add ition to the pi lot (most owners tended to use a droid to pi lot t he sh ip), and not much ca rgo spa ce. In addi t ion, the huge sai l can be an Impractical met hod of t ravel. es pecia lly in dangerous regions of space.

Cha racters may encou nte r sim ilar solar saUers when traveling in th e far reac hes of t he Oute r Rim and beyo nd. where older vessels are still occasional ly used.

Hull Type/Class: Sloop /Punworcca / 16. Manufacturer: Huppla Pasa Tlsc Sh ipwrights Co llective. Hyperdrive: Prima ry: Class 1, Backup: Class 15. Navicomputer: Yes. Sensor Range: Short. Ship's Complement: One pilot Encumbrance Capacity: 20. Passenger Capacity: 2. Consumables: One mont h Price/Rarity: 240,000 cred its/9 Customization Hard Points: 2 . Weapons: 84 miniatu re tractor beam projectors, co ll ec tively forming a light t ractor beam (Fi re Arc All; Damage: - ; Range lelose]: Tractor 2).

SHEATHIPEOE-CLASS TRANSPORT SHUTTLE A product of Haor (hall Enginee ring. the Sheathipede-class shutt le was a short-ra nge t ransport shu ttle. co mm only used by the Trade Fe deration and the Co nfede racy of Independen t Systems during the Cl one Wa rs. It wa s prim arily utilized to ferry passengers across a plan et's surface . or betwee n an orbi t ing stars hip and the su rface The vessel is notable for a large topside fi n. whic h enables it to bank quickly. and its curved. pincer-l ike landin g gea r. which gives it a somewhat insectile appea ranc e. Th e passe nger cabi n is entered via an egress hatchway at the rear of t he shuttl e The Sheothipede has a somel,'lhat smaller interior t ha n th e more commo n modern sh uttles, on ly having roo m fo r a doze n individua ls includ ing the crew. Th is factor. along with the lac k of armaments, has led the shuttle to be replaced by newer options. such as the Lambda-class. The Sheathipede is fairly we ll -armored . t hough. and bu ilt to wi thsta nd punishment . so it stili ca n be fo un d in use whe re such tra its are va lued

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SPECIAL RULE Let Out The Sail: When the Punworcca 116 has its ma ssive sailunfurled. its silhouette is increased from 3 to 5. Its port and sta rboard defenses are lowered from 2 to O. Wi t hout the sail unfurled. though, the primary hyperdrive cannot be used. If the sail is damaged. the primary hyperdrive is inoperab.le. forclng the use of an extremely sub "standard
/ Hull Type/Class: Shu ttl e/Sheathipede-class Manufacturer: Haor Cha ll Engi nee ring Hyperdrive: Pri mary: Class 1, Ba ckup: Class 10. Navicomputer: Yes Sensor Range: Short. Ship's Complement: One pilQt . one co-pi lot. one comms operator. and one engineer. Encumbrance Capacity: 150 (wit hout passe ngers) . Passenger Capacity: 8. Consumables: Two months. Price/Rarity: 12 0,000 credits/6. Customization Hard Points: 2. Weapons: None.

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HOW TO INTEGRATE THE MYSTIC

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nmost FORCE AND DESTINY ga me s, different sorts of characters tend to pull the campaign in di fferen t directio ns. For examp le. characters who are good at combat tend to push campa igns mo re towards combat, just as socially-focused

characters push campa igns towards more soc ial enco unt ers. After all . playe rs want to pa rticipate in encounters that their

characters are good at.

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Bala nci ng the ways different cha racte r types pu ll each ot he r at the tab le can be tricky, but t he Game Master needs

to know how best to emphasize each characte r in their cam pa ign wi t hou t letting a given cha racte r ove rshadow the ot hers. Thi s chapter includes some speci fi c guidelines on how to make Mystics fit into a campaign, bot h in terms of gro up dynam ics and into larger narrative arcs .

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MYSTICS IN GROUPS Th e key to any successfu l FORCE AND DESTIN Y campa ign lies in engaging th e players. Cre ativity need not be t he sole job of the Game Master, as players who feel in tune with their characters and the group are able to ta ke an act ive ro le in creating t he narrative or int roducing t heir ow n plot poin ts, which makes t he game more fun for everyo ne involved. Idea lly, the Game Master and the group address th is issue both as individua ls and toget her, by keeping characters in sy nc wi th each othe r's act ions, roles, and views to create a dynamic who le for the sto ry. Making sure Mystic characters fi t in with the ot her PCs is vita l, as is allow ing t hem thei r own un ique niche in the group. This sec tion offers advice for making sure Mystic cha racters are able to shine as in dividual contributors to the narra tive, wit hout disrupting t he abil ity of other characters to contribute in their own ways

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OTHER FORCE USERS

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While all FORCE AN D DESTI NY charac ters are attuned to the Force, Myst ic characte rs are defined by a particu lar affin ity fo r it t hat goes we ll beyond t ha t of t heir compatriots, and which informs their na ture on multip le leve ls. Mystics often work with t he Force in particu larly overt ways . This can be because of their willi ngness to orate on it or guide others to it. as some Mystics who follow the Prophet specia liza tion migh t do. It ca n also be because they wie ld incred ible and especia lly impress ive forms of power, in the case of the Alchemist and Magus specia liza tions. This means Mystics can become the fa ce of the group to outsiders at ti mes, drawi ng atte ntion as the flashiest and most obvious ly Fo rcesensit ive figures withi n it.

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At t he same time. Mystics' relations hi ps wi th the Farce can also be exceed ingly subtle. Mysti cs defi ne themselves not only by how t hey wield the Force, but by their instinctive and int uitive grasp of it. Mystic cha racters are more likely ta be inte rested in visions and ot her subt le signs of the Force's wil l, and more willing to take a leap of fai t h when the situat ion demands. Further, while Mystics can be leade rs and demagogues at t imes, they more commonly guid e others This is espec ial ly t he case with Mystics who fo llow the Advisor specia liza t ion . This pote ntia l to be bo th a blazi ng beaco n of Force prowess as well as a secret source of wisdom and gu idance is inherent to all Myst ic characters, alt hough some lean mo re towards one side of the divide than the other. As a resu lt of the ir spec ial abil ities and t ies to the Force, Mystics are ab le to ope rate in ve ry different ways fro m eac h other or across differe nt situa tions. Understand ing th is duality is key to allowi ng Mystics to fit into a group's structure and plans. Some Mystic characters tend to be more subtle or more overt. but all of them have t he pote ntia l to be both in tu rn. The Ga me Master shou ld keep track of wh ich ways the players of Mystic characters prefer to handle thin gs, so t hey ca n offer them cha ll enges tha t sui t thei r chosen style of play.

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For instance, Mystic players who seem to blast down every door with a Force power shou ld be given the chance to showcase th eir powe rs regularly, such as by facing off against powerful enem ies or being plac ed in front of impressionable crowds. Myst ics who rarely reveal themsel ves should be allowed opportun itie s to continue operating from the shadows, find ing ot her characters who nee d advice or who can be man ipulated At the sa me time, the Game Master shoul d avo id po rtraying t he Mystics' bond wit h the Force as be ing bette r or more important t han another character's approac h. One way to do thi s is to emp ha size the limits of t hei r more etherea l, mysteri ous understa nding, \A/here appropriate. When operating on an Imperial-held world, not only are obvious Force powers a liabi li ty, but the popu latio n may be susp icious and distrustfu l of outsiders. Even t hose loca ls who resent the Imperials may be fearful of ISB sting ope rat ions or loyalty tests This makes many tools co mmon to Mystic cha racters risky to use, as t hey usua ll y rely on the Force or on thei r abi lity to work t hrou gh othe rs

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However, other characters may have more to offer in such a situation. Sentine l characters cou ld more effect ive ly infi ltra te such a planet, and might be able to he lp ot hers pass thro ugh secu rity undetecte d, wh ile Warriors or Guardia ns ca n fight their way out of troub le if t hings go wro ng. Mystic characters can st ill con tribu te to th e group's goa ls on such a world, but they would need to take something of a backseat , or at least jud ge their actions careful ly.

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GUIDED BY THE FORCE

UNUMITED POWER

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The most important thing to aim for in such moments is to set matters up to make it feel like all characters are contributing equally over the course of the adventure. The goal should be to make all characters feel effective and interesting in their own way, so that each character has their time in the spotlight, whether Mystics. Consulars, or anything else. Some specific examples of encoun ters and adven tures that allow Mystic characters to shine are found on pages 72 and 75, which can be used as they are, or serve as inspiration for new and custom adventures.

GROUPS WITH MULTIPLE MYSTICS Th e presence of multi ple Mystics in a group of pes can make planni ng adventures simpler in som e ways, but more complicated in others. Mystic charac ters sh are many Similarities that allow the Game Master to more easily rocus on elements that appeal to and engage them effectively. Some of these similari ties are thematic, dea ling with the way Mystics use their intuition and natural grasp of the Force. and are discussed in depth on page 68. However, many of them also tie in with game mechanics. The career ski lls and ta lent trees available to Mystic characters emphasize the Presence and Willpower characteristics. making almost all Mystics effective in social encounters, since social encounters tend to rely on skills linked to those characteristics. As such, groups with several Mystics are both effective in such situa tio ns and able to engage in a high level or character part icipa tion when t hey occu r. The Game Maste r shou ld make use of these adva ntages whe n designing adve ntures, as suc h groups ofte n benefi t from a high pro· po rtion of such scenes. Mystic-heavy groups can also benefit from ot her scenes that test the ir com mon st rengths in a simi lar way, such as ord eals and trials that require mental fortitude to endure. While the common strengths an d focuses of Mystics can allow adventures to more easily cater to multiple characters in some ways, the Game Master should also find ways to highligh t what makes individual Mystic characters unique. Al lowing different Mystic characters different opportunities in shared scenes can help, as can providing unique encounter elements for different characters. For example, in a social encounter, Makashi Duelists might be inclined towards showmanship or intimidation over the quiet, behind-the·scenes act ions of Advisors. If th e Game Master provides diffe ren t NPCs for cha racters to engage with t heir own app roa che s, t he scene as a who le becomes ri che r and more co mplex. Outside of social scenes, Maka shi Due lists might relish the chance to display the fl ou rishes of their combat tec hniques, whil e Alchem ists bene fit from a chance to study new Force mysteries and reli cs.

SKEPTICS AND THE FORCE Sometimes, Myst ic cha racters' bonds with the Force can lead to disagreements within the party, especially if there are other characters who do not trust in instinct, intuition, or the Force itselt In some cases, these disagreements are purely in-character disputes that can add dramatic conflict to a game while still allowing the narrative to move forward. After aiL heroes in the Star Wars universe do not always agree on everythi ng, even as they work towa rds a common cause. Han Sol o began his career working with the Rebe llion by sco ffing at the Force and Luke Skywa lker's Jedi t raining, but was still a valuab le ally to Luke and his Rebel friends Howeve r, at other t imes, these disagreements can slow down the pace of th e ca mpaign or even cause disagreements between players, rather than simply their characters. In order to avoid these sorts of problems, the Game Master should make sure to engage in open discussion with the group before the campaign on this topic in order to get a sense of each player's expectations and desires. The following sections detail specific areas from which contention can arise, either in terms of early expectations or over the course of gameplay. By investigating these possible problem areas and talking them over wi th the group, the Game Master can avoid potentia l conflicts between players.

CHARACTER TYPES AND GROUP COMPOSITION The presence or absence of any non-Fo rce-using characters in the group can greatlY affect how the pa rty at large views t he Fo rce. If some players are using characte rs fro m EDCE OF THE E MP IRE or ACE OF R EBELLION, or if a playe r is bringing a Mystic fro m FORCE AN D DESTINY in to a campa ign large ly ful l of such characters, the party approac h to t he Force can easily di ffer from a cam pa ign fea tming only FORCE AN D DeSTINY characters.

j For examp le, if a game primarily invo lves characters f rom and ACE OF RE BELLION, t he Fo rce is a more d istant. abstract elemen t for most characte rs. Eve n if one or mo re pes can make use of Fo rce powers, t he ot her characters ca n on ly engage with t hem based on th eir own EDGE OF THE E M PIRE

percep tions. These non-Force-sensitive characters will never see visions of distant places or futures, and thei r perspec tives tend to foc us mo re on the here and now. E DGE OF THE E M PIRE

characters are usua ll y more inte rested in paying their

debts, watch ing their backs, and hopefu lly making a profi t t han in mora l quandaries or crusades, which can put them at odds with anyo ne who must engage with the struggle between light and dark. While A CE OF REBELLION cha racters might share a concern abou t good and ev il with thei r Fo rce -se nsit ive comrades. they are more li kely to frame the ir views in terms of po li t ICa l will or mi litary resources tha n some et herea l bala nce across the cosmos. As such. whe n Force-sensitive characters are in a campaign primarily invo lving no n-Farce -se nsitive characters. the Fo rce often takes a backseat th emati cally to o ther elements of the Star Wars universe. In these ci rcumsta nces. it often becomes more of a tool towards t he group 's ends than a guid ing ph ilosophy t hat informs those ends. A campa ign t hat is mostly comp rise d of F ORC E AND DEScharacters with a few excep tions might inst ea d have to dea l with making the Force relatable to the characters not inherently att uned t o it. Charact ers who canno t fee l or con nect t o the Force need to have t he ir own reasons for working wit h the gro up in order to pa rticipate effective ly in the campa ign. The characters mi ght be sea rchi ng for meani ng. profit . or power. but whatever they want. t he group shou ld wo rk to exp lain why t hese characters bel ieve t hey might fi nd it togethe r wit h everyone else. Rumors of the power of the Force and the Jed i might draw al l kinds of interest. as could more mundane connections. such as socia l t ies or shared causes and bel iefs. Wit hout such motivat ion. th ese characters can flounder. lacking a way to meaningfully engage with adventures. These characters migh t feel detached from the othe r characters. but no players sho uld feel like an outsider to t he group.

TINY

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GUIDED BY THE FORCE

UNLIMJTED POWER

Final ly. eve n in a campa ign that entirely consists of FORCE characters. characte rs may not al l view t he Force in the same way. Wh ile Mystics are usua lly fully in tune with their ovm Force sensitivity. other cha racte rs may not be entire ly avvare of. or com fortable with. t heir powers. Force -se nsitive characters who do not unde rsta nd or accept their abilities. or even t hose who vi ew t hei r power as a too l ins tead of a bo nd with the Force. can bring many of t he same conce rn s as non -Farce-sens itive cha racters. In these cases. the Game Master ca n adapt th e preceding advice that best fi t s t he situation . Fo r examp le, t he Game Master co uld treat a group la rgely com prised of Force-sens it ive agen t s of th e Rebell ion as if it vI/e re prim arily A CE OF R EBELLION characters. proV ided the majority concern was the stru ggles of th e Rebel A lliance and not Force mysteries. Simi larly. a Force-se nsitive huckste r and scou ndrel might be so me variety of Senti nel . but is more likely to fit into a group dynam ic like an EDCE OF THE E MPIRE character. AND D ESTINY

THEMATIC FOCUS AND CHARACTER INCLUSION In tegrati ng MY'stics 'i'I ith no n-Force users req uires bala ncIng a focus on the Fo rce with t he need to high light characters who cannot con nect to it. A good FOR CE AN D DESTINY ca mpa ign foc uses on al l characters invo lved. and mak ing t he Fo rce a ce ntra l issue for t he campa ign can side lin e nonForce-sensitive characters. On the other hand. down pl ayi ng t he presence of the Force limi ts the opportuni t y fo r MystiCS t o sh ine. sin ce many narrative elemen t s cen t ra l to the ca reer rely so heavily on it. Find ing an appropriate mi dd le ground. . suc h as by alterna ting adve ntures or encou nters t o shift the campaign spotli ght. can be cruc ia l. Th e Game Master can help wi t h this inc lu de elemen t s in eve ry adventure the group goes thro ugh tha t are appropriate for each party member.

