Star Wars Unisystem

THE FORCE

JEDI ORDER
LIGHTSABERS
FORCE POINTS
FORCE SKILLS
DARK SIDE
FORCE POWERS

 

JEDI ORDER

Description: The Jedi Order has been the bastion of justice in the Old Republic. Working closely with the Office of the Supreme Chancellor, the Jedi Order has an active role in maintaning order in th galaxy.
Attributes: Most Jedis will have good mental attributes, with those who become Knights also being good at physical ones.
Skills: Scholarly and Combat skills have great importance. All Jedis will have at least two levels in Scholar (Jedi) and Martial Arts (Lightsaber). Knights and Masters will also have Craft (Lightsaber).
Qualities and Drawbacks: All Jedi are Force-Sensitive and have an Obligation to the Order. The vast majority has at least one level of Honorable. Fast Reaction Time, Situational Awareness and Hard to Kill are not uncommon in Knights.
Metaphysics: Force Skills and Powers are the province of the Jedi.
Special Abilities: Granting Jedi characters bonuses for belonging to the Jedi Order seems unfair, since other characters do not have other organizations to join. So you can either create new organizations, or simply assume that having access to teachers and research material is the special ability provided by the Jedi Order. An ability that no Jedi character in the Empire Era would take for granted.
Common Professions: Although Knights and Masters are the more well-known members of the Order, Jedi activities are far more diverse. There are Jedi researchers, counselors, healers, investigators and teachers, to name a few.
Roleplaying Jedis: This is a complex topic. For a long time, most players believed that Jedis were a sort of paladin, even though Luke's actions in ROTJ don't back this up completely. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's behavior in Episode I are even more confusing. Hopefully, the next two movies will give us a better understanding of the Jedis. The d20 Core book (p.154) has an interesting analysis of Jedi behavior. Until we can be sure though, I would suggest Jedi characters act with common sense. A good compromise might be a cross between a samurai and a fantasy paladin, without the elitist outlook of the former and the narrow-mindedness of the latter.
Organization: The Jedi Order is commanded by the Jedi Council, composed of the wisest Jedi Masters in the Order. Below the Council Masters, are the other Masters and, below them, the Knights. Under the tutelages of the Knights, are the Padawans. The Order also has Jedis who didn't take the Knight path and serve it in other capacities, such as researchers. Attaining the rank of Knights and Master requires meeting certain prerequisites:


LIGHTSABERS

     Lightsabers are more than just the preferred weapons of the Jedi Knights. They are foci through which Jedis can connect to the Force to reach a deeper level of attunement. This also enhances their combat prowess, but a Jedi will only draw his lightsaber when all other avenues of conflict resolution have failed. The link between the lightsaber and the Jedi is so strong that losing the former will result in a -1 penalty to all Force rolls until a new blade is built or acquired. It is no wonder then why building your own lightsaber is one of the requirements for obtaining the rank of Jedi Knight.
     To build a lightsaber, the Jedi must have all the necessary parts: a power cell, a handgrip, an activation plate, a safety, a belt ring (optional), a blade length adjuster (optional), an emitter matrix, a recharge socket, a lens assembly, a focusing crystal, and a power conduit. Lightsaber handgrips are 24 to 30 centimeters long, with the blade length varying from 1 to 1.5 meters. The focusing crystal determines the lethality of the blade. Jedis use mostly Adegan crystals, which include the following:

Crystal
Damage
Kathracite
D6 x 2 (6)
Relacite
D6 x 3 (9)
Danite
D6 x 4 (12)
Mephite
D6 x 5 (15)
Pontite
D6 x 6 (18)

     Constructing the lightsaber takes a minimum of one month of work and a Craft (Lightsaber) + Intelligence roll with a -4 penalty. Each extra month spent building the lightsaber grants +2 to the check (to a maximum bonus of +6 for 3 extra months). More esoteric lightsaber construction rules can be found in the d20 Core book (p.153). Another good source is the Net.Guide to Lightsaber Construction.
     To wield a lightsaber, a character needs the Martial Arts (Lightsaber) skill. The Force Power Lightsaber Combat is the reason Jedis seem to have supernatural prowess with this weapon.


