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Exciting New Uses for "Absorb/Dissipate Energy"
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entropy
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 9:24 am    Post subject: Science and the jedi Reply with quote

I believe the process involves using TK to remove every molecule from the bottle, and then using TK to create a filter of sorts that only allowed the oxygen molecules to pass. I don't know what WEG was going for when they designed the cadences, but in my opinion they imply that the force grants an unrealistic level of control of the universe.

Without starting a religion vs. science thread, I think that the force in Star Wars must be taken somewhat on faith. The GM determines if it exists and what it does, and the players accept that. I think there have to be aspects of the force that can't be explained scientifically (Do you hear that Lucas? No more midichlorians!)

Back to the scientific aspects, I have no problem with a jedi blocking energy from reflecting off of him, but what about his equipment? Because this has never been done in the movies (or books that I have heard of) there isn't much to go on. I would argue that a jedi could make himself appear to be black, but he would have to be naked to do so.

There is one more problem with this, and this one is thermodynamics, not quantum. If a jedi can absorb energy indefinitely (the power may be kept up), could he not hold an object until he had reduced its temperature to absolute zero?
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KageRyu
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 11:59 am    Post subject: Re: Science and the jedi Reply with quote

entropy wrote:
I believe the process involves using TK to remove every molecule from the bottle, and then using TK to create a filter of sorts that only allowed the oxygen molecules to pass. I don't know what WEG was going for when they designed the cadences, but in my opinion they imply that the force grants an unrealistic level of control of the universe. Without starting a religion vs. science thread, I think that the force in Star Wars must be taken somewhat on faith.

This was always my understanding of the force. As was it's orriginal portrayal. It was just this vague, mysterious...well...Force, that flowed through all things in the universe. Through learning to control and manipulate it, you can control and manipulate the universe. But, you must unlearn everything you learn, as the force contradicts rational thought. It has always seemed to be something that must be taken "on faith", lest we forget-
Luke: "I Don't Believe It" walking underneath the X-wing being hel aloft by master Yoda.
Yoda: "That is why you fail."

Quote:
The GM determines if it exists and what it does, and the players accept that. I think there have to be aspects of the force that can't be explained scientifically (Do you hear that Lucas? No more midichlorians!)

Sentient bacteria called Midichlorians...a persons cells called miticondria develop sentience: Parasite eve, a clone of Resident Evil...The clone wars are evil... It's all connected, as said in CSI New york...produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, who also worked on Armaggeddon, which had a russion cosmonaught who has "never seen Star Wars." Twisted Evil

Quote:
Back to the scientific aspects, I have no problem with a jedi blocking energy from reflecting off of him, but what about his equipment? Because this has never been done in the movies (or books that I have heard of) there isn't much to go on. I would argue that a jedi could make himself appear to be black, but he would have to be naked to do so.

Certainly feasible, as his equipment would still eminate energy. However, you are only half right about it "never having been done in the movies". When Vader absorbs the blaster shots from Han Solo in Episode V (obviously Absorb/Dissipate energy), his glove is unharmed. This would indicate a limited amount of extension to personal clothing at least.

Quote:
There is one more problem with this, and this one is thermodynamics, not quantum. If a jedi can absorb energy indefinitely (the power may be kept up), could he not hold an object until he had reduced its temperature to absolute zero?

I would say not, because this would be more than simply absorbing the heat radiated by the object, it would also be altering the objects temperature directly. Using the Absorbtion power would only absorb the radiated heat between the object and the Jedi. Absorbing radiated energy is different from stopping or nullifying it's existance to begin with. It's like with a lightbulb...the Jedi could absorb the light hitting him, but the light bulb still gives off light. I know this could be explained better, but my mind is too stressed out today...
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Endwyn
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 2:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't want to contradict you KageRyu, since I actually support your statements above. But before soomeone tries to use it as a counterarguement against you, about the Vader / glove thing. The glove was molecularly bonded, it made it like uber tough. It's supposed to have survived the explosion of the death star because of it (and did in the EU). So, that was the "official" explination behind the cloud city blaster fiasco.

But I definalty agree with your points and theory.
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Boomer
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 3:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
So, that was the "official" explination behind the cloud city blaster fiasco.


That's too bad. Because that was the only on screen source, with so far not a single EU source that I know of, of the absorb/dissipate power.

Explosions don't vaporize everything. It is too plausible that more than just Vader's glove survived the destruction of the Death Star. And that is if you include any story of Vader's glove travelling through wormholes to appear at a specific place and time for people to find. If you include that, than also include the dark side force powers it was imbued with.

Which still doesn't explain that molecular bonded material is supposed to be Light Saber proof. How did Luke cut it off for it to be left behind on the Death Star in the first place? And just how did Luke burn it? And if it didn't burn up why is that one stupid glove so important when there is an entire suit of Vader Armor left out there? I don't know about you but somewhere out there is a force powered suit of invincible armor. Maybe we need to a new thread.