As an examp le, in a group wi th a slicer, the Game Mas ter might allow the group to freq uently gain an advantage by bypassing electro nic locks or security. If an adventure requi res going to a planet wi th little advanced tec hnology to track down a relic of the Jedi, suc h a character cou ld end up on the sidelines if the Game Master does not fin d a way to include them, Addi ng an element to the adventu re suc h as tech nologica ll y adva nced oppos ition after t he same goal might address t his issue. Thi s sort of solution places a non Force-se nsitive cha racter in a position to help with goals t hemed around the Force, and protects t he character from excl usion even in an adve nt ure we ll outside the ir normal area of expertise , Similar solut ions are possible wi th ot her character types , if the Game Master makes sure to look at what those characters do well, and provides opportun ities for the m to exercise those sk ills. The rat io of skeptics and no n-Forc e users to Mystics ca n have a se rious impact on how to st ructure t he balance of t he campaign. In a campaign primari ly composed of nOrl Fo rce use rs, or even Force users who do not ful ly trust or embrace the more mys terio us elements of the ir powe rs, foc using too much on intuition, visions, or ot her sim ilar eleme nts ca n al ienate th ose cha racters and their playe rs By the same token, in a ca mpaign where the group is primarily Myst iCS, Co nsula rs, and other highly Force-attuned charac ters, shyi ng away from those elements den ies t hose characters a chance to do what t hey do best A party with a rela t ive ly even sp read across t he d ivide has some leeway. but also has more characte rs who can feel out of th eir elemen t at once. For many Star Wars fans. keep ing myst ical eleme nts closely entwined with mi li ta ry, po litical, or even criminal ones is key to the fee ling of t he universe, but juggling so many di fferent parts to an adventure can be ove rwhe lming, so t he Came Master should feel free to divide them as needed to make their wo rk manageab le. This Game Master can do this by focusi ng alterna t ing adve ntures or encou nters on each of these diffe ren t eleme nts, This means t hat no elemen t of t he Star Wars unive rse remains in iso latio n fo r long. as the charac te rs go from dealing wi t h cri me lords in one adventure to Rebel agen ts in t he next, and then escaping from t he traps in an anCient Sith ruin in the next As an alternate or eve n add itiona l means of va rying t he elements invo lved in the campa ign. the Game Master ca n keep a diverse stab le of recurring characters ready for use in different advent ures, If the PCs meet a memorab le bounty hunter in one adventure dealing with the galact ic underwo rld, encou nte ring the bo unty hunte r again on a ju ngle world known to be strong In t he Force keeps the themes from the previous adve nture presen t. eve n if the bounty hunter is pursuing a t rophy beast instead of a fugit ive. Similarly, a contact fro m t he Rebell ion who trades favors wi th the group keeps them in touch with the struggles of the Rebel Alliance, eve n if t he immediate adventu re does not focus on mi litary conflicts.

As a general rule in such situations, t he campa ign should tilt t he focus of most adve ntures and encoun ters towards which ever side ho lds the majority, but shou ld include plenty of interludes and changes of pace to keep the othe r side engaged, In a long adventure focused on the Force, the Game Master should be sure to include severa l encounters where non-Fo rce users can shine throughout, and if the ca mpa ign has had the past several adven t ures foc us on les s supern atura l elements, inserting an adventure built around the mysteries of the Force can keep th ings fres h.

THE LIVING FORCE AND THE CAMPAIGN Wh ile Mystics are not alone in attunemen t to the will of t he Fo rce, Mystic characters may benefit more from prominent use of the Fo rce as a narrat ive element than other careers, given t heir pa rticular focus. As Mystics are the characters who mos t freq uent ly employ the Force in mysterious, magical-seem ing ways, they often take the fo reground when t he campa ign features suc h eleme nts , Oth er character types can be nefi t from t he incl usion of t hese elements as wel l. but Myst ics-es pec ial ly the Alchemist, Magus, and Seer characte rs- are t he mos t likely to engage wi th them to the ful lest extent. The fol low ing sec tions detail some advice on how to incorporate the Force as a major element of the campaign's narrative, especia lly its more myste rious aspects.

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USING VISIONS Vis ions are one of the most common ways for the Force to appea r as a narrat ive element in a Star Wars story. Characters in FORCE AN D DESTINY invoke t he Force frequently thro ugh t he use of their abil it res, but a vision is a chance fo r the Game Master to get the Force involved in a way t hat prompts player act ion instead of waiting upon it. Overus in g visions can make them seem mundane and uni nteresting, but used sparingl y over a ca mpaign , they can lead to exci ting and memorable adventu res tha t keep the players invested in t he un iverse. Fu rthermore, Mystic cha racters are often appropriate characters to use to deliver a vis ion to the party. but any Force use r can rece ive one, so the advice below is releva nt to any FORCE AN D DESTI NY campa ign. Visio ns often come to characters when they are at rest or particularly open to the Fo rce, whether med itat ing, sleeping, or visiting a vergence. These circumstances lend themse lves well t o one of the pri mary narra tive uses of visions. wh ich is to deliver in formation that prompts a new course of action The Game Master can easi ly provide visions in the downtime between adven tures as t he characters rest. and can be a great way to sta rt off a new story arc for the party. Visions that arrive in the middle of an adventure are usually best left small er in sca le, or else provided at an interlude. to avoid disrupting the pac in g of events too much. However, a vision that causes a character to re-eva luate th eir current situation ca n be a great dramatic beat, as when Luke Skywa lker had to choose betwee n act ing on his viS ion of Cloud City or con tinuing his training on Dagoba h

GUIDEDBYTHEFORCE

UM.JMrTED POWER

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Tim ing visio ns fo r maximu m impact is only on e part of using them effectively. Th e natu re of what the visio n reveals is also an important factor. Th e Fo rce can provide in si ght

into events happening in distant t ime s and places, but it is rare ly precise or defi nite. A vis io n may show only hints or gli mpses of im portant eve nts. or it migh t show a fu t ure that has no certainty of pa ssing. The Came Master must balan ce keeping t he vision Informative enough to be useful with avo iding co nstrain ing player act ions. A he avy -handed warn ing of doom can rankle playe rs who prefe r to set t heir OINn agenda, vvhile showing a seemingly-unavoidab le crisis means eit her lim iti ng t he playe rs' actions or making the vision feel unreli ab le when t hey avert t he danger. The best visions open nevv op ti ons fo r t he playe rs, and encourage t he m to invest igate the vision witho ut locking t he m in to any sing le approach or res ponse

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The key to enab ling this player freedom ISt hrough leavin g t he vision open to interp retat ion In some way. The fa mous Jedi prop hecy of the Chosen One presen ted clea r stakes, but left room for doubt as to the id ent ity of the Chosen One, or even if t he prop hecy was accurate at al l. A simi lar in-game pro phe cy cou ld reveal a great poten tial rewa rd or dange r, but ma ke it unclear how to bring it abou t Instead, it migh t hint at other circumsta nces t hat need to line up to enable t he future it describes. Invest iga t ing the possib ilit ies in the vision co uld last fo r many adven tures, but the uncertainty also allows playe rs the freedom to decide that the vi sio n is simply one of ma ny possibilit ies, and not wo rt h pu rsuing if it does not ap pea l to them. Th is approac h also leaves t he Game Master free to improvise if the campa ign ta kes an unexp ected tu rn. The fut ure in Star Wars is always in motion, so t he Gam e Master shou ld acco unt for a wide range of po ssibi lities , not ju st spec ific plans

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THE WILL OF THE FORCE Many campa igns ca n make use of t he no tion of the Fo rce as an active partic ipant in even ts, almost as a character of its own. It seeks to shape events towards ce rta in goals, and to move other characters towa rds speC ific act io ns. Characters in t1e Star Wars universe generally refer to this as "the wi ll of the Force," although few eve n app roac h und erstand ing its sca le. The t rue will of the Force is mysterious, and perhaps beyond t he understanding of any ind ividual.

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However, in a FORCE AND DESTINY game, t he Game Master genera lly' needs to have so me Idea of how to use any given na rrative too l or element If t he Game Master does no t have a clear idea of how th e wil l of the Force shou ld fi t into the campa ign from the start, it may end up appeari ng contrad ictory or arbit rary in how It unfolds as time goes on . In practical terms, this mean s the Gam e Master shou ld generally have a plan fo r how to hand le the wi ll of the Force in game if including it as a narrative elemen t.

GUIDED BY T HE FORCE

UNLlMrrED POWER

THE FORCE' S GOALS Dec id ing hO\ll,l to use th e Force doesn 't necessa ril y mean deciding or know ing what the Fo rce speCifica ll y wan ts, although the mystenous natu re of the Fo rc e does leave that free dom open to t he Ga me Mas ter for th eir pa rt icu lar campa ign . If t he Came Master does choose to go down th is pa th , t he Fo rce's goa ls shou ld rema in large eno ugh in sco pe to stil l fee l mysterious and con t in uous. Crea tin g a single, fi nite end-po int fo r the Force to be wo rking towa rds, such as a pa rticular event, might seem tempting, but ca n seriously disrupt the ca mpaig n. It risks making all oth er co nflicts and goals seem sma ll or irre levan t shou ld th e players learn of it, le avi ng little room fo r sid e sto ries and downtime in t he campa ign. It also means that If t he players do man age to ach ieve this goa l, the narra tive migh t fee l re sol ved , and leave attem pts to continue past t hat po int unfulfill ing. If the Came Ma ste r instead chooses a broad or abstrac t goal fo r the Force in the campa ign, t he characte rs ca n make measurable strides towards t ha t goa l without running out of possibili t ies for new adventures.

RECURRI NG THEMES It ca n also mea n setting up re pea ting themes during adven tures, such as the conflict belween light and dark , freed om versus ty ran ny, or t he testing of cha racters and t heir ideals. Characters v,'ho encou nter these sorts of stories play ing ou t across the ga laxy as they trave l might see them as pa rt of a larger mean ing, and the Game Master can enco urage thIS by co uch ing visio ns or t he effects of vergences in the se terms. For exa mple, if the Ca me Master has decided to empha size t he theme of freedom opposing tyranny, the cha racters might fi nd a mysterious figure in a vergence clai mi ng to offer them grea t powe r if t hey swear all egianc e to t he Emp ire and give up the ir Ind epe ndence. Thi S figure wou ld simply be a man ifesta:ion of the Force, rather tha n an actua l Imperial age nt, but co uld be a great so urce of dra matic con fl ict if t he cha racters fi nd themselves genuinely te mpted by th e offer. There cou ld even be consequences from whateve r decisio n they make, as the Force recognizes their choice. Th is could range from pure ly na rrative co nsiderati ons, suc h as further Fo rce phenome na recogn izi ng them and their decisions, or it co uld impact t he characters mecha nica lly. Giving in to selfi sh or ty rann ica l decisions is eas ily worth Co nflict- possibly a great deal of Con fl ict for si gnifi can t dec isio ns t hat de fi ne a story or character arc. At t he Game Master's disc retion, the charac ters might ga in access to greater results when call ing upo n Fo rce powers that support the t hemes of t he game and the decisions t he charac ters make. Th is co uld be re presented by the granting of addit iona l expe rience po ints t hat can only be spent on certa in talents or Fo rc e powe rs, or by the add ition of extra () to checks to activate Force powers in thematica lly appro priate sit uations. If the players choose to engage with these incentives and make use of such benefits, the Ga me Master ca n easily stee r t he cam pa ign towa rd t hemes t hat match a pa rt icular vision of t he Fo rce by encouraging t he players to act out those the mes Howeve r, th is approach might feel heavy-handed or controll in g to some players, so the Came Master shou ld discuss it with the group befo re reso rti ng to these sorts of effe cts.

FOCUS ON THE CHARACTERS The will of the Force could eve n simply be a reason for the cha racters to app roac h new adventu res wi th t heir own

hooks. In th is case, t he will of the Force beco mes a reaso n for th e chara cters to be ab le to engage with whateve r t heir players find most interesting about Star Wa rs . When using this approac h, t he Cam e Master shou ld regularly discuss plans wit h the p layers, and ask what t hey most want to see in the campa ign. Once the Game Master knows wha t th e playe rs want t o see, t hey can bring the cha racters into situations tha t invo lve those elements through any method they fee l appropriate , up to and inc lu di ng visions or ot he r myste ries of the Force dire cting t hem toward the new adve nture s. In this approach , the Game Master can prese nt the Force as taking a more direct interest in th e characters, inst ea d of in abst ract, galaxy-wide co ncern s. Afte r all , t he Force is present in all living things, not just on a cosmic leve l.

A FLEXIBLE APPROACH It is entire ly viab le for a Game Master to mix and match approac hes, or to switch from o ne to another wit hin a single ca mpaign. so lo ng as the playe rs re ma in engaged wi th the na rrative. Co nsistency he lps wi t h t his, but if a given ap proach isn't working for a partic ular group, sticking to t he plan is simply doub ling down on a prob lem. If the Gam e Master not ices the playe rs seem ing d isint erested or frustrated , th ey shou ld discuss it with t hem between sessions and ask wheth er a new approach is in orde r Experimenting with a new idea or changi ng course entire ly can be necessary at t imes if the ca mpaign is beginning to fee l sta le or unsatisfyi ng. Thankful ly, the same mysterious nature of the Fo rce that gives the Ga me Master a chance to define it fo r a given campa ign also make s it easy to excuse cha nges in approach. If th ings feel out of p lace afte r the change, the Game Master can present the change as an artifact of the cha racters' limited understanding of t he va st sca le on which the Force opera tes, Such a shift in the campaign's gears cou ld even be a focus for a new adventu re or story arc about an actual change or cycle in t he Force, where its nature or effects change for the rest of the campaign.

THE FORCE AS MAGIC Most Force users call upon t heir power in subtle ways, moving smal l objects, influenc ing weak minds, or perceiving t hings t hat ot hers can not see. Eve n mo re obv io us di splays often me rely take t hese feats to a more im pressive level, such as whe n Voda lifted Luke's X-w ing, or th ey enhance capabilities eve n no n-Force -se nsitive bei ngs have, suc h as granting pretern atu ra l reflexes or all owing incredi ble ath letic feats. Mystics often break t hese rules, displaying thei r know ledge of the Force in ways that are obvious ly supe rnatura l. Ot her characters are capable of suc h fea ts with t he right Force pOIl>/ers, but Mystics exc el at them, especia lly Alchem ist or Magus characters.