FORCE POINTS

      Drama points (from Cinematic Unisystem) with a new name, Force points work the same way. All Drama point uses are applicable in a Star Wars campaign, even Righteous Fury (but beware the Dark Side). Force points can be bought with experience points at a rate of 2-to-1 for regular characters, and 1-to-1 for those with the Force-Sensitive Quality. The way in which the Force point is spent also influences what happens to it:

Neutral Uses (Force Point doesn't come back)

Heroic Uses (Force Point returns at the end of the adventure)

Heroic Uses at Dramatically Appropriate Moments (Force Point returns and the character earns another one)

Evil Uses (Force Point doesn't come back and character earns double Dark Side points; see Dark Side section below)

     Spending a Force point to commit evil acts is the only way a non-Force-user character can gain Dark Side points. Force-sensitive characters, on the other hand, are not so lucky and can rack up Dark Side points in several ways.

     If you prefer the old Force point rule, you can find it here, together with the XP Optional rule.


FORCE SKILLS (by C.J. Carella, modified by Fred Furtado)

     All common Force powers are part of one of the Three Skills (also known as the Three Devotions): they are Control, Sense and Alter. Control affects the Jedi’s own body; through this power he can heal himself, resist pain, and defend himself in a number of ways. Sense allows the Jedi to enhance his senses, both physical and supernatural, to catch glimpses of the future and to perform such superhuman feats as deflecting bullets and energy blasts with his light saber. Alter allows the Jedi to affect the world around him, from manipulating weak minds to moving objects through telekinesis.

Light/Dark Side Points

     All Force abilities require energy to work. Even the most powerful Jedis have a finite capacity to tap the Force, and they must rest and medidate after frequent uses of the Force to regain their strength. In game terms, all Force-Sensitive characters have a base Light, or Dark, Side Pool equal to the sum of their Willpower, Perception and Intelligence, doubled. To activate a Force power, the character needs to spend 1 Light/Dark Side point. Extra Light/Dark Side points can be used to provide bonuses to Force powers-related rolls, granting a +2 per extra point spent. The maximum amount of points that can be spent in this way per roll is equal to the character's Willpower.


DARK SIDE (by C.J. Carella, modified by Fred Furtado)

     Using the Force is not without risk. The power, if wielded carelessly or for evil purposes, may eventually consume the character and make him a slave to the Dark Side, to the negative energy that feeds on pain and suffering. To turn to the Dark Side means to lose all emotional connection to the rest of the world, to abandon love and empathy, to turn into something that makes a serial killer look like a model of human brotherhood. Once in a while, a very strong-willed Force wielder may manage to break free from the pull of the Dark Side, but those are rarities and they often relapse back into evil.
      In game terms, a Force-user who abuses his power or commits evil acts will gain Dark Side points. Whenever a point of Dark Side is gained, it subtracts from the character’s regular Light Side Pool. If a character's Dark Side tally is over half of his pool, he is tainted. If all of a character’s Light Side pool is converted into Dark Side points, the character has Fallen; he loses all capacity for empathy or care, and will see all human beings as nothing more than gamepieces, to be used, destroyed or discarded.
      Described below are some circumstances and events that will result in a Force-Sensitive character gaining (and losing) Dark Side Points:

 

Calling on the Dark Side

     The Dark Side is not better, but is easier, quicker and more seductive. Characters who are angry, afraid, desperate or otherwise out of balance, and have not been consumed by the Dark Side yet, may call on it, even if they are not Force-Sensitive.
     Calling on the Dark Side earns the character D4 Dark Side points on the spot, even if the attempt is not successful. To call it, the character must make a Simple Perception Test. Force-Sensitive characters have +4 to the attempt and can use Perception + Control if they want. If the actions intended will not bring harm or pain to another being, the characters have a -4 penalty to the roll. On a successful roll, the character receives a Force Point, in addition to the ones he has, which must be used immediately. Note that if he uses this Force Point to commit an evil act, he will receive double Dark Side points for it, like if he was using a regular Force Point. This is in addition to the D4 Dark Side points he earned for calling on the Dark Side.
     Characters who do not believe in the existence of the Force, like most Imperial troops and officers, cannot call on the Dark Side.