In short, I just don't buy it.

Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
There is one more problem with this, and this one is thermodynamics, not quantum. If a jedi can absorb energy indefinitely (the power may be kept up), could he not hold an object until he had reduced its temperature to absolute zero?
I would say not, because this would be more than simply absorbing the heat radiated by the object, it would also be altering the objects temperature directly. Using the Absorbtion power would only absorb the radiated heat between the object and the Jedi. Absorbing radiated energy is different from stopping or nullifying it's existance to begin with. It's like with a lightbulb...the Jedi could absorb the light hitting him, but the light bulb still gives off light. I know this could be explained better, but my mind is too stressed out today


I agree with Kageryu on this one. You absorb radiation hitting you as long as it is constant from it's source. Tis about all.
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Endwyn
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 3:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Boomer:

Luke actually cut Vader's hand off above the glove line, and only the right glove itself was molecularly bonded from what I remember. That glove fell into the same shaft Palp got thrown down a little latter. So Luke didn't have the glove to burn it. The rest of the suit, not being molecularly bonded, was able to be burned. I don't know if they ever discussed the glove as a force artifact like item, but they might have. It wouldn't surprise me!

That didn't become official until years after WEG had already devised Absorb/disipate energy, which for a time was the official explination.

Molecularly bonded info (not much) can be found on Pg 114 of the Corporate Sector Sourcebook.
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Boomer
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 7:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah... taking the Vader Armor thing to another thread.
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ambrose82
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 8:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The force, as has already been said, defies logic, reason, and science. It's counterintuitive, which is why it's so difficult to learn. My view is that, by controlling and manipulating the "glue of the universe" you ought to be able to do just about anything, as long as you have the level of mastery over the force to do it. That is one reason why I am not entirely satisfied with the defined "force powers." I see them more as examples of how the force can be used rather than as the absolute definition of how the force can be used.

Seriously, if a Jedi can fling objects around with his mind (and if size is truly irrelevant as Yoda states) than the only thing holding a Jedi back from compressing the entire universe into a ball the size of an atom is his own limited vision. A hugely powerful Jedi ought to be able to move a planet out of orbit. Doesn't Vader warn the Moffs against taking too much confidence in "this technological terror you've created" and he tells them the ability to destroy a planet is peanuts next to the power of the force!

To me, this indicates that all the force powers are just examples of very limited uses of the force. A better force system would be a sliding scale of modifiers based on a number of factors (proximity of event, mass affected, relationship, energy used/affected, population affected, and the Jedi's own experiences). This is something I've been working on.
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Boomer
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 8:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I also agree with the "omnipotence" of the force. And here is how I play it.

It obviously didn't matter how many dice luke had, he was starting to lift the X-Wing and than just gave up. Time was obviously a factor since Yoda didn't do it any faster. He just didn't quit and got it done.

I say that The Force, like The Dark Side, has a will, reason, and plan for all life in the universe. The Force tries to create and grow, and take those that follow it to become part of it.
The Dark Side also wishes growth, but only for itself, and will destroy and lure people to be lost in it's oblivion.

Basically, the only limiting factors are the will of the Force, and how hard you try.

Really, do or do not, there is no try. Just try anything. Constant TK on any object should produce quite astounding results.
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Lord Aramus
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 9:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

interesting... hope you keep us updated Very Happy
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Endwyn
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 9:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ambrose82:

I can't find where I said this, but it came up somewhere else in the forum. The generic modifier / effect system your looking for is the new D6 magic system. The system does change between the three settings (adventure, space, and fantasy), but the one for space uses identical skills as control, alter, and sense. Control and alter's names have changed (since they no longer have license for Star Wars), but the uses, ect are the same. I suggest you look at that since the work would already have been done for you.
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And Leia is your sister!
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And the Empire will be destroyed by..EWOKS!
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ambrose82
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 11:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
say that The Force, like The Dark Side, has a will, reason, and plan for all life in the universe. The Force tries to create and grow, and take those that follow it to become part of it.


Aha! Now you've caught on to Lucases inconsistency on the nature of the Force... It went from being an energy field created by life (according to Obi Wan) capable of give and take (instructing(not perfectly) and being commanded) to having a will (according to Qui-Gon) and distributing prophecies about balance to the force (which seems odd, since by balance it meant the erradication of the Sith). So Lucas goes from an impersonal manipulatable energy contained in all life (pantheism) to a "being" with a will and a plan (theism).

For the sake of being technical, the Force is omnipresent as well as... I hesitate to say omnipresent, but certainly the general use of the term would fit. The force can have an effect on all matter and enrgy, but I don't think Lucas' initial intent was to personalize it. It was an energy which could be manipulated to achieve a result willed by the user. I think the concept was that the force showed probable futures, not always definite ones.