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Incl ud ing these magica l-seem ing Force effects in a game of FOR CE AND DEST INY ca n have a significa nt impa ct. Fo r some p laye rs, t he ton e of t he game ca n change wi th the incl usion of such powers, making Fo rce-use rs fee l more divid ed from other. mo re grounded elemen ts of the Star Wa rs universe. Th is is not in herently a bad t hing, nor does it occu r in every group. Instead, it is im port an t fo r t he Game Master and playe rs to d iscuss how the group approaches the Force and what t he ir players enjoy about it. If necessary, this might mea n down playing t hE more superna tural elemen t s of the Force in a campaign, b ut it usual ly hel ps eno ugh if eve ryone is on t he same page with the ir expe ctations, rather than needing such drastic action The use of suc h obviously superna t ura l power ca n have an effec t on the narrative of t he campaign as well. For t he most part, usi ng these povvers has a simi lar effect to any other obvio us d isp lay of Force sensitivity, lead ing to increased Imperia l attention. Powers assoc iated with the dark side of t he Fo rc e might lead t o a diffe rent sort of attention t han norma l, however, with the Empire hopi ng to recruit the characters ra ther than elimi nate them.

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In add ition , cultures and individua ls no rmally sympathet-

ic to Fo rce users might be less friendly to those who don't ma tch the ir understanding of what it means to be Fo rce-se nsi tive-an understanding usu ally shaped by the Jed i, who rarely used such arts. On t he other hand , cu ltures wit h a different unde rstand in g of the Force might more readily wel co me outsiders who show themse lves less bound by foreign t radit ions, opening pathways that might otherwise re main closed to t he pes. If the playe rs are interested in ex ploring views of th e Force outside t he lens

of Jedi

a~d

51t h. t hen

follow ing a Myst ic character's lead can be a good start.

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MYSTIC ENCOUNTERS

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hi le not qu ite enough to warrant a fu ll adventu re, several encou nters tailored to the Mystic's specializati ons are described below. They can be used as interludes, side eve nts, or subp lots in larger adventures, and Game Masters are enco uraged to fu rther develop and int egrat e them as su it s

their campaign

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ADVISOR During downtime in a can tina or similar venue, the pes ove rhear a co nve rsation between a no table politic ian and a confidante, in wh ich the pol itic ian relates se nsitive problems among her co nst ituen ts. The politicia n ea rn est ly wan ts to he lp wi th a number of concerns in her district, but fears tha t enacting drastic reforms wou ld invite scrutiny fro m the Empire, or even get her targeted as a Rebe l agent. W hile listening, it becomes clear that t his loca l leader is in way over her he ad in terms of the prob lems an d opposition she faces, but also tha t she wou ld not welcome strangers simply butting in with an offer to he lp. However, a light touch, such as th at offered by a cra fty Adv isor character, might be able to convince the po liticia n to allow the PCs to assist. A character who convinces her of the ir good inte ntions as well as t heir abi lity to so lve problems might ea rn t he trust of a powe rfu l and \!;'e ll -placed ally

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Of cou rse, approa ching t he pol itician and ea rn ing her tru st is only one part of the equa t ion. The characters mu st also so lve the pro ble ms plaguing her ad mi nistration to prove t hemselves, and do so in a way tha t does not invite fu rthe r atte ntion or controve rsy. It cou ld eve n be possible to address the se pro blem s secret ly, before making contac t with her, in order to have a more convi ncing case for the group's competence on han d. Howeve r, the biggest pro blems plagu ing the co nsti t uency are neither Simp le nor st raightforward. First. a port ion of the citizens in the district have mobilized into so meth ing resemb li ng a gang or militia to advance som e loathsome interest. suc h as human supremacy over other spec ies, or support for t he more ext re me Impe ria l policies and ac tions. Their actions ski rt the bou nds of legali ty, and they have been intimidating other cit ize ns away from advanc ing their own causes, but the po liticia n lacks t he cause to have th em arrested, and lacks t he political will to conde mn them . If the players co uld cove rtly rally the othe r const ituents towards so li darity aga ins t thi s fri nge, or qu iet ly push some of the extrem ists to back down, t hi s wou ld greatly rel ieve press ure on the local leader. Compl ica ting matters is the possibil ity that one or more offic ials wit hin the politician's adm inist ration are work ing wi th the host ile movement. provid ing them with help avoid ing law enforcement and other support. These other poli ticians might be be lievers in th e ca use, or t hey might be t rying to undermine the ir superior In hopes of claiming her POS It ion. Eit her I/"ay, the ir sup po rt would be act ion ab le, but only if it cou ld be prove n. The PCs might need to eavesdrop on a meeting between t he movement and thei r secret pat ro ns, or to subt ly ra ttle suspects in t he hopes that t hey give t he game away.

RESOLUTION If t he pes ca n remove the weak links in the politician 's adm in ist ration and dampen down suppo rt of the ex tre mist move ment without ca using fu rther uproar, lives in the po litician ·s district shou ld become much sa fer and happier overal l. If t hey are furthe r ab le to earn t he po liticia n's t rust whi le doing so , t hey ga in an influential ally, and maybe eve n a ba se of operations wit hin her sp here of in fluence.

ALCHEMIST When the pes seek out or encounter a collecto r of ant iquit ies and odd ities rumored to traffi c in Fo rce-attuned item s, t hey ri nd the character behaving in a strange and aggressive manner. His shop might have recentl y shifted to irregu lar hours, or he mi ght be active ly discourag ing visitors, even t hose vvho co uld help him wit h his co llect ion. His cha nge in be havior appea rs rece nt, espec ially if t he pes take t he time to inquire among past associates. Th e cause is not clear fro m the outsi de, espec iall y as t he co llector was secret ive eve n before his rece nt turn towards ex treme bel ligerence What is not immed ia tely appa rent is that th is co llecto r's most recent acqu isitions incl uded a malignant relic of the dark side that has been influ encing his be havior. The longer he has t hi s item in his possessi on, the stronger its ho ld grows, and the more obvious it becomes t ha t somethin g is serio usly wrong. The pes cou ld uncover this by t rac king down the co lle ctor's past bu siness deal ings and fi ndin g wha t sort of items he was receiving. or a pa rticularly sens itive PC migh t be ab le to detect t he emanation s of the relic fro m t he co llec tor' s back roo m or home while dealing wit h him. He is fi erce ly possessive of the rel ic, however, and refuses to so mu ch as ac knoyv iedge its existence to others fo r fear they would attempt to stea l it fro m him An Alchem ist PC is th e perfect expe rt to dea l with th is prob lem and help restore the col lector to hiS senses. and suc h a character co uld help deal wit h the proble m in a nu mber of ways. Through an Alchem ist pes expe rtise, the pl ayers might be ab le to fi nd a way to nullify the relic"s influ en ce. There might be a ritu al through which the pes can direct ly co nfront the dark side presence in the art ifa ct , uncovered by the Alchem ist's research , or they mi ght be ab le to cra ft a ta lisman tha t tempo rarily nullifles the relic" s powe r, allow ing the PCs to co nfro nt the co llecto r with what ha s happened to hi m. It might even be possible for an Alche mist to appea l to the co ll ector on sha red grou nd and expe ri ences to break thro ugh t he re lic's ho ld and disc uss things fra nkly, alt hough this co uld backfi re if the col lector t hinks the Alchem ist ch aracter is after t he rel ic for themse lf.

RESOLUTION Once t he Alchem ist has fo und a way to stop t he re lic from influ enci ng t he col lector, the chara cters must decide how to deal wi th It. Destruction of such a dangero us object might be an obv ious choice, but it may have other significa nce and

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value beyond the dark side power, or it might be extraordinarily resi lient. The pes might be able to let the collector persuade them to ta ke it for safekeeping, but it would su rely attempt to corrupt t hem as wel l. Depend ing on what the Alchemist is able to learn about the relic, there might be some way to safely contain or cleanse it, or they migh t need to return it to its po int of origin in an anc ien t tomb, where it can rest undisturbed on ce more. At the Game Master's disc retion, dealing wi th the relic could be the launching point for an entire adventure

the crime lord and his goons a stern lesson, it might simply reinforce the perception that the other characters cannot figh t t heir own ba ttles in the eyes of any observers. The Duelist must find a way to help their friends prove their strength in the ir own righ t, in order to sca re off the crime lord and those like him for good

MAGUS While working with a group sympa thetic to Fo rce users, such as the Rebe l Alliance or certain cu ltures suc h as those of th e Mirialans or Kel Dor, an important NPC ally takes issue with the powers wielded by a Magus Pc. The ally could be afraid of such overt displays of the Force, either from superstition or out of fear of Imperial attention. or they could consider the powers to be an aberration, not a natura l part of t he Force. Ideally, the issue shou ld arise after the Magus revea ls their particula r powers in front of the character during a tense situation. For example, if working with the Rebellion, the NPC could be a team leader who becomes spoo ked dunng a covert mission against the Empire. The pes must find a way to convince thei r ally that nei ther the Magus nor their powers are a li ab ility, and to smooth over the sudden fear and doubt that the display inspired .

RESOLUTION As a sho rt-te rm encounter, t his eve nt could potentially be reso lved quickly an d Witho ut too much fuss, but how the pes approach it could have a long-term impact. If the pes make good arguments and are effective in persuading their all y about the worth of the Magus' power, then t hey may smoo th over future incidents, or even gain future work for the Magus' abilities. However, jf they are belligeren t or defensive, or jf they rely on external pressure to quell the argument, the NPC cou ld become a recu rring thorn in their side, spread ing their doubts to others and questioning t he worth of th e PC group.

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RESOLUTION Provi ng the strength of the other pes could take any number of forms. If the other cha racters lack the combat prowess to easily show up the enforcers sent after them, the Makashi Due list eQu id assist indirectly or through a ruse, such as by impersonating the other characters in order to make them see m more skilled in batt le. The Duelist cou ld eve n stage a fight wit h the ot her characters and de libe rate ly lose, usi ng t he Makas hi sty le's fla ir for theatrical fighting to se ll t heir oppo nents' skill s instead of t heir own

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PROPHET After the group accomplishes somethi ng noteworthy and heroic in front of witnes ses, word sp reads to a gro up who dec ide t he pes are good role mod els. This group cou ld be the witnesses to t he characters' actions themse lves, or they could have heard the story second hand . Either way, they now seek to act as they believe their idols wou ld, enta ngling t hemselves in difficult situations, or even manufacturi ng t hem, and attempting to cu t dashing, hero ic figures. Unfortunately, t hey are woeful ly under qua lified for the job, and a litt le too enthus iast ic about it. They're likely to get them se lves, and possibly ot he rs, bad ly hurl. When the players hear of these potentia l disc iples, it becomes the perfect mome nt for a Prophet characte r to gu ide these would-be heroes to a better pat h. If the pes live up to the ideal ized notio n their new devotees bU ilt of t hem, t hen they could be a ready-made group of new co ntacts and foll O'.Ne rs. However, if the story or memo ry of the pes ' actions get out of ha nd before t he cha racters return to sort things out. then t he characte rs may have to prove that they are who they say they are in order to secu re the loyalty of these fol lowe rs

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What's more, this new group only has t heir own notio n of what bei ng a hero is like, and it may conflict with the group's se nsibi lities. If the hero ic deed of the group invo lved reSisting Impe rial opp ression, t he newer heroes might be drawin g more attent ion than even the pes ca n deal with. If the characters faced dovvn enforcers from a crime lord to stop racketeering, their em ul ators migh t be trying to stop al l criminal activity in the ir home ne ighbo rhood s wit hout consideration for co llatera l damage, or they migh t not recognize where a particu lar crim ina l is violating an unjust law to support the need y.

RESOLUTION /

Ultimately, the group, an d especial ly any Prophe t character who is wi lling to take on the respo nsibi lity, needs to take a hard look at the actions of t hese hopefuls and decide if they are ro ugh and unpolished, but with the pote ntial to he lp, or simply tro ublemakers wi th good intent ions . If the cha racters think thei r im ita tors real ly ca n make a differe nce if given the chance, then they need teac hing and guid ance, so met hing best provided in pe rson by a Prophet cha racte r or o ther pa tie nt instructor. However, if the group thinks these newcom ers are beyond help, or tha t pol ishing t hem up would be more troub le tha n it is worth, it could take the silver tongue of a Prophet to co nvi nce them to sta nd down and retu rn to the lives t hey lived before.

SEER Contacts of the pes request the gro up's aid in some delicate nego tiation, perhaps re lyi ng on the characters' reputation or

past impressions they made on the other side of the barga in Things seem to go smoothly at fi rst, until a Seer PC receives a premo niti on of dange r fro m the Fo rce. This crypt ic warning does little to identify the source of the t hreat. but makes it cl ear tha t co ntinui ng t he negotiations as p lan ned places t he gro up, and possib ly othe rs, in great peril. There could be hints of a dark side Force user being part of it , or Imperia l agents seeking to disru pt the negotiations, If the Seer wishes to act on their vis ion. they must al ert the other pes and any trusted associa tes of the peril, but must also bala nce the va lue of t he negot iatio ns against any disru pt ion caused. Eve n if conti nuing t hem as plan ned seems like a poor call, ange ring one or both of the sides at t he ba rga ining table is like ly undesirable. Instead, the Seer sho uld seek ou t t he secret danger that threate ns t he conference, or contrive a reaso n to suspe nd negotiations unti l t hey lea rn more of the t hreat. If the See r be lieves tha t everyone vvould trust thei r premonit ion, they could even revea l it as a reason to hold off the nego tiation s. Hmvever, if the danger comes from within one of the barga ining groups, t hey risk alerting the guil ty figures and allowing them to escape, or even spu rring them to st ri ke.

RESOLUTION Th is encoun ter works best as part of a la rge r ongoing plot, In order to emp hasize the stakes at hand. The negot ia tio ns can be anything perti ne nt to an existi ng adve nture, but t he t hrea t can be a new complicat ion as eas ily as a known risk. If the Game Master chooses to use this enco unte r to com pl icate anothe r adventu re, t hey sho uld make sure they have a sol id idea of wha t t he danger might be before the Seer receives the warn in g. Without a clear p lan for the threat hanging ove r the negotiations, t he Game Ma ste r ca nn ot effec tively ru n any investigation the See r migh t conduct into it, nor can t hey provide the conseq uen ces should t he Seer's efforts fail an d tip the ir han d. The t hreat should usua lly be somet hing personalized to the characte rs at t he table, but in a pinc h. saboteurs from the Imperial Sec urity Bu reau are a good fallbac k fo r this sort of situat ion. The IS8 is always eage r to use divid e-and-conquer tactics on t hreats to the Empi re, and might have a deep cove r age nt in one or both sides work ing to upend the negotia tions.