FORCE POWERS (by C.J. Carella, modified by Fred Furtado)

Automatic Force Powers

All Force-Sensitive characters have the following automatic abilities:

 

Jedi Powers

     Each of the different powers listed below is a manifestation of the Force. Most Force-users know only one or two of these powers; only people like the Jedi and a few other secret groups know all the Three Skills and a good selection of these abilities. The ones listed below are just a sampling. More will be added in the future.
      Powers listed as "Required" are prerequisites of a given power. You cannot buy that power without buying the prerequisite first.
     Attempting an action while keeping a Power up, counts as an extra action and incurs the normal cumulative -2 penalty, unless the action is directly related to the Power, like attacking and defending with a lightsaber while having Lightsaber Combat up, or making Perception Tests and Tasks with Magnify Senses.

 

Control Powers

Optionally, the GM may allow certain Control powers, like Enhance Speed and Super Leap, to work automatically with the expenditure of etra Ligh/Sark Side points. For example, if a haracter needs to jump over a 15-meter chasm, he spends 3 points and automatically succeed. If desired, the GM may impose a limit on the amount of points spent equal to the character's Control level.

Name

Attr

Effect

Absorb/Dissipate Energy

Will

Decreases sun and normal fire damage (1 SL), radiation (3 to 5 SL) and fire and energy damage at 3 points/SL

Accelerate Healing

Con

Heals Con Life Points/minute for Success Level minutes; Once every hour

Battlemind Con +1/SL for combat, -2 to all other rolls

Concentration

Will

+2/SL for Task he was concentrating on

Control Disease/Poison

Con

Cures diseases and poisons; minor = 1 SL, terminal = 10+ SL

Control Pain

Will

Success will prevent being stunned or knocked unconscious

Enhance Ability

Con

+1 Str or Dex Tests or Tasks/Success Level for 1 min

Enhance Speed

Con

Increases Speed by 5 mph/SL for 1 turn

Force Defense

Will

+1/SL to resist Force powers

Hibernation Trance

Con

Reduces metabolism: 2 days/SL in dry climates, 1 week/SL in wet climates

Projective Telepathy

Will

Sends a few words or a sentence; Range Table

Rage Con +4 Str, +10 LP/SL, -2 to defense

Reduce Injury

Will

Reduces D4 (2) damage points/SL

Super Leap

Str

Adds 5 meters/SL to broad jump distance, half that for high jumps

 

Absorb/Dissipate Energy
      This power allows the Force-wielder to absorb or dissipate energy, from excessive sunlight to radiation, heat or even direct energy discharges. This requires a Willpower and Control roll. With one success level, the character can stand up to the harshest sunlight with no ill effect, or run through a normal fire without taking any damage. Radiation requires three to five success levels. Fire and energy damage can also be dissipated at the rate of 3 points of damage per success level (this is applied before armor or damage modifiers).

Accelerate Healing
      On a successful Constitution and Controll roll, the character will regain 1 Life Point per Constitution level every minute, for 1 minute per success level. So, for example, if Jesus Jedi, with a Con 3, got five success levels on his roll, he would regain 3 Life Points per minute for five minutes, for a total of 15 Life Points. This power can be used once every hour. For immediate healing, see Reduce Injury, below.

Battlemind
Converted by Mike Bentley
     With this power you attune yourself to the Force and the battle raging around you. For each success level you gain a +1 to all attack rolls while this power is kept up. Keeping this power up incurs a -2 to all rolls.

Concentration
      This power allows the Jedi to totally immerse himself in the task at hand, using the Force to focus his skills to supernatural levels. On a successful Willpower and Control roll, the character will get a bonus equal to +2 per success level on the roll, on the one action he was concentrating on. The action in question must be performed on the next turn, or the bonuses will be lost.

Control Disease/Poison
      A Force-Sensitive character with this power can cleanse his body from any disease or poison in his body. The strength of the disease and potion determine how many successes are necessary, ranging from minor diseases (one success level for a mild cold) to terminal ones (requiring 10 or more successes).

Control Pain
      On a successful Willpower plus Control roll, the character will not be stunned or knocked unconscious even if hit by stun blasts, or reduced below 0 points.