Endwyn, is the D6 system which you referred to online?
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Endwyn
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 1:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm not sure to what extent you mean by online. The rules and system probably won't be. It seems to me that many people forget that WEG owns the D6 system and did start producing D6 stuff again recently now that they have worked through their problems. It is that new system that has the really flexible rules where you could build any effect. D6 space rules could be viewed as what Star Wars rules would be today if WEG still had the license. There are some signifigant changes, lot of stuff stayed the same - still has the exact same feels as only a few things changed. The magic system, or the force is one of them. You can find the info in the D6 Space Core Rule Book. It's really important you look at this one, as the other two use different "magic skills" that better reflect their setting. For example, Fantasy has two magic systems - Magic and Faith based. Magic has the skills Alteration, Apportation, Conjuration, and Divinitation. The miracle system has the skills divinitation, favor, and strife. Not going to get into the skill specifics, but you can see none of them match the control, alter, sense set-up. D6 space does match, it's called meta-physics and it has the same three skills with new names.

If you have a more specific question about it, I'll try to answer, but I can't repost all the info relating to it. If you want to get answers from the designers, or want to see if someone else has asked something you might aslo want to know, WEG has it's own forums. They're at:

http://www.westendgames.com/forum/upload/

Hope that helps.
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Luke, I am your father.
That's impossible!
And Leia is your sister!
That's improbable?
And the Empire will be destroyed by..EWOKS!
That's...highly unlikely.
The Force? Bacteria called midichlorians.
If you don’t take this seriously I'm out.
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ambrose82
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 1:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

No more specific info is needed. That helps point me in the right direction and gives some more detail about their system. I'll have to look into it.

Thanks!
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KageRyu
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 12:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Endwyn wrote:
...about the Vader / glove thing. The glove was molecularly bonded, it made it like uber tough. It's supposed to have survived the explosion of the death star because of it (and did in the EU). So, that was the "official" explination behind the cloud city blaster fiasco.


However, long before this ever surfaced in the expanded universe, before even WEG had liscense to publish the role playing game, the official explanation that was given and accepted, straight from the lips of George Lucas himself, was that Vader used the force. He didn't call it "Absorb/Dissipate Energy" but he did say that Vader simply used his mastery of the force to absorb the blaster fire. IIRC this is also what is said in the orriginal publication of the Empire Strikes Back novel and scripts circa the early 80's.

Also, when WEG was orriginally liscensed to do the RPG they were granted unprecedented access to the archives, sets, scripts, and literature, as well as conceptual art of the Star Wars trilogy by Lucasfilm. They worked closely with liasons to Lucasfilm at the time to try to maintain a cohesive and fairly comprehensive translation of the esoteric ideas from Star Wars, such as the force. In numerous Editorials published by WEG in the time period the game was produced they detail the painstaking lengths they went too to keep everything official. Considering all of that, I would say the Absorb/Dissipate Energy is the official explanation, and it predates the other sources. As we all know, with the EU sources, they don't always fit or remain consistant with what was established in the trilogy, just as individual GMs in the game and writers of source material don't always stay true to the game. It's all a matter of perspective. Wink

"You will find, many of the truths we cling to are only true from a certain point of view." ~Obi Wan Kennobi
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Jedi Skyler
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 14, 2005 8:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

These are some interesting applications of this power; and they make a whole lot of sense.

A Jedi's control could undoubtedly become great enough that they could absorb all the inherent energy around them, especially given that the exercise listed above from Fragments from the Rim actually starts with the Jedi completely emptying ALL air molecules from the bottle. They then are only allowed to bring oxygen molecules back in. If you are able to do that, then differentiating between types of energy should be child's play.

As for becoming overheated himself, there is documentation of a Jedi absorbing energy and then channeling that energy into a totally different Force effect. Corran Horn, from a long line of Jedi who were notably deficient in TK, absorbed the energy from a practice remote and channeled it into a Force shield. One of his ancestors was run through with a lightsaber; he completely drained every last joule of energy from the weapon and channeled it into one last burst of telekenesis, bodily lifting his enemy off the ground in a fist of pure Force, and crushed him so his partners would have a fighting chance to survive the encounter with the other two sith.

Therefore, the Jedi absorbing light, heat, UV, whatever kind of energy could then simply funnel that energy back into the absorption process, which would then logically make their dice rolls easier, since there was more energy flowing into them than they'd normally have access to.

If a GM were so inclined, especially if this were being performed during a crucial time, and given the notion stated above that with enough time, efforts in TK should and could bring tremendous results, the Jedi performing this action could conceiveably store up a kind of Force reservoir- bonus Ds if you will- that could be used for something completely different. If this were being allowed, however, there ought to be some definite limits on it- no unlearned powers (unless the GM were being UBER generous that night), and the extra Ds MUST be used within a certain amount of time, or they simply bleed away into the Force.

It's something to consider, at any rate...
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