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MYSTIC ADVENTURES

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n the current galactic era, the Empire ruthlessly suppresses knowledge and understanding of the Force. However, no amoun t of fi repower or troop strength can stop the rise of new Mystics, drawn to enact the will of the Force. A new generation of Force adepts is always rising. and 'Nith them, the potential for new and incredible adventures. Mystics must move care fully, not only to avoid the Empire's attention, but to avoid a misstep as they seek to unravel th e cryp tic guidance of the Force. Still. t he results of t heir efforts wi th th e Forc e as t hei r ally are un deni able. When designing adve ntures for Mystics, Came M asters should keep in mind that Mystics are often masters of the indirect approach, using the subtleties of the Force and t heir abil ity to understand and direct others to accomplish their goa ls without obvious or direct involvement. As SUCh, when designing advenlures centered arou nd Mystic characters, the Game Master should provid e am ple opportunities for these characters to make use of their abilities in ways that give them a clear challenge and an importa nt role, but don't force them into a full spotlight- unless that is wha t the players want. If the players come up with a clever way to leverage the ir skills and knowledge to solve a problem indirectly, the Game Master should generally allow It to succeed and reward the players for their creativity

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Subt le or mysterious tric ks are the heart or the Mystic's tra de. Wh ile the Star Wars saga is full of overt spectac le and action, th ere is plen ty of adve ntu re material t hat ca n be used to inspi re a Game Master when designing adventures for Mystic PCs. The strange works of M other Ta lzin and the Nightsisters of Dathomir are great inspiration fo r both Magus and Alchemist characters, while Yoda's quiet guidance on Dagobah or even Pal patine's manipulation of the Ga lactic Sena te are great examples of how an Advisor character can be memorable and interesting while working with others. The mystics of Lasan and their unusual Force practices exemplify how a Prophet might fit in with a Forceaware culture, and any number of examples of visions and prophecies exist in the Star Wars galaxy at large tha t show the power of the Seer, or even the Cosm ic Force that guides the M ystic in general. Players shou ld always remember that the Force is everywhere, not just 10 verge nces and ligh tsabers, but in th e subtle movements of dest iny an d the simp le in te ract ions of all living be ings

MYSTIC ADVENTURE SEEDS /

Adventu res for Mystics can involve a diverse range of circumstances and events across t he ga laxy. Came Masters should feel free to use the following seed s as springboards to fully fleshed -out adventu res or even enti re campaigns

A WORTHY RULER The pes rece ive a message from Faleer Ayast. an advisor to the newly-crowned monarch of the Mid Rim world of Alun. The world is notable for its isolation from the ga laxy at large, including a lack of Imperia l rule, as there are no convenient hyperlanes to the planet from other inhabited systems. The royal fam ily of Alun has a long history of popular support on their world, but the new ru ler, Queen Cheraama, is young and inexperienced _Whil e she earnestly wants to better the lives o f her people, she has li ttle understanding of how to do so, and her attem pted reforms are causing more harm than good. As the Queen 's attempts at reforming her world's trade partnerships and local industries continue to backfire, so me of the planet's popula tion are beginning to fee! that Imperia l governance might better serve thei r needs. Advisor Ayast fears what this might mean for th e planet's freedoms, as wel l as fo r the monarch he se rves. and hopes the PCs can assist the queen in so rting ou t her planet's prob lems. If t he PCs accept Fa leer Ayast's invitation to visit Alun, he arranges for them to arrive di~cree tly an d join the palace staff. From there, th ey can investigate goings-on at court, visit t he capital city and ot her locales on the planet to assess popu lar sentimen t, and learn more about the queen herself. They may wish to convince Faleer to let them advise the queen directly, alt hough he is unlikely to acquiesce unless they have already proven themselves. Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities to do so elsewhere on the planet. Alun's two main sources of unrest are widespread poverty and the rising tide of pro-Imperial sentiment. Although Alun has Significan t natura l resources, they are largely un tapped due to the di fficult ies in exporting them through the convoluted hyperspa ce ro utes that pass fo r contact with the rest of t he ga laxy. Th is has made Alun dep ende nt on outsid e help for much of its development, but granted it little to offer the rest of t he ga laxy. The PCs co uld he lp by drawing on t heir con tacts to sp ur exte rnal trade, or by exp lorin g the significant wi lderness on the plan et for resource deposits that could benefit the local popu lation. They could even attempt to chart a new hyperspace route that would allow Alun easier access to other worlds, provided the group has a sta rship and a ski lled astrogator.

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JDININIi THE HDLD[RDNS

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pening the Sith and Jedi holocrons together is

not a simple task, nor is sorting through the

knowledge unveiled even if the pes can bring them together. Sith holocrons are dangerous artifacts,

designed to corrupt the unwary, where Jedi holocrons are designed to teach. Even opening one requires embracing a darker state of mind, with the

owner concentrating on their own fear, anger, or need for power. As such, opening a Sith holocron is worth Conflict. Depending on how much interaction a character engages in with the holocron's gatekeeper, the exact amount can vary, but it should involve at least 3 Conflict to open the holocron initially, and at least 1 further Conflict for each subsequent use. Accessing such an artifact should also be reflected in the scene at hand, with characters role-playing the strain it puts on their minds, and the emotions required to draw out its dark side powers. If the pes can manage to get the Sith holocron open and combine it with the Jedi holocron, they may indeed open a vergence in the Force through which they can seek knowledge. However, the power involved in the phenomenon is incredible, and sifting through the knowledge provided for specific details is difficult in the extreme. Simply remaining in the presence of the active vergence requires an Easy {OJ Discipline check, with failure causing characters to avert their eyes, leave the area, or lose concentration on the holocrons (the last of which closes the vergence). Seeking knowledge within the vergence requires a further Hard

(0 0 OJ

Discipline check per question, with the difficulty on subsequent checks upgraded once for each check already made. Knowledge gained from the vergence is hazy and mysterious, although additional :tf beyond the first or any t1 may provide hints that help interpret what was learned. Failing any check to learn more causes the vergence to fade, and the holocrons to close. As a final note, calling up such power cannot be done casually. Attempting to open the vergence a second time could damage or destroy the holocrons involved, and may have unforeseen consequences even if they survive, ranging from unleashing dangerous energies on those nearby to a barrage of maddening visions that cannot be deciphered.

Kian's information is an old legend regard ing holocrons, found etched on t he wa lls of a ru in ed Jed i temp le. The legend c laims t hat bringing toget he r a Jedi ho locron with a Sit h holocro n can create a vergence in the Force t hat allows any quest io n to be answe red. As a scholar regularly frus trated with l mperia l res trictions on access to informa tion, Kian hopes that the verge nce crea ted In suc h a way wou ld allow access to knowledge ban ned by the Emp ire. and ass ist in her research study ing ancient cul tures. The PCs might see such k n ow ~ edge as va luab le fo r othe r reaso ns. whether for the ir own studies or as a weapon aga inst the Empire. Fortunate ly. ano ther fragment from t he same temple co ntai ns reco rds of a Sit h tomb where an ancie nt da rk side holocron was locked away, poten t ial ly puttin g half the puzzle wit hin reach of t he PCs. or even all of it, if they have thei r own holocron Uncovering coordinates to the Sit h tomb can be as simp le or comp lex as t he Game Master wishes. Th ey co uld be con tai ned 'Nit hin the fragmented reco rds Kia n unc overed, or re qui re t he pes to t rac k dovvn ot her archives of lost info rmation to t riangu late a hidde n locat ion. Add itional ste ps might involve a visit to the ruin Kia n uncovered for addi tional details, visits to othe r ruins hinted at in t he arch ives. or consultations with Kia n·s fe llo,!,r sc holars. What should not become clear until too late is th at the ho locro n is ba it fo r a tra p. planted by an age nt of the Imperia l Sec urity Bureau. Ga r Sedon n, the agen t in question, learned of the Si th tomb and the Jedi legend alike through t he interrogat ion records of ot her scholars who had stud ied them . unbeknownst to Kian. Not be lieving the legend himself, Agent Sedo nn p lanted cl ues lead in g towards the tom b in a number of Jed i ruins watched by the Empi re. After her exped itio n. th e 158 placed Kian on a watc h list. but left her alone in the hopes of lead in g the IS8 to mo re dangerous prey A

The t rap comes to frui tion when the pes arrive at the 51th

tomb, only to be ambushed by a "aitlng ISB task fo rce led by Gar Seda nn. The pes must defeat the ISB agents, make the ir way t hro ugh t he t rap-fi lled tomb of an ancie nt Sit h, and retrieve the holocron kept within in order to succeed with the ir miss ion. Furthermore. on ce t hey rea lize the nature of the trap , they may wish to retrace th e sleps they look tracking down the tomb in order to flush out any other 158 agents and warn their assoCiates of the pote ntial da nger.

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ALCHEMY CRAFTING

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lchemy is the ill-understood art of crafting potions. elixirs, and even items that seem to be imbued with arcane powers. Though the uninitiated may th ink this is magic, alchemy is simply a name for something many Force users have done over generations: imbuing the inanimate wi th the power of the Force Alchem ical creations cover a wide range of items, from potions to ta lismans and amulets. Many Force users (in cluding the Jed i) scoff at the idea that t hese are somehow ma gica lor imbued with power, sinc e they seem to eq uate Force use with so me so rt of spe ll-casting. On the other hand, these creations have some sort of power that cannot be explained by the most accomplished scientists of the galaxy. Perhaps these creations are infused with the Force in some way. Or perhaps they work simply because their creators and users believe that they do, and unconsciously shape and channel the Force as a resu lt. The truth will likely never be known. The rules in this section provide GMs and players with options for crafting their own crea tions imbued with the power of the Force. When a player wishes to have a character craft an item, the player should consu lt with the GM, and then the two should collabora te to go through the steps listed be low to create the device. As with all such matters, anything that the player wants to craft is subject to the GM's approval. Crafti ng fol lows t hree steps: Step 1: Se lect Templ ate, in wh ich the PC chooses what kind of item to make; Step 2: Acquire M aterials, in which t he PC acq ui res t he su ppl ies to build it; and Step 3: Construction. in which the PC actua lly assembles the iIem.

STEP 1: SELECT TEMPLATE When a craftsperson sets about creating an item, the player first chooses a template from one of the tables in thiS section (see page 82 and page 85). The template dicta tes the materials required (Material Price/Rarity), the challenge of building it (Check), an estimate of how long construction takes (Time), and the results should the character succeed on the check (the item that shares a name with the template). Each template ca n encompass an incredibly vast number of speCific types of items. Two Alche mists likely have very different ways of cra fting t he same elixir or item; alchemy is as much an art as a scie nce, after aiL A template describes what a crafted item does, bu t no t necessa ri ly how it accom· plishes it or what embe llishmen ts it migh t possess; those are the mark of the crafter. Thus, players and GMs should feel free to be creative in coming up with their own unique types of items that a given template can represent. Inspired CMs are encouraged to create their own unique templa tes-all a tem plate needs is a Name, Material Price/Ra rity, Check, Time, and profile for the result, which GMs can provide to thei r players as they see fit.

Step 1 : Select Template ta kes as much or as little time as the cha racter spends plann ing before launching into handson work. After selecting a template, a character moves on to Step 2: Acquire Materials.

ACQUIRIN6 TEMPLATES

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rom a narrative standpoint, there are countless ways that a character might come to know how to build a particular item. For many simple items, the knowledge needed to build them might be available in any technical manual, mechanic's shop, or droid memory core. Many alchemists have simply memorized such information, thanks to years of practice, or can at least improvise if push comes to shove. For other items, especiall~' more complicated ones, common knowledge and common sense might not be enough. A character might need to seek out an experienced mentor, conduct long hours of research, or find ancient repositories of knowledge to design an advanced model of droid or craft a device to perform an unprecedented task. It is always up to the CM whether a given template is available to a Pc. As a general rule of thumb, most templates should be available to the pes a majority of the time-the difficulty of turning abstract knowledge into a practical device is reflected by the difficulty of the checks to acquire materials and construct the device. However, if it makes for a more interesting story, the GM (or the player] can require the character to spend time on research or even go on a short adventure to com · plete Step 1: Select Template for a particularly special item. Alternatively, a character's past successes {or failures} might open the door to crafting a brand-new item.

STEP 2: ACQUIRE MATERIALS To attemp t to bu ild an ite m based on the chosen template, t he PC must acqu ire appropriate materials fo r that templa te. These are listed under "Material Price/Rari ty" on t he relevant table [see page 82 and page 85). Fo r all mechanical purposes, materia ls cou nt as a single item with the listed cost and rarity. As always, at the CM's discretion, certain supplies might not always be available for the listed price at any given market [see page 157 of the F ORCE AND DESTI NY Core Rulebook)

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Because Material Price/ Rarity for a template is defined only in terms of cost in credits and abstracted rarity, the particular nature of th e materials that a character uses can vary wildly, and depend on the specifics of the item [he character is crafting. At the GM 's discretion, PCs can acqu ire some or all of the materials for a template via means othe~ than paying for them (such as salvaging them, stea ling them. or receiving them as a gift). Step 2: Acquire Materials requires as much time as it takes for the PC to physically obta in th e materials. Th is cou ld be as short as a trip to a fa rm or ma rket. or as long as an epic quest to find a rare are or crysta l. dependi ng on the situat ion . After successfu lly acquiring materials, a character moves on to Step 3: Construction

STEP 3: CONSTRUCTION After acquiring the materials to make the item, the character must make the associated check, listed under "Check" on the relevant table (see pages 82 and 85], to actua!!y construct the item. If the character succeeds, the item is ru lly functional and has the profile listed in its template (see the relevan t tables on pages 82 and 85]. If the character fails on the check, the product that comes out of the attempt is unusable, and the materia ls are lost. The relevant tables on pages 82 and 85 include suggestions on how to integrate othe r results into construction. First, crafters can use t1 and ilJ resul ts Lo make improvements to t he item. Then, the GM ca n spe nd @ and @ to add flaws. Un less a limit is specified, an option fro m these tables may be selec ted any number of ti mes, and its effects stack. Th e amount of time Step 3: Construction takes is determined by th e estima te of working hours listed in the template under "Tim e." Every the character scores on the check beyond the first reduces this time by 2 hours (to a minimum of 1 hour). Other factors can also affect the time requi red, at the CM's discretion. The final potion or ta lisman has an encu mbrance value of O.

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ALCHEMICAL CRAFTING Because alchemical creations are all created with the Force in some way, there are a few extra rules that apply when crafting these items First, only Force-sensitive characte rs may attemp t to craft an alchem ica l creation . Anyo ne else who attempts it ends up with an item or liquid t ha t has no sup ernatural effects whatsoever, no matter how close ly they foJlowed the instructions.

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YOU BUILT IT OUT OF WHAT?!

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emplates intentionally leave the materials used for a project vague. This is because a template does not represent a particular way of building anyone model. Instead, it reflects a set of broadly comparable results that a PC might bui ld from any number of different materials.

This doesn't mean that the materials should be left nebulous during actual game sessions, however-. Detailing the materials used for a particular project can give it a great deal of character beyond a simple line of stats. Further, it can help show the personal touches that different crafters put into their works. For example, a native Dathomiri might craft their alchemical concoctions using plants and animals found in the dusky crimson swamps of their homeworld. Meanwhile, a Th isspiasian may prefer to integrate minute amounts of blood, and a supremelylogical Arkanian may refuse to use anything except pure and precisely-measured chemical compounds. While all three might craft mechanically identical items, the stories behind the works will be very different, and this can have major impacts on the narrative. The Dathomiri's potions and talismans may seem primitive and superstitious to the Arkanian. Meanwhile, the Thisspiasian's penchant for using blood may disturb their colleagues. Each character's preferences not only inform the roleplaying that goes into acquiring materials, but also help illuminate an aspect of the character that might not be revealed otherwise. Second, wh enever a character attempts to craft an alchemical creation, they should roll 0 equal to their current Force rating as part of the check. and they must have a current Force rating of at least I to attempt the check at all. (This only matters if a Force-sensiUve character has committed one or more of their 0 to susta in a Force power or tal ent.) The cha racter does not spend the 0 or . results from th e check to generate ( ). In stead , the character may spend any 0 genera ted on the check to get one of the effects listed on Table 3-2: Spending Q, ~, @ . @.O, and. on Potion Creations on page 82 or Table 3-4: Spending 0,
ALCHEMICAL POTIONS

POISONING PEOPLE

Alchem ical potions are a '.vide ra nge of tin ctures and elixirs with a variety of side effect s. To take effect, the user must consume the potion. Th erefo re, all of t hese items are con -

sumed after a single use or application. When cra fting an alche mi cal potion, first choose one of t he fo llowing temp lates. Each template's effect is listed in its entry

ACID Ac id s are da ngero us, if imp reCise. weapo ns Although the re are plenty of ind ustria l and com merc ial ac ids on the ope n

market. an alchem ical ac id is uni que be cause it only affec ts livin g t issue. This means it ca n be appl ied to weapons, o r even added to food. When affected by this potio n, the target mu st ma ke a Hard (• • •l Resilience check. If they fail, t hey suffer 2 wounds at the beginn ing of the ir turn fo r th e nex t three rounds, plus o ne additio nal ro und per @.