Enhance Ability
     This power allows the Jedi to enhance his performance at certain non-combat tasks (like driving, climbing etc.) where strength and coordination are an important factor. This is a peculiar power, because Jedis can learn it as an expression of any of the three Force skills. On a successful Constitution and Control roll, the character enhances his physical reactions and receives a +1 bonus per Success Level for Strength or Dexterity Tests or Tasks. This lasts 1 minute.

Enhance Speed
      This power allows the Jedi to increase his speed. On a successful Constitution and Control roll, the character will increase his Speed by 5 mph per Success Level. This lasts 1 Turn.

Force Defense
Converted by Mike Bentley
The user wraps herself in the Force to protect against Force-based attacks. For each success level in a Willpower + Control roll, the user adds 1 to any roll to resist a Force power. This bonus lasts for 5 rounds.

Hibernation Trance
      This power allows the Jedi to place himself in a state of deep trance, slowing all body functions significantly. On a successful Constitution + Control Task, the Jedi can hibernate for 2 days per Success Level in a dry climate, and 1 week per Success Level in a wet climate. The circumstances that will make the character awake must be specified before entering the trance, either an amout of time or specific stimuli (noise, being touched etc). During the hibernation trance the Jedi appears dead to anyone who doesn’t conduct testing or cannot sense the Force within him.

Projective Telepathy
Required Power: Receptive Telepathy
      This enables the character to send a mental message to another. Only a few words or a sentence can be communicated per attempt. The maximum range is based on the success level of the roll and uses the Range Table above.

Rage
Converted by Mike Bentley
     You give into the Dark Side of the force and let it flow through you. You become aggressive and violent. On a successful roll you also gain a +4 to Strength (Can go above Racial Max), +10 Life Points per Success level, but you also suffer a -2 to any defense rolls due to the aggressive nature of your attacks. It lasts for a number of turns equal to double your success levels. Use of this power automatically gains you 2 Dark Side points.
     At the end of this power you are exhausted and suffer a -2 to Str, Dex and Con (including an effective drop in Life Points and this can drop you below 0) for a duration equal to double the success levels of the initial roll.

Reduce Injury
Required Power: Control Pain
      By using this power, the Jedi can alter chance to reduce an injury’s gravity. On a successul Willpower plus Control roll on the same turn that an injury was suffered, the Force-wielder will subtract 1D4 points per success level from the damage inflicted on him. This is subtracted from the total damage inflicted, after armor and modifiers are taken into account. If the wound would have killed or risked killing the character before the diminishment, the character will suffer some permanent crippling damage, such as a lost limb and eye.

Super Leap
      This power allows the Jedi to increase his jumping distance by using a telekinetic "springboard". Every success level in a Strength + Control Task adds 5 meters to the character’s broad jump distance and half that to his high jump distance.

 

Sense Powers

Beings with supernatural powers may hide their presence (a resisted roll); Force wielders can hide themselves with a Control and Willpower roll.

Name

Attr

Effect

Detect Life

Per

Detects sentient beings 5 m/SL; up for 1 FP/5 min; 5+ SL = recognize and sense Force

Enhance Ability

Per

+1 Str or Dex Tests or Tasks/Success Level for 1 min

Farseeing

Per

See images from events or places; clarity is a result of Success Levels; -2 present, -4 past; -6 future

Fear

Will

Target makes a Fear Check with -2/SL

Force Pilot

Per

+2/SL to pilot Tasks for 5 Turns

Instinctive Astrogation

Per

+2/SL bonus for Astrogation Task only to compensate for lack of nav computer

Life Sense

Per

Searches for a specific person; Range Table

Lightsaber Combat

Per

Can add Sense to Martial Arts (Lightsaber) and parry missiles, including blasters

Magnify Senses

Will

+3/Success Level to one sense; 5 min duration

Receptive Telepathy

Will

Read surface thoughts and, with 5+ SLs, memories.

Sense Force

Per

Locates Places of Power, presence of Force-users etc.

Detect Life
      This power allows the Force wielder to detect live sentient beings who might otherwise remain hidden. When the power is activated, on a successful Perception and Sense roll, the character can detect any sentient being within 5 yards per success level. The power may be kept "up" by spending 1 Light/Dark point every 5 minutes after using it. If the roll achieves five success levels or more, the character will not only detect the sentients, but will recognize them if he’s met them, and he will also sense if the sentients are Force-Sensitive or have other supernatural powers (although not exactly the nature of those powers).

