Yet another "Here's my Force Rules" Thread ...

[johnnymiskimen]

I’ve never been satisfied with any of The Force rules/mods I’ve read – except for pieces here and there. Most Force rules operate a lot like spell list rather than what we have heard of from the movies, so I took a few pieces of rules that I liked and combined them with a system that reflects what Qui Gon, Obi-Wan, and Yoda had to say about how The Force works:

Obi Wan – “Remember, a Jedi can feel the Force flow through him.”
Luke – “You mean it can control your actions?”
Obi Wan – “Partially, but it also obeys your commands.”

"Remember, a Jedi can feel the Force flowing through him." – Obi Wan Kenobi

“Size matters not. Look at me, judge me by my size do you? And well you should not. For my ally is the Force. And a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us, and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you. Here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, yes, everywhere. Even between the land and the ship.” – Yoda

“A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind ...” – Yoda

“Remember your training… trust your instincts.” – Qui Gon Jinn

The above quotes suggest, in game related terms, that ones physical and mental/emotional makeup directly affect how The Force manifests itself through a person/character.

There is no emotion; there is peace.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no death; there is the Force.

FORCE SENSITIVE
You simply choose to be Force-sensitive at creation, or you spend 20 Character Points (CPs) to become Force-sensitive at any point down the line. If a character is Force Sensitive, they initially have one pip (+1) in their Force Ability. They have a small connection to the Force, with minimal or no formal training.

THE FORCE ABILITY
This variant presents an alternate rules system for characters who have the Force skills Control, Sense and Alter. Instead of having three individual Force skills, a character with a strong connection to the Force possesses an attribute simply called Force.

USING THE FORCE
Using a Force skill or power has essentially the same mechanics as anything else in the game: pick a difficulty and make the roll. Difficulty levels are dependent on the individual power and are often modified by proximity and relationship (see charts).

INCREASING YOUR FORCE SKILL
Characters may spend Skill Points to increase their Force skill permanently, but it is very expensive. A character who has formal instruction from a mentor who has a Force skill of at least 3D {the minimum skill level to teach) may increase their Force skill at a cost of their current Die Code times two per pip (rounded up). That means if the character has a Force skill of 3D and wishes to increase it to 3D+1, they must pay six Skill Points.

An instructor must always have a Force skill higher than his student. A student cannot learn from a master who is less proficient than themselves in the ways of the Force.

A character can increase their Force skill without an instructor, but the cost is extraordinary. It costs five times the character’s current rating in their Force skill per pip (rounded up). This means that a character with a Force skill of 3D would need to pay fifteen Skill Points to increase their Force skill from 3D to 3D+1 if they did not have an instructor.

USING THE FORCE
How to call upon The Force -- Examples

Force+STR -- Lightsaber Skill/Reflexes, Force enhanced leaps and running, Force accelerated self healing.

Force+STR -- (Dark Side only): Dun Moch*, Force Choke and Force Lightning

Force+DEX -- Telekinesis, Alter Environment and defense against Force Powers

Force+PER -- "Jedi Mind Tricks,” Illusions, Force Assisted Sneaking/Stealth, Farseeing, Danger Sense, Life Sense

Force+KNW -- Telepathy and Battle Meditation

Force+MECH -- Intuitive Astrogation, Force Enhanced Reflexes for Piloting/Gunnery

Force+TECH -- Healing Others, Build Lightsaber

*Dun Möch was a form of combat that used distraction and doubt, usually through taunting, in conjunction with lightsaber combat.

FORCE POWERS AND CONCENTRATION
Any Force Power that has an ongoing duration or which can be maintained, requires concentration to thus maintain. If anything happens that can break this concentration (the Force user becomes distracted or takes damage), they must attempt to roll against Difficulty (Difficult 20) to continue to maintain use of the power. If they fail, the power is disrupted.

[Potroclo]

I like the idea of the Force not being a kind of vancian magic system but instead obey to a mechanic that makes it feel more like the movie's representation of the Force. (I actually use homemade rules for the Force)

So if I got it right, you roll your attribute with the Force skill, but still apply the Force Powers' rules, having each Force Power attached to a particular attribute instead of a combination of sense/alter/control?

[Naaman]

Not bad.

[johnnymiskimen]

[Darklighter79]

Very nice. Some solutions seem to be inspired by d20s:
a) d20 Revised - Force skills modified by corresponding attributes,
b) d20 Saga - "Use the Force" - one skill to test Force effects.

[Potroclo]

Actually that's a very nice solution, have you tried it up to higher levels? Does it keep the game balance? Between jedi characters and others I mean.

It does still rely on Force powers as in a spell list though. But those can be reworked...

[johnnymiskimen]

[Naaman]

[RyanDarkstar]

johnnymiskimen, I like the look of these Force rules. I may have to give these a try in my next campaign (should any of the players wish to be Force users).
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[Darklighter79]

[johnnymiskimen]

[Darklighter79]

[johnnymiskimen]

Not by these rules. I use the films as a guide, and I have a hard time with the spell-like "Keeping Power Up," as we really don't see any evidence of this in the movies.

Admittedly, these alternative Force rules are a bit loosey-goosey and rely on GM fiat; but as long as a GM is consistent, flexible, and fair in his or her rulings, Jedi/Mystic characters have many more imaginative options when it comes to using the Force - within the mysterious groundwork that Lucas provided.

(Let's just forget about that Midiclorian crap from TPM, because, apparently George did in the following movies of the prequel trilogy...)

Of course, as I said before, feel free to modify and add to these rules to suit your game.

[Mamatried]

[Darklighter79]

Yes, in TLJ as soon as Snoke was struck by a lightsaber blade his Telekinetic Kill faded immediately.

As for Luke's Doppelganger, the Falcon dice disappeared not after dropping the power but after Luke's death - the only movie example of power duration.
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