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oisons can be applied to a target's food or drink, in which case the target suffers the effects when they ingest it. Alternatively, it can be applied to a Melee or Brawl weapon with a sharp point or edge that can induce the poison into the target's bloodstream (at the CM's discretion, the poison can be applied to a projectile weapon as well, but this weapon should logically be able to induce the poison into the target). If applied to a weapon, the first successful hit that deals at least one wound causes the target to suffer the effects of the poison. Once the poison has affected one target, it is depleted and another dose must be applied to the weapon.

DRAUGHT OF FIRE

This t hick. visco us liqu id quick ly bonds wit h muscle t issue, tempo ra rily st rengthen ing the use r to unheard-of leve ls. It dra ins their menta l fo rti tude, but the ga in in raw power is surely worth this dra\-vba ck.

This brew is as fiery to consume as its name suggests, Once ingested, though, it bonds with the user's skin to igni te to dead ly effect on any they attack.

When the use r consu mes this potion , their Brawn increases by 1 but their Will powe r is reduced by 1 . This effect lasts until the end of t he fo llow ing round.

Once consumed, the user's body is covered with flames. They do not harm the user and the user ignores any fire· or flame-rela ted damage. Their unarmed attacks gain the Burn 4 quallty, or add + 1 to that quality if it was already possessed. This effeet lasts 1 round, or 30 minutes if used in narrative time.

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ELIXIR OF VIGOR

HEALING POTION This might take the form of a fou l-smell ing salve, crystal-clear elixir, or ti nct ure with a strange etherea l glow to it. However, the overall effect is t he same. Some how, t he potion heals inju ries and restores those who dr-in k it to good hea lth When the user consumes this potion, they im mediately heal one Critical Injury with a severit y of Hard or less : Alti;Jough t his potion can heal the Maimed Critical Injury, it cannot regrow the lost li mb.

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POISON This alchemica l poison is not all t ha t dissimilar from the dead ly neurotoxi ns produced for assassins and hired kill~rs across th e ga laxy. When affected by the poison, the target must immediately make an Average (• •l Resilience check. If they fail, they suffer 5 wounds, plus 1 sErain per @ .

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TABLE 3-1: AL[HEMII:AL P[)TION TEMPLATES Ac id

600 credits/6

Dra ught of Fi re

400 cred its!5

Elix ir of Vigor

600 credits!6

Hea li ng Potion

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1,000 cred its/5

500 credits/4

Poison

1.000 credits/8

Potion of Wil ls St imulan t

400 credits/4

1,000 credits! ! 0

V'v'ate r of Life Weaken ing Potion

1 .000 credits/6

TABLE 3-2: SPEN[)ING t), ~, @, "(;jJ,

{+••l Discipline o r Knowledge (Lore) check Hard ( +. +1Discipline or Knowledge (Lore) check Average ( ++1Discipline or Knowledge (Lore) check Hard

Easy


(+•• +)Discipline or Knowledge (Lore) check Average (t +1Discipline or Knowledge (Lore) check Fo rmidable ( +••••, Discipline or Knowledge (Lo re) check Daunting

Hard

(+++)Discipline or Knowledge (Lore) check

0. AN[) •

2 hours

3 hou rs 4 hours

•

2 hou rs 2 hours

6 hours

•

2 hou rs 8 hou rs 4 hours

[)N P[)TI[)N [REATI[)NS

I Effect

Symbols

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Average (• •l Discipline or Knowledge (Lore) check

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Fortifying: If the potion is beneficial. the target heals one wound when consuming it

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Reviving: If the potion is bene fi cial. the target hea ls t wo stra in when consuming it. Draining: If the potion is harm ful. the target suffers two st rain when consuming it. long-lasting: If the potion has a du ration assoc iat ed with it, increase t he duration by one hour (or one round in structu red encounters)

I Careful Measuring: By carefu lly measuring ingredients. some are saved for later_ The character retains

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I suppl ies wo rth 50% of t he material price needed to craft the pot ion (th is can on ly be selected once) I Large Batch: Brew up an extra large batch of the concoction . creating t wo doses of the potion in stead of one.

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Extra Potency: If the poti on is ha rmfu l. increase t he difficulty to resist it by 1 (to a max im um of Fo rmidable

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Virulent: If the pot ion is harmful . upgrade th e difficulty of any checks to resist it o nce

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Recipe: Create a recipe t hat permane ntly reduces t he difficul ty of creating this type of potion by 1 (to min imum of Simple (-ll

Empowered: If the potion is benefiCial. it remains in the user's system. and has the sa me effect the foll owing round

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Foul Taste: If the potion is benefi cial. the user suffers 2 strain after consum ing it and benefiting from its effects. Vile Smell : If the potion is harmfu l. characters add app lied to a weapon.

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to any checks made to notice it in food, drink, or

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Brief Effect: If the potion has a du ration associated wit h it. decrease the duration by one hour (to a minimum of ha lf an hour) or by one round (to a min imum of one round)

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Sloppy Brewing: The character requi res extra ingred ients due to brewing mistakes. and must ob tain additiona l supplies with a cost equal to 2 5% of the base cost

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Di luted Strength: If the potion is harmfu l. reduce the d ifficulty to resist it by 1 (to a minim um of Simple

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Empowered by Evil: The use r suffers 2 Confl ict afte r consum ing the potion

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Unexpected Side Effects: After the potion is consumed and its effects applied. the GM selects t he effects of a different alchemica l potion and app lies those to t he target as wel l. These effects shou ld be beneficia l to the target if the potion was created to be harmful, and vise ve rsa

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MAKING TIME FOR CRAFTING

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here are many different ways in \"·,'hich a character

might undertake a crafting project. Some characters

might approach their work slowly, putting in a few hours a day over weeks, months, or years. Others might disappear into a workshop for whole days at a time without rest or regard for their other needs, only to emerge (probably exhausted) with a finished product.

The GM must consider how to allocate time during sessio ns for crafti ng. Generally speaking, few groups want to sit arou nd while the GM and one player nar-

rate tinkering with a device for hours. The crafting chec k is meant to expedite this process, but if a player wants to get deep into the nitty-gritty of building a device, there are a few ways that the GM can handle it without slowing play overmuch for everyone else. Whenever the group takes ~downtime" during the story, the GM can offer players interested in crafting t he chance to build a number of items appropriate to the time available. The GM can alternate attention

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between each of the players, each of whose character is presumably pursuing some agenda during the downtime. Thus, the GM might tell all would-be crafters t o perform Step 1: Select Template , then turn to the group of PCs who have decided to visit a cantina for some rest and relaxation. Once the cantina group has played out a few checks, the GM can return to the crafters and ask which item they have selected, th en have them perform Step 2: Acquire Materials. The GM can continue in this way, even asking the crafters to make choices about how to spend and $ in Step 3: Construction while running unrelated scenes for oth er characters who have business of their own to resolve.

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Alternatively, the GM could ask the player interested in crafting to arrive early to the session (or stay a bit late) to take care of the mechanical side of the crafting, so that everyone else at the table doesn't have to wait around while that player agonizes over which quality to add to an item. The best option is the one that works best for the pa rticu lar group in question.

POTION OF WILLS

WATER OF LIFE

This poison must be imbibed to have any effect. although those effects are as impressive as t hey are disturbing. It inh ibits the user's menta l facu ltie s, making them willi ng to agree to anyone 's co mma nds.

Created using something the Nightsiste rs of Dathomi r cal led ·spirit ichor." the so-cal led Water of Life is a glowing green liquid l ha t ca n heal wou nds, and even return t he "most ly" dead back to life.

Th is potion canno t be app lied to a weapon: it must be ingested. When affected by the poison, the target must make an Average (• •) Discipline check If they fail, they count thei r Willpower as 0 for the remainder of the encounter (or one hour in narrative time). At the CM's discretion, they are also willing to follow any instructions that they receive. The duration increases by one hour per @ .

Wh en th e user consum es this potion, lh ey hea l all wounds and strai n they are currently suffering. In add ition. if applied to a ta rget who d ied during the current encounter. the target may immediately make a Daunting Discipline or Re silience check (even though the targe t is dead). If successful. the target returns to life and heals one Critical Injury of their choice that they are suffering from.

STIMULANT Similar in eFfect but infin itely stronger than a pot of hot car, an alchemical stimulant can keep an exhausted individual awake and moving for hours. Of course, the inevitable crash from this induced alertness just gets worse the more that individual pushes th emselves. When the use r consumes this potio n, they increase their strai n thresho ld by nve for the remai nd er of the encou nter (or one hou r in narra tive t ime)

(++++l

Alternatively, a the user may consume this potion while making a Force power check. If they do so. they surfer 1 Conflict. and they add automatic O. to the check results. If the Force user is at tempting to make a Conjure check. they add 00 • • instead.

WEAKENING POISON This poison does not ki ll t he target, but it does weaken them sign ifican tly. Unde r its effects, a target's wound s bleed free ly, and eve n the least effort ex hausts t hem. When affected by the potion , the target must im med iate ly Resilience check . If they fail. they make an Average reduce their wound and strain threshold to half their normal value [rounding up) for the remainder of the encounter (or one hou r in narrative timeJ_ The duration increases by one hour per @ .

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J ALCHEMICAL TALISMANS Alchemica l t al ismans are general ly sma ll items either worn on neck laces, carried on a be lt, o r held in the user's hand. Many are decorated with symbo ls and ico ns represe nting their povver or the be liefs t hei r users have in them .

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Whe n crafting an alchemica l tal isman, first choose one of the fol lowing temp lates. Eac h te mp la te's effect and duration is listed in its ent ry

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AMULET OF POWER Though it often ta kes the form of a smal l conglomerat io n of crysta l sha rds, this tali sma n sto res withi n it a strong con ne ction to t he Force. When sha tte red, the wearer finds themselves su rging with add itiona l potency in t heir Force abili t ies.

The user may employ this talisman to ro ll 1 additio nal 0 as pa rt of a Force powe r chec k or when add ing 0 to a sk ill check Once used, t he ta lisman fragments into dust.

FETISH OF FEAR Th is tal isman rad iates an au ra of terror into anyon e seeking to attack the 'Nearer. Many crafters de li be rately fo rm eac h into sma ll, grotesque figu rin es or body part s, the be tter to heigh te n t he effect. The user may chose to have an enemy charac ter attempt ing to move into engaged range with them to first make an Average Fear check as an out of turn inciden tal. If the character succeeds, they can move as desired. If the character fails, t hey ca nnot perform t he desi red maneuver but can still perfo rm anot her maneuve r instead.

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While act ive, the ta li sman allows t he use r to ignore environmenta l effects such as fire, acid, and co rrosive at mo spheres. They always act as if in a stan da rd grav ity field and may brea the no rmally even underwater and in a vac uum. Weapons !i.Jith the Burn quali t y do not count as hav ing that qua lity when used as pa rt of an attack aga ins t the user.

HEALING ACCELERANT Th is ta lisman surges with energy, easing minds and mend ing bodies. It can even rewire circui t ry o r weld metal if needed When the talisman is actIVe, whenever t he user would recover stra in or wounds, the user recovers that amount plus 1 instead

SHIELD AMULET Th is small. seemingly decora tive item protects the weare r from attacks t hat call o n the Force for power. Such attacks break like waves aga inst the rocks from the amu let's power. If the user wou ld suffer da mage from an attack whe re a Fo rce powe r was used ei the r to perfo rm the attac k or augmen t its effects. they may choose red uce the damage the attac k inflicts by ha lf (rou nd ed up). This talisman can only be used once per session .

TALISMAN OF FATE Th is small icon seems to be made of an imposs ible num be r of mu lticolo red t hreads, tightly bound into a geomet ric form. As fo rces rise to threaten the wea rer, t he threads seem to sh ift and somehow negate the t hreats. Whe neve r the GM would flip 1 Dest iny Poin t to upgrade the abili t y or di fficu lt y of a ski ll check invo lVing the user, the

user may downgrade th e difnculty of the check once. ThiS

Th is ta lisman often is worn as a circ let or pair of large earrings, and works to acce lerate though t processes even in no n-o rgan ic bein gs. Though stressful to use, it ca n ensu re the wearer remembers a v ital fact jus t in t he nick of time.

does not return the Desti ny Poi nt t o th e dark side. ThiS tali sman falls apart and d issolves after a single use

Wh ile wearing this talisman, whe n the user makes a Knowledge chec k, they may suffer a nu mb er of strai n up to their Intellect cha racteristic. If they do, t hey add D equa l to the strai n suffered this way to the check.

Often worn o n a neck lace as a sta rbu rst of metallic shards, this fe tish acts to dampen Force powers used to sway the wea re r's thin king. For those who fear the mind tricks of olden days, it is essent ial to preserve an individ ual's se nse of self.

PROTECTIVE AMULET

Whenever the user IS targe ted by an opposed socia l sk ill check where a Force power was used either to pe rform or augment the check, they may choose to have t he oppos ing cha racter roll 1 fewer 0 as part of the check. If th is mea ns there are not enough 0 for the check to be made or t he power to activate, the check au t oma tica lly fa lls

Commonly taking the form of a ring o r brooch, this talisman su rrou nds t he user with an aura that simula tes t he comforts of their na t ive en viro nment. no matter the dangers tha t su rround them

GUI D ED BYTHE FORCE

UlWMITED POWER

TOKEN OF RESISTANCE

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TABLE 3- 3: ALCHEMICAL TALISMAN TEMPLATES Name Material Price/Rarity Check Amulet of Power

500 creditsl6 300 credits/4

Fetish of Fear

-----

Hea ling

Accelerant Neural Charm Protective Amulet

8 hours

1,200 credits17

Daunting

(t •• t ) Discipline or Knowledge (Lore) check

6 hours

Talisman of Fate

4,000 creditsl6

0 ,

'*',

00,

2 hours

(+•• t l Discip line or Knowledge (Lore) check

1,000 creditsJ8

1 ,800 credits/9

TABLE 3-4: SPENDING Symbols EFFect

4 hours

Daunting

Shield A mulet

Token of

(+. +)Disciplin e or Knowledge (lore) check Average {t +1Discipline or Knowledge (lore) check

Hard

600 creditsl5

300 credits/4

~sislance

Time

Easy (t ) Discipline or Knowledge (Lore) check

3 hours

(t •• t ) Disciplin e or Knowledge (lore) check Hard (t. tl Discipline or Knowledge (lore) check Formidable (t ••• t ) DiScipline or Knowledge

2 hours

Daunting

(Lore) check

0. ~. @ . ~. 0. AND .

/

10 hours 8 hours

._--- - -

ON TALISMAN CREATIONS

Draining: If t he talisman affects anot her character in a harmfu l manner, that character suffers 1 strain after reso lving the effects of the ta lisman .

orO

Hidden Purpose: Add _ to any checks made to determine the talisman's true func tion. Crowing Power: If the talisman is used to oppose an enemy's skill check or an enen y must perform a skill check due to the talisman's activation, that check's difficulty is increased by 1.

