07-07-2013, 08:31 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: On the road again...
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Star Wars: Methods for the Force
Not too long ago, when discussing my upcoming SW game in #gurps on irc.sorcery.net, the conversation veered towards how to handle the Force. Many of the folks weren't too keen on the approach I was taking, using the system laid out in Powers and expanded in Psionic Powers, substituting a power source similar to Divine rather than Psionic for the various Powers I was working on.
Currently, I have five basic Powers: Energy Control (for Force Lightning and Energy Absorption, among other tricks), ESP (for sensing the future, past, etc), Healing, Psychokinesis (for the many TK tricks), and Telepathy (including the famous Jedi Mind Trick); each has its own Power Talent (5/level). All abilities would have a use skill to go along with them. (One person in channel wanted me to split things like in the WEG and SWd20 systems: Sense, Alter, and Control. I found that breakdown to not fit GURPS that well; plus it'd make things really difficult for me to break things down. Better to go with a general effect-based breakdown, IMO. Plus, it'd make it hard to build Kieran Halcyon and his grandson Corran Horn, who could deflect and absorb energy but lacked even rudimentary TK ability.) Now, as I've said, others weren't too keen on the idea. One player suggested Ritual Path Magic, which may fit. I'm not that familiar with the system, though. One other player recommended using Realm-based Magic as the basis. This I can work with a bit better than RPM, as I've fiddled with Realms a bit. To keep things simple, I'd probably use the 3- or 4-tier Realm system rather than the 6-tier system I've used in my Marvel stuff. So, thoughts? criticisms? suggestions? critiques? (all flames will be forwarded to /dev/null/ )
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07-07-2013, 09:24 AM | #2 |
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Oregon
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Re: Star Wars: Methods for the Force
As big a proponent as I am of RPM, I don't think it's appropriate for Force powers. RPM is all about flexibility and preparation; the Force seems to provide quite narrow, specific, repeatable effects. I'd personally be in favor of Psionic Powers. If folks think that's too narrow you might look at Divine Favor. The character would basically take The Force as a Patron that they could call on for help in dire situations, while using their array of Alternative Powers for more reliable effects.
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07-07-2013, 11:46 AM | #3 | |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Re: Star Wars: Methods for the Force
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07-07-2013, 12:13 PM | #4 | |
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: On the road again...
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Re: Star Wars: Methods for the Force
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And besides, under your three-Power setup, how would you do a Jedi - such as Halcyon and Horn - who is wholly incapable of TK?
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"Life ... is an Oreo cookie." - J'onn J'onzz, 1991 "But mom, I don't wanna go back in the dungeon!" The GURPS Marvel Universe Reboot Project A-G, H-R, and S-Z, and its not-a-wiki-really web adaptation. Ranoc, a Muskets-and-Magery Renaissance Fantasy Setting |
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07-07-2013, 12:15 PM | #5 |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Re: Star Wars: Methods for the Force
Don't buy the TK ability? I'd still do it with Skills for Everyone. So you could even give them Incompetence or an Anti-Talent with Force Grab, Force Push, Force Choke, and so on. Which would be the way to do it if you were also using Abilities by Default (which for the Force, you probably should),
Last edited by sir_pudding; 07-07-2013 at 12:18 PM. |
07-07-2013, 12:35 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: The former Chochenyo territory
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Re: Star Wars: Methods for the Force
For what it's worth, we've been using Psionic Powers for Force effects in a Clone Wars game for quite some time, and it has worked very well with little modification. We used the same model (Powers with a use skill, powered by an Energy Pool) for other Force abilities that weren't covered by something in Psionic Powers, and setting them up is quick and easy.
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07-07-2013, 12:42 PM | #7 | |||
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Portsmouth, VA, USA
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Re: Star Wars: Methods for the Force
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Stick with what you got and let the haters hate while the creators create.
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07-07-2013, 04:00 PM | #8 |
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: USA, Arizona, Mesa
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Re: Star Wars: Methods for the Force
After having spent far too much time trying to make Realms fit various visions of The Force, I'm actually going with fairly standard Powers now; you can count out my vote for Realms.
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07-08-2013, 12:28 AM | #9 |
Join Date: Dec 2011
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Re: Star Wars: Methods for the Force
The Force as Esoteric Skills
This is my completely untested shot at doing the Force as a series of Esoteric Skills, based on GURPS Martial Arts and some other things, including Magic as Psi. I like this approach because it runs with the idea that the Force is a sort of amped up version of Wuxia. It also allows a lot of 'basic' ideas to be learned cheaply (after all, it seems like new Force Adepts pick up the basics pretty quickly in the series,) but mastery takes a long time and there's no easy route to it. I did some rough calculations based on Time As Experience and it seems like this comes out pretty well. Sadly, I don't have these any more. Short version is that I accounted for the long-term intensive training of the Temple versus the more sporadic training of new initiates after the Temple was destroyed. The latter require a couple months of intensive training to get the basics, which seems fitting. Last edited by Jachra; 07-08-2013 at 12:33 AM. |
07-08-2013, 03:58 AM | #10 |
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: One Mile Up
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Re: Star Wars: Methods for the Force
I use the Powers rules for the Force, but mostly custom builds, not the stuff from the Psionic Powers book.
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Tags |
psionic powers, realm magic, ritual path magic, star wars, the force |
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