Enhance Ability
This power allows the Jedi to enhance his performance at certain non-combat tasks (like driving, climbing etc.) where strength and coordination are an important factor. This is a peculiar power, because Jedis can learn it as an expression of any of the three Force skills. On a successful Perception and Sense roll, the character can foresee the immediate future and adjust his actions accordingly, gaining a +1 bonus per Success Level for Strength or Dexterity Tests or Tasks. This lasts 1 minute.

Farseeing
      This power lets you see images from events or places that may have happened, are happening or will happen. The number of Success Levels in a Perception + Sense Task determines the clarity of the vision (use the Range and Relationship Tables below; another option is using the Mindtime and Mindview Strength Tables in WitchCraft, pp. 234 and 236). The timeframe of the wanted vision apply penalties to the roll: present -2, past -4 and future -6.

Fear
Converted by Mike Bentley
You manipulate the Force to learn what the subject fears most and project it back on them. The subject has to make a Fear Check at -2 per success level in a Willpower + Sense Task. Use of this power automatically gives a dark side point.

Force Pilot
Converted by Mike Bentley
This user of this power uses the force to assist them in piloting a starfighter or space transport-sized ship. Each success level in a Perception + Sense rolls adds 2 to any piloting roll for 5 Turns.

Instinctive Astrogation
      This power allows the Jedi to use the Force to navigate in hyperspace. By making a Perception + Sense Task, the character can add +2 per Success Level as bonuses to his Astrogation Task,, but only to compensate for the lack of a nav computer.

Life Sense
Required Power: Detect Life
      This power can be used to search for a specific person. The maximum range of the search depends on the success level. The character may perform an extended task and accumulate enough success levels to perform the task through multiple rolls. If the target is located, the searcher will sense the general physical and emotional state of the subject (injured or healthy, sad or happy, and so on). This power makes use of the Range and Relationship Tables below.

Lightsaber Combat
     This power lets the Jedi to establish a powerful link with his weapon, allowing him to increase his ability with it and its damage. The link is so deep that the Jedi can use the lightsaber to parry attacks that he foresees and would otherwise be unblockable, like blaster fire. To activate this power, the Jedi spends a Light/Dark point (optionally, the GM may require a Perception + Sense Task). The Jedi adds his Sense skill rating to his Martial Arts (Lightsaber) skill and adds, or subtracts from, his Control skill rating to the damage multiplier of his lightsaber. If the Jedi is wounded, stunned, knocked unconscious or deactivates his lightsaber, this power will turn off, requiring him to turn it on again by spending another Light/Dark Side point.
     To parry blaster bolts, the character must succeed at a parry action (adding his Sense level), scoring an equal or higher roll than his attacker. Parried blaster bolts can be redirected with a Martail Arts (Lightsaber) roll (plus Sense) at -2, plus range modifiers using the range limits of the weapon that fired the shot. Alternatively, the GM may require a minimum Success Level to allow redirection, say, 5, or that the character scores at least double the successes of the attack in his parry. If the Jedi scores less successes than that, he just parried the shot.
     This power has been modified. If you prefer the older version, it's here.

Magnify Senses
      This power allows the Jedi to increase the effectiveness of her normal senses. This requires three turns of concentration and a Willpower and Sense roll. Each success level in the roll gives a +3 bonus to any one sense of the character’s choosing. The bonuses will work for five minutes.

Receptive Telepathy
Required Power: Life Sense
      A Force-wielder with this power can read the surface thoughts of the target. If the Jedi accumulates more than five successes, he can read go beyond the surface thoughts and actually search through the target’s memory for any information up to 24 hours old.

Sense Force
      This power will give the character an overview of the flows of Force and Essence in an area, and will locate Places of Power, the presence (but not the exact location) of powerful Force-users or supernatural beings, and other Essence-related information, such as a feeling for the general state of the area (the Jedi will sense if the inhabitants of a place are mired in despair or terror, for example).

 

Alter Powers

Name

Attr

Effect

Accelerate Another’s Healing

Con

Same as Control power, but affect others.