'*'

Invigorating: The user recovers 1 stra in afte r using the ta lisman.

orOO

Carefu l Measuring: By carefully measuring materia ls, some are saved for later. The character retains supplies worth 50% of the material price needed to craft the talisman (this can only be selected oncel.

~-------r-

-------~

Additiona l Power: If the talisman is used to inflict or reduce damage, the amour.lt inflicted or reduced is increased by 2.

00 0 , ,*"

Clever Construction : The crafter fmds an inspired way to fashion more while using the sa me amount of material, creating two of that ta lisma n instead of one.

orOOO

Blueprint : Create a const ruction formula that permanently reduces the difficulty of creating this type of talisman by I [to a minimum of Simple

(-n.

0 0 0 0 , ,*" orOOOO

Redirect Energy: If the talisman reduces damage or resists enemy influences, the user may make a single maneuver as an out-o F-turn incidental once its effec ts are resolved. ~----r-Emp owe red : If the ta li sman can on ly be used on ce pe r session or is lo st after one use, it instead ca n be used twice per session or has one additio nal use before it is lost (this can only be selected once).

.__1 _

'*''*'

Mighty: If the talisman adds or removes dice to a check, it adds or removes one additional die of that type (this can only be selected once).

@ ,@.or .

Noticea ble: Force users add D to any checks made to determine that the talisman is an act ual alchem ically crafted item and not merely decorative jewe lry or an ornamenta l keepsa ke

orOOOO O

Cumbersome: The ta lisman is awkwardly fashio ned . Increase its encumbrance by I Bad Feeling: The user suffers J Conflict after using the talisman. /

Sloppy Integration: The character requires extra ingredients due to crafting mistakes, and must obtain additional supplies with a cost equal to 25% of the base cost. @@@ ,@'. or • • •

Hard to Control : The user must perform a Hard needed) in order for the talisman to act iva te.

{+++lDiscipline check as an incidenta l (out-of-turn if

! Empowered by Evil: The user suffers 2 Conflict aft er using the talisman .

f------- I T~;sted

Fates: The user must spend a Destiny-PO-j-n-,-jn-O-r-d-er- -t o- u- s-e-t-h-e-ta-l-jS-m-a-n-. -

- - -- - - -- -1

! Failure to Activate: The ta lisman seems cursed. and prone to malfunction The GM may spend 2 Destiny i

L -_ _ _ _ _ _

Points to have the ta lisman fai l to work when t he user wishes it to. Th is does not co unt as using it for purposes being lost__ _ _ _ _ _____ _ _ _ of its d uration, or number of times ~ can be used per sess ion or _ before ____ _ __

~___________

~

GUIDED BY TH E FORCE

UNUMrTU>_

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EXPANDED FORCE POWERS

P

layer Characters in

FORCE AND DESTINY

possess a great

adva ntage in their co nn ectio n to the Force. Within the game, this is most evident in t he use of Force powers. However, the Force is myst erious, subtle, and capable of nea r-endless possibilities. The Force should always be an important,

even centra l, part of the narrative in any FORCE AND

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DESTINY

campa ign. It not only enables the pes to accompli sh the ir goa ls, but often drives their objectives and adventures For Crvls and players who wan t to fu rther exp lore the ro le o f the Fo rc e in thei r game, this section provides adv ice

for inco rporating the Force into the narra tive. In addition, optiona l rules suggest some ways GMs can mecha nically reflect the influ ence of the Force, giving it a bigger part in chec ks and other r ules outside of defined Force powe rs

THE ROLE OF THE FORCE /

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The Force is a central part of Star Wars , eve n if its influence is no t always appare nt t o the characte rs . In FORCE AND DESTINY, however, th e Fo rc e not only plays a co nstan t and im po rtant part in the story, bu t the pes active ly, if not always con sc iously, uti lize it to ac hieve the ir goa ls. Whet her t he charact ers willfully use t he Force or su bco nsciously cha nnel it , the results ca n reach fa r beyond the immediate chal lenge, and are no t always pos itive , Force sensitive s exhibi t many abi lities and benefit from t heir co nnecti on even wit hou t t he t rain ing to util ize it to its fu ll exte nt. Even when the Force manifests in subtle ways, these ind ividua ls risk d rawi ng upon t he dark side and sl ipping into a spiral of corruption

THE FORCE AS A NARRATIVE AID /

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In many FORCE AND DESTINY ca mpai gns, the Fo rce and th e pes' understanding of it (o r lack t hereon is a d riving pa rt of the story_ Whether this is the case or no t, t he Fo rce can - a nd o ften shou ld- infl ue nce the narrat ive In more subt le ways as wel l. Every roll the playe rs make both originates fro m and d rives the game's narrat ive, If the re are no d rama tic consequences of the activ it y, then it probably does not ca ll for a check in t he first place. If an act ivity is importa nt enough to wa rra nt a check- whether to advance the action or reveal more of a character's personal story- it is important enough for the Force to playa part , at least as long as it makes sense wit hin t he narrative. One direct and natu ral way to use the Force to en han ce the na rrative is to inco rporat e its prese nce into checks and othe r eve nts outside of Force powers. This sim ply means describ ing a characte r's acti o n as drawi ng on t he Force_ Fo r examp le, GMs usua lly describe Pe rception checks as using one of the five standard senses most sapient beings possess to detect a t hreat or somet hing of interest in th e sce ne A Force-sensitive character, howeve r, might very well notice

GUID ED BYTHE FO RCE UNUMITED POWER

t he same thi ng through the sixth sense t he Force offe rs. The eM ca n ca ll fo r a Perception check as norma l, sim ply narrating that t he character expe riences a sudden rea lization of danger or subtle tre mo r in the Fo rce, rather than heari ng Hie enemies unho lste ri ng the ir blast ers just out of sigh t Som e players migh t incorporat e t he Force into the ir descriptio ns of "m undane" actions t hey t ake in th is way wit hout any pro mpting. Fo r ins tance, a playe r who suspects enem ies lu rking in amb ush might describe thei r cha racte r clos ing their eyes and reac hing out wi th the Force. A GM should genera lly encourage this and inco rp orate It into their ow n deSC ript io ns for t hat sce ne_

A great way to incorporate t his so rt of na rrative interaction of t he Force into a game is by tailo rin g such "soft" Fo rce actio ns to the characte r, The previous example of a Perception check is particularly appropriate fo r a Mysti c charact er, someone who customari ly sees the ga laxy in terms of the Force. A eM can encourage players to draw on the un iq ue affi nitie s of t he ir characte rs in describ ing t heir actions, and can weave pe rsona l tra it s into t he ir own narration . Of cou rse, the "h ov"" of an action ofte n becomes clear on ly once th e d ice are roll ed and the results interpreted . In this way, the eM and players can use the influence of t he Force on a check to he lp exp la in pa rticu larly good - or unusua lre su lts_A great Vigilance check in the face of an ambu sh , a I,ve ll -placed b laster shot, a fa ll of a long di stance wi th on ly negligible Injuri es, and almost any other remarkab le resu lt of a sk il l chec k co uld refl ect th e characters us ing the Force, whether they rea lize it or not. These so rt s of narrative uses of the Force do not nece ssa rily gra nt any mechanica l rules advantage. However, du e to t he narrative nature of Star Wars Ro leplaying, it can influence checks and other aspec ts of the game even within the norma l app li cation of the ru les, just as with other narrat ive detai ls.

THE FORCE AND CHECKS The na rrat ive d rives eac h game of FORCE AND DESTINY . ju st as the resu lts o f checks propel that story in new d irectio ns. Wit h any ski ll check, t he narrative circumstances ca n mod ify the check by add ing D or • . The flow of th e Force is no exception, and when weaving the Forc e into the narra tive outside of forma l Force powers, as al ready described, the GM should co nsider mod ifying checks accordi ngly. As described previously, GM s may encourage playe rs to describe t heir characte rs dra wing o n t he Force fo r seemi ngly mundan e checks_ To recogn ize and re ward particularly good and creative ideas for how the Force migh t aid a characte r in an action, t he eM can ad d 0 or mo re to the d ice pool, just as with any other circumst ance the players use to t hei r adva ntage, O f course, unlike environment al features and the like, t he Forc e is always there as a pot en tial aid _To prevent players from Si mply gai ning 0 t o every ro ll t hey make by claimi ng the ir charact ers are us ing the Force, a GM can do a few thi ngs.

First, t he GM shou ld restri ct such bonus 0 to situations where it feels appropriate and in wh ich the player comes up with a good and creative exp lanati on for how the cha racter draws on the Force. If a playe r simply claim s, "I use the Force to jump higher: t he GM might not allow an extra D, but simply suggest t ha t t he player shou ld use the Enhance power, or spend XP to acqu ire it if they have not already! However, If t he player describes how the character reflects on a men tor's adv ice in order to fi nd the inner strength to make what wou ld otherwise be an intimidating leap ove r a chasm, the GM cou ld add D. Th is stil l is not as potent as even the basic Enhance power. but it is a good example of roleplaying and weaving the story into the roll - exactly the sort of th ing that cou ld add pos it ive dice to any check

Anot her way to ensure the Force benefits ordina ry sk ill checks on ly in a way that refl ects and reinfo rces t he narra t ive is to app ly the same risk that comes with any use of the Force - namely, t he temp tation of t he dark side. Primarily, a GM can represe nt t his by spen ding @ and"@ the check gen erates to give the PC one or more Con fli ct. Like t he addi t ion of D in the first place. this shou ld only be done if it makes sense narratively. Going back to the example of the Force se nsit ive leap in g t he chasm, if t he chec k generates seve ral @ , the GM and player might decide t ha t th e PC gives in to thei r anger toward the NPC they are chas ing, giving an edge but also bringi ng the PC closer to the dark side Of course, there are other narrative risks associa ted with using the Fo rce, whic h apply both to Force powers and when cha racters use the Force in more subt le ways. Other Force -sensitive characters might sense the activity or even the identity of t he PC, if the two have previously encountered one another. Other NPCs- those who are not Fo rcesensitive- migh t even no tice so mething out of the ordina ry about the PC's action, and in t urn might re port it to Imperial authori ties, try to blac kmai l the Pc. or otherwise make trouble for the pes. Both of these sit uations, as well as other appropriate reperc ussio ns, cou ld co me about as a result of @ or ~ on checks in which a PC uses the Force to gain a benefjt. or from t he use of Force powe rs t ha t req uire com bined checks Although rarer, the re are also circumstances in which t he Fbrce might add. to checks t he PCs make. This might represent an indfrect co nseque nce, such as. to socia l checks when interacting with NPCs who distrust Force users or are wary of being associa ted wit h them. In other cases, a PC's attunement to the Force may in Itself be a disadvantage. For example, when confronted wi t h a powerfu l Sith or Imperial InquiSito r requ iri ng a fear chec~k, a PC who can se nse t he enemy's power migh t add . , while a PC smuggle r wit hout Force"'sensitivi ty does not

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AND DESTINY Destiny Points are a powerful tool for players to influence the story. as well as an additional tool at the CM's disposal. To some eXlent, Destiny Points always represent the im pact of the Force on proceedings_ However, this is doubly true in F O RCE AND DESTINY, as compared to other Star Wars Roleplaying games. Unlike o ther pes, Force-sensitive characters are likely to realize when the Force influences events around them, while consciously drawing on and ma nipulating it to arrect l he res ul ts. Desti ny Po ints are an effective wa y to represe nt t his. Much as with . and D. both the GM and players ca n na rratively describe how th e Force influences events in such a way as Lo upgrade a check or its difficu lty. A p layer migh t spend a Destiny Point to upgrade a chec k, flipping the token as they describe their charac ter closing thei r eyes and focusing on the Force between lining up a blaster shol. Or the GM might describe the pes detecting a subtle disturbance in the Force as they spend a Destiny Point to upgrade the difficulty of a check. Destiny Points, of course, also represent the influence of destiny over the events of the game. Appropriately, these are two sides of the same coin - the cu rrents of the Force nudge events toward a predestined outcome, and in many ways the Force and the desti ny of both the PCs and the galaxy are one and the same. When the PCs spend a Destiny Point to add an importan t item or other feature to the scene, il cou ld represent the culmina tion of a chai n of events set in motion years or decades before. Once in a wh ile. th e pes might eve n see a link in th is cha in, such as noticin g tha t a muc h-needed power ce ll tha t shows up at a crucia l time bears t he mark of a trader they assisted in a previous adventure. Such details are not necessary, but can be used on occasion to add depth and remind the players t hat the Cosmic Force and its influence extend throughout the ga laxy,

CHARACTER ADVANCEMENT

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When deciding how to spend XP to advance their characters, players should consider not only how they want their character to advance, but what the charac ter has been through . In both cases, it is important to also consider the impact of the Force on the character's development, and not on ly when it comes to Fo rce talen ts and Force powers. With some thought, players and GMs ca n wo rk together to ensure tha t characte r adva ncement reflect s the influence of th e Force on the PCs' lives. just as do checks and other in-pl ay eve nts One way the Force can affect charac ter adva nc emen t is fo r the p layers to look to narrative Force uses (as described on page 86) as a cue. In some cases, a character's narrative use of the Force, whet her or no t it adds D or • to a check or otherwise has a mechanical impact, might resemble an existing Force power, albeit less potent. For instance, if the GM or player narratively described the character as using the Force to detect danger with an ordinary Vigi lance check, the player might decide to spend XP to acqu ire the Sense power, possi bly at the CM's suggestion

Lea rning more of the Force and how to use it is often a major motiva tion for FORCE AND D ESTINY characters. Obta ining holocron s, locating potential teachers, and uncovering ancient lore are all lil(ely goals that provide a perfect narrative reason for pes to spend XP on Force powers and tal ents_ Tying together narrative and mechanical rewards like this can reinforce the ro[e the Force plays in the pes' ongoing develop men t. A GM might want to suggest appro priate Fo rce powers and ta lents that reflect what the characters learn in-game, or just work wi th the players to craft a suitab le na rrative

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INDIVIDUALIZING FORCE POWERS The Force and how a charac ter manifests t heir particu lar affin ity for it ca n influence not only what ab ilities the cha racter acquires, but how those apply. The same power might appear very different when used by different characters. Force powers aren't quite as standardized as they might seem from the rules. There have been many Force traditions throughout history, each learning how to harness the Force in different ways and to varying ends. Different schools of Force use might teach very differently but arrive at sim ilar results, at least in terms of game mechanics. Even within a particular Force tradition , such as that of the Jedi, users put their own spin on similar techniques. In fact, some Force users are identifiable by their unique abilities. When it comes to differentiating different schools of Force use or the idiosyncrasies of individual users, the description proVided by th e GM or player is usually enough to distinguish powers. Variations might be subtle or sign ifi can t. Whi le one player migh t describe the Unleash powe r as bo lts of crac kling energy, another character might mani fest the ab ility in t he form of telekinesis that drops or hurls objects at the target In rare cases, a "reskin· of an existing power, even with the upgrades available, might not adequately represent the sort of ability a player wants for their character. In this Situation. a GM might decide to apply the new ru les for flexible Force powers or free form Force use presented on this page and page 90.

NEW RULES The existing rules for skill checks and the Force are more than adequa te to cover very nearly any situat ion that might arise in game. Still , whether to better represent uniq ue Force powers t he pes develop or to encou rage players to thin k (eve n more) creat ive ly wh en it comes to using t he Force. a CM can choose to imp lement so me or al l of the new ru les presented in this section

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FLEXIBLE FORCE POWERS Force powers open up a variety of options for pes, from the abi lity to circumvent impeding terrain to new combat options. However, players are likely to come up with uses for their characters' powers that seem to stretch the limits of a power, either because they seem too potent or because how

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I GUlDED BY THE FORCE

UNUMITED POWER.

TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS

F

oree-sensitive characters have a variety of additional abilities at their disposal. Not only are these

a great advantage, but they can sometimes allow these pes to all but circumvent traditional challenges and obstacles. In some cases, Force powers simply remove the need for specialized equipment. Other times, creative pes might surprise a eM with a quick or "easy~ solution to an intended challenge. Thi s may

be especia lly true for a game utilizing the additional rules presented here.

This can at first seem frustrating for a GM, but it doesn't have to be so. From a player's perspective, ove rcoming obstacles in interesting and exciting ways can be one of the most enjoyable aspects of an RPG. Rather than lament how "easy" it was for PCs to resolve the challenge, a eM can be satisfied both in success in one of their primary goals-making an enjoyable game for everyone-and with the entertain ment, excit ement, or humor of the scene. It is always good to keep in mi nd that a creative solution to a

to resolve the effect is no t entirely clear. Rather than restricting the players' options to what is clearly defined in a Fo rce power's description. it is ofte n better to view it as a sta rting poi nt. Allowing mo re flex ibili t y with Force powers ca n give playe rs a fee ling of em powerment, reward clever thin king, kee p th e ga me mov in g. and ju st add exci tem ent.

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In many cases. th is d oes not necessi t ate new ru les o r d eviations from the ru les at all. FORCE AND DESTINY is a flexibl e, narratively-driven ga me. and it is importa nt for everyone at the table to remember tha t the sam e fle xib ili ty ap plies to Force powers as all other activities characters might attempt. While a Force power's description states certain effects. these need not be seen as limits- although the eM should aVOid allowing players to duplicate the effects of power upgrades without purchasing them. During combat encounters, most actions the pes take require checks. 'ncluding Force powers. The tables on page 212 o f the FORce AN D DeSTINY Core Rulebook presen t common and suggested uses for spending positive and negative dice symbols in com bat. These o ption s app ly to attacks usi ng Force powers and tale nt s as much as those made with blasters, whether or not the act io n involves a light saber. Fo r insta nce, while the M ove power ex pl icit ly states a cha racter ca n use it to pul l a weap on fro m an oppon ent's grasp . a player cou ld also spen d t:} t:} t:} or as part of the Unleash power-as with any attac k- to ca use the target to drop a weapon. Whether this represe nts the ta rget drop ping it because of the pain or the PC pu ll ing it from their grasp with the Force is a matter fo r the players and eM to decide. When it comes to Force powers outside of combat, the GM and olayers shou ld likewise work together to devise eXCIting outcomes based on the result of a ch eck.

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challenge does not really mean it was easy, but that the players overcame it with clever th in king inst ead of reliance on obvious methods or purely on dice rolls. In a game featuring EDGe OF THE EMPIRE or AGe OF REBElLION characters. it might also be a concern that a player who finds creative uses for Force powers might t ake more than their share of time in the spotlight, solving problems that would normally requ ire the skills and talents of other careers. Of course, there are limits to what a PC can do with t he Force, even when using the optional r ules in this section. It's unlikely that a Force sensitive can o utperform other characters in their areas of expertise on a regular basis. A eM can employ the same strategies here they use any time there is a risk of one player having a prominent part at the expense of others' enjoyment. The rules for assista nce offer a good comprom ise when two PCs have promisi ng and compati ble solu tions t o a challenge.

Of cou rse. the player and GM can also spend dice symbo ls when a player at t empts an unusual use of a power that the eM d eterm ines req uires a check. Force powers are intent iona lly b road. but so meti m es a p laye r mi gh t at temp t to use a Force power in a wa y that is clea rly outside the limitatio ns of the power. In such a sit uati on. ra the r tha n si mpl y dis allowi ng th e use. a GM m ight co nsi der all ow ing it so long as il does nOl replicate the e Ffects of a diffe ren t Fo rc~ power. This is pa rticularly appropria t e for Knight-level characters. who are capable of a d izzying array of ap plications of the Force. and likely to develop their own unique tech niques. Even with lessexperienced characters, t he potential to add exciLemenL and enjoyment to the game should usua lly outweigh minor concerns abou t game ba lance. If a player's unusual application of a Force power is particu la rly potent or importa nt to the story, it should requi re a com bined check. This is especially true if the power targets an NPC (see Resisting Force Power Checks on page 283 of the FORCE AND DESTINY Core Rulebook). For insta nce. a GM might al low a PC to use the M ove power to hurl M inion N PCs thro ugh the air or push them ove r a ledge. No rma lly, M ove can on ly target objects, but the GM might dec ide t hat t he M in ions are eas ily di spa tched, and allow t he p layer to atte mpt it anyway, basing t he d iffi culty of the chec k on the weight of the NPCs, or reso lved as an opposed check aga inst their Resil ien ce.

A check is also ap propriate if a PC uses a Force power unde r particu larly diffi cult circumstances. such as using Enhance to lea p onto a landspeeder as it zooms past In general. jf a check would be need ed for a similar ~mundane· action. a combined Fo rce power check is appropr iate.

GUIDED BY THE FORCE UILIMITED POWER

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If a combined check is already required as part of a Force power. the GM might want to increase the difficulty of the check or add . for a particularly unusual application. In some cases, it might be preferable to simply allow a player to spend t:J and ct> for effects outside the usual appl ication of the power. For instance, if a PC is using Enhance to leap between two buildings to escape pursuit and the GM decides the importan ce of the situation calls for a check, the player might spend (j to instead land on a passing speeder and make a clean getaway

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FREEFORM FORCE USE As broad as Force powe rs are, some players migh t want additional options, or consistently attempt actions emu lating Force powers they have not yet purchased. For reasons such as these, GMs might consider allowing more freeform use of the Force_This is emirely optional and solely at the CM's discreLion, as it has the potential to alter the game significantly. It is particularly appropriate for Mystic characters. for whom the Force affects every aspect of life in ways that even other Force sensitives do not see. When a PC altempts to use the Force for an action that is not covered by any Force power they possess, the GM can allow them to make a combined Force power check. The difficulty of the check is at the eM's discretion based on the task attempted, but should generally be at least Average Likewise. the GM decides how many () the check mus t generate to ach ieve t he player's sta ted effec t. The skill used for the check should co rrespond to the action, particularly whe n it represe nts a more poten t (or stylish) version of an action a cha rac ter might attemp t withou t use of the Force. For insta nce, a character draw ing on the Force to staunch an ally's bleeding wound would make a combined Medicine check. If no other skill seems particularly appropri ate, Discipline works well for most · pure" Force uses.

RISKS OF FREEFORM FORCE USE Another option if a eM feels players are abusing their access to freeform Force use is to apply additional risks and penalties in the form of Conflict. Force powers represent tried and true methods of harneSSing the Force, honed ove r generations of Jed i, 5ith. or practitioners of other Force disciplines. Experimenting with the Force outside of these established methods often poses a greater danger for the user to give in to negative emotions, from frustratio n at their inability to achieve the desired effect to hubris when they do succeed . Add itio nall y, bending the Force to new and un t ried uses dUring battle or ot her te nse and dangerous situations, as opposed to carefu l experimen ta tion un der co ntrolled condit ions, is physically and mentall y tax ing.

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(+ +).

FREEFORM USE AND EXISTING POWERS Th is sort of freeform Force use should not take the place of existing Force powers. If a player describes an action that replicates the effect of a Force power, the eM COuld ei ther let the player know their character does not possess the expertise yet (and suggest the player invest the proper XP to show their character's pursuit of this ability!. or possibly allow them to achieve similar but lesser results, and only with a combined check of at lea st Hard diFncu lty. As a guideli ne, it shou ld also requ ire double t he number of () as the existing power. Thi s reflec ts the difficulty of such untrai ned use, and enco urages players to invest XP in powers they plan to use again. Regard less of the relative difficu lty of the check or the () generated, it should not mimic the results of any Force power upgrades. Such control is simply beyond the grasp of a cha racter without extensive practice in the technique.

(++.J

This latter method allows players to effectively "try our different Force powers before deciding if they want to commit the XP necessa ry to purchase them . Narralively, it might represent a Force sensitive experimenting with their abilities, or the train ing process to master the basics of a power {with additional expertise coming in the form of upgrades pu rchasedJater).

GUIDED BY THE FORCE

UNUMrTED POWER

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A GM ca n spend @ and tSf on comb ined checks to infli ct strain or Conflict on a character, as narrative ly appropri ate. eMs who invoke this op tion often migh t eve n conside r red ucing the diffi cu lty for ski ll chec ks mad e as part of free fo rm Forc e use, both to kee p the app roac h feasi ble for the pes and to tempt t hem with the prom ise of easy powe r_

FORCE DUELS Star Wars is rep lete with instances of Jedi . Si th, and others engaged in Fo rce du els, locked in a co ntest pitting each in dividual's sheer powe r an d mastery of the Force against the ot her's To bette r re prese nt these dra ma tic comba ts, e Ms ca n use the rules prese nted here, in wh ich opposi ng characters enter into a co ntest tha t takes mult ipl e ro unds to resolve Force duels are often visually inte nse affa irs, wit h clas hmg energies and flyin g objects

Parl of wh at makes Forc e duels so exci ting is l heir rela tive mfrequency compared to "n ormal" co mba t. even lightsaber duels_To prese rve t his drama and exc itemen t, it is best to use these ru les only fo r cli mac ti c encounters betwee n PCs and Nemesis NPCs (or poss ibl y between PCs- see Player Characters in Opposition on page 94).

BEGINNING THE DUEL

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A Force duel is more than an ordinary attac k, al though it migh t begin as one. When a characte r uses a Force power aga inst another Force user, and befo re reso lvin g t he check, t he player of the target cha ract er, or the GM in t he case of an NPC. ca n declare they are de fend ing agai nst the power by ini t iating a Force duel. The defend ing characte r chooses to resist either with the sa me Force powe r as the attacker or with a different app ro priate powe r; thi s might be a t hema t ica lly co ntrary powe r, or sim ply one app ro priate to t he situ ation_The GM ha s t he fin al say on wh eth er a powe r can

be used in the duel. A Force duel is resolved as a compet itive check (see page 33 of the FORCE AND DESTINY Core Ru leboo kJ t hat is also a combined Force pQl."Ier check, except where noted . The difficu lty of the check is Average unl ess the e M decides otherwise. The skill fo r t he ch eck depen ds on t he Fo rce pow er use d; if t he duelists use diffe rent powers, t his might mean th ey use di fferen t skill s_If a power does no t norm ally requ ire a ch eck. the GM and playe r decide on an app ropriate sk ill_ If no oth er skill seems appropriate, use Disc ipline

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Bo th duel ists roll and determi ne a winner as wi th any competitive check _ However, t he Force powers do no t have their usual effects, eve n on a successful check. Instead , eac h cha rac ler inrlicts 1 strain per on t he ot he r. If both duelists are stil i be low the ir strain t hresho lds after reso lving the comp etitive check , the duel con t inues next rou nd.

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A participan t In the du el who does not generate at least one () inflicts no stra in on th e oppo nent , regardless of how ma ny t he chec k generates

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CDNTINU I NG THE DUEL In su bseq uent rou nds, t he characte rs engaged in the Fo rce duel act simul taneou sly at the lowest in itia tive step avai lab le to t he cha racter INh o in itiated the duel. leaving an ext ra initiat ive slot for th e alli es of the charac ter who did not init iate it. [The Force duel requi res t he fu ll atte ntion and concentra tion o f bo th com batan ts, leaving them slower to respo nd to ongoi ng events_) The duelists make anothe r competiti ve chec k using the sa me Force powers th ey sele cted in the flrst rou nd of the du el. A cha racter may use a di fferent Force power instead, but ad ds . to t he check , as eve n t he brief moment taken to change app roac h could leave an open ing for t he enem y Th e winner of the previous round's check upgrades t heir skill check for the current round . Th is re prese nts t he character pre ssing t heir advan tage and forCing t hei r oppo nent on the defensive. At any po int in the round , a du elist ca n opt to take an avai labl e in it iat ive slot. ending their part icipation in t he duel However, a Force duel is an intense affair, and a characte r wh o takes a different action in thiS way leaves t hem se lves ope n to t he oppo nen t If t he oppos in g du eli st chooses, t hey can make a check fo llow in g th e rules for a duel, rega rdless of the init ia tive step t hey now choose to act on _The character makes t he chec k as above, bu t be cause t he oppo nent has ceased to pa rticipate in the duel, it is not reso lved as a co mpetitive check . In add itio n, t he diffi culty of t he chec k is reduced one ste p fro m previ ous rounds. As long as one of t he characters cont inu es t heir pa rti cipat ion in the duel. it is co nsidered to be ongoing. Th is means th at: t he othe r character can choose to rejoi n the duel in t he next ro und , and it proceeds as descri bed_ In this way, characters ca n in terru pt the duel 'N~h ligh tsaber swi ngs, blaster shots, and ot her attacks, while the duel itself co ntin ues Pa rtic ipan ts in a Force duel ca n use maneuve rs to move abo ut without ending the duel, so long as both part icipants remai n wit hin range for th eir chosen Force powers.

ENDING THE DUEL A Force duel ends whe n a participan t's strain exceeds their stra in threshold (even if the lOSing character ended their pa rticipation in the duel already du ring the sa me round). Whe n reso lving the check that end s the duel, in add ition to app lying strain to both participa nts, the win ner of the du el now app lies the effects of their Force pO'Ner. Note that this is not an op posed check, and so the resul ts of the losing character's ro ll do not reduce t he effect iveness of the victor's Force power. It is possible both duelists migh t exceed t hei r strain t hres holds at the same time (wi th the results of t he same simultane ous com petitive check). In t hi s case, resolve t he effects of both partic ipants' powers aga inst the oth er before ap plying the resu lts of excess ive strai n.

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If both cha racters end their participa t ion in t he duel by ta king a different actio n or selecting a diffe rent target , the duel ends wit hout any add it iona l effe cts. Likewi se, if a character moves out of range of t hei r- or the other duel ist'sForce power and the oppone nt does not move within range on the next rou nd, the duel en ds.