Affect Mind

Will

Success levels to alter someone’s mind

Control Another’s Disease/Poison

Con

Same as Control power, but affects others

Control Another’s Pain

Will

Same as Control power, but affects others

Enhance Ability
Will
+1 Str or Dex Tests or Tasks/Success Level for 1 min

Force Lightning

Dex

Attack Lightning causes D6 x 4 (12) damage, ignores AV, can Dodge, target must make Will Test or lose half of damage in Force points

Force Wave

Will

Resisted Dex Test, success=half damage, failure=knockback 2m, falls ground, D4(2) x Success Level damage (10m)

Illusion
Will
Creates illusions

Injure/Kill

Will

Resisted Will Test, failure=D8(4) x Success level damage; ignores AV, Touch

Telekinesis

Will

STR = 2 x SL

Telekinetic Kill

Will

Resisted Will Test, failure=D8(4) x Success level damage; ignores AV

 

Accelerate Another’s Healing
      Works as the Control power of the same name, but affects others.

Affect Mind
      This power affects the minds of the target or targets, making them amenable to suggestions, illusions or even careful editing of recent memories. The more complex the suggestion, the more successes the action takes. For example, making a person do something he might do on his own would require one success level; making somebody do something unexpected would take two or three success levels. Completely altering a person’s opinion or actions ("These are not the droids you’re looking for") requires one success level per Willpower level of the target, or four, whichever is more. Mundanes resist with a Difficult Willpower Test, Gifted characters or all types resist with a Simple Willpower Test, or Control + Willpower in the case of Force-Sensitive..

Control Another’s Pain
      See the Control power above.

Control Another’s Disease/Poison
      See the Control power above.

Enhance Ability
     This power allows the Jedi to enhance his performance at certain non-combat tasks (like driving, climbing etc.) where strength and coordination are an important factor. This is a peculiar power, because Jedis can learn it as an expression of any of the three Force skills. On a successful Willpower and Alter roll, the character subtly manipulates the environment and receives a +1 bonus per Success Level for Strength or Dexterity Tests or Tasks. This lasts 1 minute.

Force Wave
Required Power:
Telekinesis
     
This power allows a Jedi to create a wave of telekinetic energy which spreads outward from his or her hand, knocking opponents to the ground. This differs from telekinesis in that there is no attempt at controlling the targets, and more than one being or item can be affected by it at once. The character makes a Willpower + Alter Task resisted by a Dexterity Test. If the character wins, the targets are knocked back 2 meters, fall to the ground and take D4 (2) x Success Levels bash damage. The range on this power is 10 meters, and it affects any beings along a single arc in combat (front, right, left, rear, etc.)

Illusion
Converted by Mike Bentley
This power creates an illusion that can be used to distract, trick or injure. If it is used to injure someone it gains the user an automatic Dark Side point. While the illusion itself can not cause harm, it can cause someone to make a harmful (possible fatal) mistake. Disbelieving the illusion requires a Will+Will roll minus success levels vs the users Alter+Will roll.

Injure/Kill
Required Power: Life Sense
      By touching the character and making a Willpower plus Alter roll, the character can injure or even kill his target. The damage inflicted is D8 (4) times the success level of the roll. Armor does not protect, but characters with the right supernatural powers may resist this attack.
Note:
Using this power except under the most extreme circumstances will automatically gain the character Dark Side points.

Telekinesis
      The power to use the Force to move objects. The character gains a temporaty telekinetic strength of 2 times the success level of the roll, for 1 minute (an extended task may be performed to increase this telekinetic strength). Objects lifted in this manner can be moved at up to 10 yards/meters per turn (this can speeded up by "burning" success levels).

Telekinetic Kill
Required Power: Telekinesis
      This power works exactly like Injure/Kill, but at a range. Use the Range Table.
Note: Using this power except under the most extreme circumstances will automatically gain the character Dark Side points.

 

 

Range Table

User and target are:

Modifier

Touching

Line of Sight

-2

Not in line of sight, but within 1000 km

-4

Same planet, but more than 1,000 km away

-6

Same star system, but not on the same planet

-8

Not in the same star system

-10

 

Relationship Table

User and target are:

Modifier

Close relatives (married, siblings, parent and child, etc)

Friends

-2

Acquaintances

-4

Met once or never met, but know each other by reputation

-6

Complete strangers

-8

Complete strangers and not of the same species

-10

 

 


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