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DARK SIDE PLAYER CHARACTERS

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includ es bot h ru les and eM guidance for Player Characte rs falling to the dark side of th e Fo rce. Thi s section expa nds on the mate ri al presen t ed in the Co re Ru lebook. and is aimed at GMs who an ti cipate the pOSS lbliit y of a PC fa ll ing to the dark sid e. On e questio n a GM sho uld co nsider up fron t is whether or not dark side pes are appropnate for :he campa ign. A GM might make Lh is det erm inatio n on their own, but it is usuall y a good idea to discuss the prospec t with players, If a p layer has a strong des ire to playa dark side characte r. it is best to address this early to make sure the game is enjoyab le for everyo ne. OReE AND DESTI NY

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WHY PLAY A CARE( SIDE CHARACTER? Th ere are ma ny reasons a player migh t wa nt th eir charac ter to fall to the dark si de, and understand ing the specific sit ua tion can be helpful in dec iding whet her it IS approp riat e for the campa ign. The re is a big differe nce betwee n a player wan ting to exp lore the sto ry arc of fall and rede mptio n and one wh o just wa nts to t rave l t he ga lax y mu rde r ing and committing wanto n acts of eVi l. The Mora lity syst em and Con flict introd uce an element of uncertai nty to the consequences of a chara cter's decis io ns This does not mea n, howeve r, t hat players have no or little control over whethe r or not the ir charact er fall s to t he da rk side. A charact er might earn a numb er of Co nflict during a sess ion from evil actions or usi ng dark side result s t o ge nerate Force poi nts and see no change in Moral ity, or even an increase. Th e inverse is not tru e, however. A charac te r who do es nothi ng to earn Conflict can not decrease in Mora lit y. As not ed In the FORCE AND DESTINY Core Ru leboo k, the GM al\·vays info rm s a player when an act ion will genera t e Con fl ict. Fo r a cha rac t er's Mo rali ty t o d ro p below 3 0 , resulting in a fa ll to t he dark Side, the pl ayer must co nsist en tly choose act io ns t hat lead down this pa t h, A player has a gre at deal of cont ro l over their characte r's Moral ity and aware ness of how close the cha racter is to t he da rk side.

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Of course, a p laye r's knowledge and cho ices are not the same as t he characte r' s. W hi le a playe r co nsc iously decides t o take actions tha t resu lt in a decrease of Morality, the characte r migh t well be una ware of the spiritual reperc ussions o f the ir act io ns, or how close they are drawing to the preci pi ce of the dark side. Charact ers in Star Wars ofte n del ude t hemselves, refusing t o admi t they have fallen to the dark side unt il we ll afte r th e fact. Eve n once a characte r t ruly fa ll s and com mits b latantly evil actions, th ey are unl ikely to v iew the mse lves tha t way Playe rs also have the optio n to begin pl ay with a Moral ity of 2 9 , playing a charact er who has already fa ll en to the dark side. If this is Inappropriat e fo r the ca mpa ign, the eM shoul d let t he players know. Although players have a great deal of co ntro l in crea t ing an d developi ng thei r cha racters, the GM always has the fi nal say on what is per miss ible in thei r campa ign, Most players will respect t he decisio n not to allow da rk side cha racters at the outset , although it can

GUIDED BY THE FORCE UNLIMITED POWER

be benefic ia l for t he eM to d iscuss their reaso ns with the p layers. Whether the GM vva nts a ga me Wit h no da rk side users at all o r only prefe rs t hat charact ers make the t ransition to t he dark side du ring play ca n influence other aspec ts of cha racte r creatio n and d evelopment. Wh ether a player requ est s to begin t he game with a dark side user or play out the ir cha ract er's fa ll du ri ng the cam paign, it is a good idea for t he playe r and GM t o d iscuss the p laye r's reasons for wantin g to playa dark side charact er, and any plans re lating to this goal . O f cou rse, a player might not have a fa ll t o the dark side in mi nd when first creat ing their cha racte r, bu t the same principles app ly should a charact er's actio ns indicate a pote nti al slide to dar kness. Al th ough t he re are end less reasons why a playe r might wan t t o playa da rk side characte r, th ey broadl y fall into t wo cat ego ri es. Some players wan t to experience th e d ra ma tha t comes wi th a fall and possi bl e redemptio n, whi le others want the freedom (and possib le novel t y) t hat co m es with playing an "evil·' cha ract er. Of cou rse, some players might ho ld eq ua l interest in bot h aspects. In any case, it is importan t for a player to be open so t he GM unde rstands what im pact a dark side charac t er is li kely to have on t he cam paign , Thi s allov'iS a GM to bet t er pla n for any po te ntial iss ues , and to best accommoda t e the p laye r wh ile ensu ring other players also have an enjoyab le exp erience.

THE DARK SIDE IN A CAMPAIGN Ir a GM decides da rk side charact ers are appropnate fo r t heir ca mpaign, there are a num ber of consid erations to look at. So me touc h on mec han ics, but most relate to practic e, suc h as whether or not players wi ll conceal t heir cha racte rs' M oralit ies from the other playe rs. If none of the players express an in terest in plaY in g a dark side charac ter, th ese co nside rations can \va it, at least until som eone does start down that path. Shou ld a eM dec ide aga inst da rk side pes. t here rem ai ns the questi on of how to hand le charac ters who fal l bel ow 3 0 Mo rality, As sta t ed , players have a great d eal o f con tro l over t he ir charact ers' M orality, and are high ly unlikely t o fall wi th out inte nt. Rega rdless, and partic ularly if a eM not ices play ers repeat edly engaging in act ions t ha t ga in Co nfl ict or us ing da rk side results to gen erate Force po int s withou t heed ing t he co nsequences, It is best to lay out ju st wha t wi ll happen shou ld a cn aract er fa ll to the da rk side of the Force. For rnost campa igns, the best approac h is simp ly fo r the pla yers and GM t o wo rk toget her to ensure th is doe s not hap pen, crafti ng a story in which a characte r might co me cl ose, bu t red eem t hemselves before straying too fa r. In som e games, however, it might be necessa ry to lay out a clea r conseq uence. If t here is tru ly no pl ace fo r da rk sid e pes in a ca mpaign, t he GM might let t he players know up fro nt that any chara cte r who falls below 30 Mo ralit y becomes an NPC. The new NPC migh t flee fo rever or return as an antago nist or erstwh ile ally. b ut is und er the e M' s cont ro l in any even t.

For a GM, Player Characters falling to the dark side can present exciting new story options. The fall to, and redemption from. darkness is an integra l and classic element of Star Wars , and such a story has great potential in an RPG. Of course, it is important not to place too much emphasis on one character's story arc to the exclusion of others. A character's slide to evil can easi ly take place as pa rt of a larger story. Few dark side users are blatantly evil, at least at first, and admirable motivations can lead down th e path. A char· acter might undertake callou s or crue l actions as part of the group's larger attemp ts to enact good in t he ga laxy.

DARK SIDE USERS IN THE PARTY There are a number of consid erations for a GM with dark side users in the PC group. It can have a considerable impacl on the story for a va riety of reasons. NPCs who suspect dark side use in the pa rty might change their attitudes toward the PCs, whether positively or negatively. A dark side user might even attempt to keep this secret from the other pes, which can require mechanical adjustmen l s if the player and GM decide to collude to keep the other players unaware.

While FORCE AND DESTI NY cha racters generally find it advantageous to keep their Force use hidden from the public, a dark side user migh t actually be in a better position should an Inquisitor track down the group. Lower-ranking Imperial officials are not likely to be aware of the distin ction between light and dark side Force use, simply seeing all Force users as criminals and subversives. A campaign in which a single character falls to the dark side is qu ite different from one based around an entire group of da rk side users. The latter case is certain to be quite different from more tradition al campaigns, both in the PCs' goals and the methods they use to acco mplish th em Th e GM must kee p this in min d when des ignin g or adap ting adventures for the group. However, it is a hidden dark si de user am id a group of "normal" Force users that poses the most complexity for a GM When a character falls to t he dark side, and prefe rably in adva nce, the GM shou ld decide whether this will be player knowledge. even if the other pes are unaware. This is one place where hidden Mora lity values (see page 96) can make a big difference. Because of the potential for frustration. it is generally best to keep things transparent when it comes to dark side users in the party. That IS, the playe rs should all be aware of a PC's fall to the dark side, even though their characters migh t not know. However, some groups might enJoy the surprise and uncerta inty. It is ultimately up to the GM to make this decision, likely in conference wi th the player of the dark side Pc. If possi ble. th ough. t he best solutio n is to d iscuss t he matte r wit h

all players before the campaign begins. If everyone agrees that a secret dark side user in the group might be fun, Morality values can be hidden from the outset.

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At the other extreme from secret dark side use is to not only be open about the character's fall, but actively involve all the players in crafling the story. One adva ntage to this is that it keeps everyone involved, mi tigating the

risk that a single PC's fall and (possible) rede mption arc sidelines the other characters. While the emergent. communal, and improvisational nature of RPGs means it is never possible to completely plan for a campaign's events, players might even discuss the various parts their characters could play in the story. If one player really wants to be the one to redeem-or possibly vanquish-the party's fallen comrade, it can help ensure that happens if everyone knows it and is on board with the plan.

CONCEALING OARK SIDE USE A PC who attempts to conceal their fall to the dark side from their allies is certain to encounte r great challenges in doing so. likewise, should th e GM and playe rs opt fo r secrecy in handli ng Moral ity and PC dark side users, mainta ining sec recy req uires ce rtai n co nsiderations for the GM and, to a lesser ex tent, t he player of the dark side user. One issue that arises should a character's fal! be hidden from the players IS maintaining the ruse when it comes time for the dark sid e user to make a Force power check. Because dark side users follow different rules for harnessing Force points, the other players can easily see the truth. There are a few basic approaches presented here to add ress this without overly complica ting play, although individual GMs and groups might come up with other methods tailored to their needs and resources. For instance, groups playing over the Internet are likely to have an easier time concealing dark side use, possibly going so far as to have the player make "fake" rolts visi ble to the other players, while they or the GM make lhe "real" rolls in secret. The first approac h is the simplest. but the most d ifficult for the dark side player. Tha t is to simply assume tha t it is not poss ible to hid e active use of th e dark side from ot her Force users in close physical and emotiona l prox imity. Just as all players see when a normal Force user suffers Co nflict and strain to harness dark side results, the players also see when a dark side user does so without suffering strai n. or suffers strain in order to use light side resu lts. This approach is certain ly the simplest for the GM, although it is unlikely a player can conceal their character's fall for long, since the other players are sure to note a reluctance to use the Force at all. Consequently. this method is best if the GM and dark side player want a shocking reveal for the rest of the group, followed by a confrontation of some sort.

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Other options are more complicated, and require some variation from the normal rules for dark side Force users. One possibil ity is to ignore the requirement for a dark side user to fl ip a Destiny Pai nt in order to harne ss 0. This way, the player at least has the option of using the light side to manifest Force powers, even tho ugh usi ng. is stU l apparent to t he others. With this approac h, the player might surrepti tiously note the strain gained from usingO, or the GM could even...track it separately. Another option is to simply have the player follow the

standard rules for a light side Force user, with the player and GM aware that, narratively speaking, the character is really harnessing the dark side. However, this approach risks lessening the impact of a fall to the dark side, and should only be used if secrecy is truly important for the campaign. Even then, the GM should consider secretly noting Conflict whenever the PC uses 0, reflecting that. in rea lity, the character is drawing on the dark side.

PLAYER CHARACTERS IN OPPOSITION In a campa ign in which a single character, or only part of the grou p, fa lls to t he dark side, there is great potential for confl ict between Playe r Characters. This is not necessari ly a ba d t hing; in fac t, it can make for some of the most dramatic and memorab le moments in ro leplaying. However, it is im portant to ensure that opposition and even combat between PCs does not spill over into hard feelings between players. Some GMs might already know how their players respond to intra-party struggles from other games and campaigns. If not. it is a good idea for a GM to discuss the possibility with players at the outset of a campaign. or once it becomes clear that one or more PCs are on the path to the dark side. This migh t negate any possibility of keeping a character's fall hidden from the players (and not just the PCs). but such secrecy is best to avoid anyway unless a GM is confident the players will enjoy it.

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Even if a PC can conceal use of the dark side [see page 94). other characters should have some possibility of detecting it , at least once they have a reason to be suspi ~ cious. The Foresee and Sense powers might. at the eM's discretion. be able to uncover a dark side user's duplicity. In addition. a PC might become aware of another character drawing on the dark side of the Force through the Perception or even Discipline skills, likely as an opposed check. This is part cularly appropriate for Mystics and similar characters who are deeply in tune with the Force

Another option is to simply reduce the result of any potentially fatal Critical Injuries to a less severe result. Whi le this might leave the defeated character at the victor's mercy. it ra rely ma kes sense for any character involved to kill a helpless former ally. No matter how far a character migh t have fallen to the dark side. for the sake of the game, we can assume the spark of decency within them stays their hand from fi nishing off a one~time friend. And it shou ld go without sayi ng that the other party members would be no better than the dark side user if they chose to execute them.

If it is possible for PCs to detect a dark side user's activity. it might also be possible fo r that characte r to take add i tion ~ al steps to concea l t he truth. In ad dit ion to the Decep Lion sk il l and Misd irec t or Influence powers, a character migh tappropriately enough-turn to suc h potent but dangerous arts as 5ith alchemy and sorcery.

Of co urse, rega rdle ss of t he outcome. su rviving combatants are li kely to co me away with lasting injuries. For Lhose fallen to the dark side, t hese grim scars co ntin ue to fuel t heir hate. For others. t hey are pa inful rem ind ers of th e price of corruption- assum ing they do not give into the anger the memories of such wounds inspire!

When players are aware of a character's fall to the dark side, it can sometimes be difficult to ma intain the distinction between cha racter and player knowledge. One effective way to determine wha t a PC actually knows is through ski ll use. In particular. Perception, Discipline, Vigi lance, and Deception might come into play. Opposed checks between the dark side user and suspicious PCs are appropriate. Players shou ld abide by the outcome. and in fact might fi nd it highly entertain ing to roleplay the ignorance of their characters even as they, as players. are fully aware of th e other PC's use of the dark side of the Force and other wicked deeds. Shou ld PCs learn of an ally's fall to the dark side. comba t betwee n Pl aye r Chara cters shou ld usual ly be a last resort No t on ly is it the most likely issu e to result in hard fee lings outside t he game. but certa inly t he pes themselves would prefer to redeem their friend rather t han resort to violence. If combat between PCs becomes inevitable. t he eM and players should all take enorts to ensure it is a dramatic, cli~ mactic, and enjoyable scene. and not a source of fru s tra~ tion or disappointment for any of the players involved. Even when the pes are in their darkest moments, the game should be enjoyable for everyone. One way to encourage a positive outcome for everyone is to have one character, likely the dark side user. escape (whether intentionally or notl rather than figh l things out to the bitter and possibly fatal end. This is a great use for or @ results on com bat checks at any point during the fight. even with what might otherwise be a killing blow.

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To aid this outcome, the eM shou ld try to arrange events so th e encou nter takes place in a setting with mu ltip le pote ntial escape routes. Fortu nate ly, this is easil y done in Star Wars. Ai rlocks. viewports. generator sha fts. ventilation ducts. superweapon exhau st ports. and conveniently-placed shuttles or landspeeders are just a few of the possibilities for a quick escape.

USING MORALITY Morall ty is a major component of any FORCE A ND DESTIN\! campa ign , but it can be worthwhile to give it some additiona l attention in games focusing on the sp iritual aspects of the Force. This section offers additional guidance and sugges· tions for implementing Mora lity.

ADJUSTING MORALITY Normally, Morality is adjusted on ly as a result of Conflict. However. some actions are so heinous tha t it simply does not make sense for the re to be no resulting reduction in Morality, or even an in crease in Mora lity at the end of the sess ion. likewise. if perhaps eve n more rare, certain actions might be so se lfless or noble tha t the eM fee ls an in crease in the PC's Morality should not be left to the roll of the dice. This is particularly appropriate in the climactic events of a personal story arc of redemption for a character fallen to the dark side. or in danger of doing so. In such rare and crucial situations, a eM might decide to directly raise or lower a character's Morality.