The Force (Continuing Powers Project)

[Wyrm Ouroboros]

Okay, okay, okay. We've all heard the ruckus before; me, I just want to get a good list of coherent Force powers. Most are obvious; some aren't. Most are easy; some aren't. First, some background.

 

Star Wars holds there to be three areas of the Force: to Control yourself, to Sense the world around you, and to Alter the world around you. Thus, three 'Power' skills (Control, Sense, Alter) and a set of powers that fit in under each one. However, as the Force user grows more adept, these can be combined; thus there are Control/Sense skills, Sense/Alter, and Control/Alter -- as well as the 'highly adept' abilities that combine all three aspects.

 

What I'm going to do is start out with the Control powers, move on to Sense, then Alter; after that, we can work on the combination powers. In this first post, I'm going to list what powers I have, from the Star Wars RPG list that I've been able to find, with short definitions for each if it's more complex than the name says. After that, we can get down to brass tacks. If you have additional powers, please please PLEASE list them, including a short blurb on what they do. We'll work them into the study. As we work on powers, I'll edit this post to indicate that they're either finished (to my satisfaction -- hey, it's my thread!!) or being discussed. Once these are finished, I'll put together a web page, and all you happy-go-lucky fun people can download the suckers.

 

All powers in red are, according to the SW RPG, either Sith/Dark Side powers or else powers that automatically get you a Dark Side point. Some of them ... I question. Surely there is a way to do the same thing without the use of fury/rage/whatever, i.e. the Dark Side.

 

These abilities are being built by way of a VPP, so there CAN be a range of actual HERO powers for each skill.

 

Control Skills

• Absorb/Dissipate Energy: Ranges from simple protection from sunburn to radiation defense to blocking/deflecting/absorbing blaster bolts and Force Lightning.
  
• Accellerate Healing
  
• Concentration: Enhances the skill of one action only and one action only; must be an exclusive action, though the character can use a Force Point. (See Below.)
  
• Contort/Escape
  
• Control Disease: This controls a disease, but does not cure it -- i.e. it works mostly/only on the symptoms.
  
• Control Pain: Hrm. Essentially, it shunts pain away, enabling the Jedi to not take skill penalties due to wounds.
  
• Detoxify Poison: This actually removes the poison from the system, 'curing' it.
  
• Emptiness: A really, really, really deep meditation -- functionally, a combination of a hibernation trance, a 'conceal self from other Force Users', and a 'enhance future Force Skills'.
  
• Enhance Abilities: All the neat fun physical Jedi tricks, rolled into one package -- the leaping, the acrobatics, enhanced strength and running. Only one at a time, though.
  
• Force of Will: Helps the Jedi resist other Jedi's mental powers, including TK. (This gives credence to the thought that Jedi TK is psychokinetic.)
  
• Hibernation Trance
  
• Instinctive Astrogation Control (Piloting): Making the ship go where you want it to -- pointing it in exactly the right direction. An astrogation computer has two aspects -- computing the right trajectory, and putting the ship ON that trajectory. This is the Force skill that does the latter.
  
• Rage: the Sith/Dark Jedi version of Emptiness. Has a backlash function (can't contact the Dark Side without danger, buddy.)
  
• Reduce Injury
  
• Remain Conscious
  
• Remove Fatigue
  
• Resist Stun: Resistance from being CON-stunned.
  
• Short-Term Memory Enhancement
  

 

Sense Skills

• Beast Languages: Not 'communciate with animals', but more along the lines of an understanding of what an animal wants; gets the Force user 'in tune' with the animal. Enhances Riding and other animal handling skills.
  
• Combat Sense
  
• Danger Sense
  
• Instinctive Astrogation Sense (Direction): Figuring out where to go. An astrogation computer has two aspects -- computing the right trajectory, and putting the ship ON that trajectory. This is the Force skill that does the former.
  
• Life Detection (Specific Location, ID, Force Sensitive): An AoE detection that can be fine-tuned. Presumably, one could locate a specific individual with this ability. It is more easy to detect a Force user, as they are 'stronger' in life. (Yes, even Dark Jedi/Sith.)
  
• Life Sense (Physical Condition): A specific sense, though this might be merged with 'Life Detection' above. Could possibly enable someone to find weakness on the person.
  
• Life Web (Pick species, find general direction/approx distance): A Megascale detection, both in range and in 'quantity'; according to SW, the Force user cannot detect populations less than 100,000...
  
• Magnify Senses: Increases the effectiveness of a Jedi's senses.
  
• Merge Senses: Perceive through a nearby animal's senses.
  
• Receptive Telepathy: Can read surface thoughts/emotions; can 'dig deeper' for memories no older than 24 hours. Might be able to use this as a 'Sense Truth' ability.
  
• Sense Force: Used on an area or object, not on a person who may be a Force user.
  
• Sense Force Potential
  
• Sense Path: A sort of special precognition, this helps the Force user sense the potentialities of a situation -- essentially, if following a particular course of action will bring them closer to the Dark Side.
  
• Shift Sense: Enhanced and new senses, from thermographic sight to sensing radio frequencies to detailed chemical analysis.
  
• Translation: Translates what the other is saying/writing. Pretty much Universal Translator. Includes machine languages (like R2 units), though those are much more difficult.
  
• Weather Sense: Get an idea what the weather is doing. The longer the Force user has lived in the area, the easier it is.
  

 

Alter Skills

• Bolt of Hatred: Essentially a Force-based energy blast.
  
• Dark Side Web: This is actually more in the nature of a drain, of the target's Force skills (or powers, in HERO) and their Strength.
  
• Injure/Kill: A touch-based killing attack.
  
• Telekinesis: A very useful skill, this includes (in the SW RPG) fun things like flight -- even propulsion of space vehicles! In HERO, one could acquire flight, fast draw, and other more-or-less 'simple' TK exertions from it. By the SW system, using a TK'd object to attack people with gets the Jedi a Dark Side point, but I dunno ...
  
• That's it. That's the entire extent of the Alter skills that I have. Sad, isn't it?
  

 

Control/Sense Skills

• Farseeing: The fun one, which includes pre- and post-cognition. Megascale distance advantages on this one, buddy.
  
• Life Bond: A sort of mind link with backlash.
  
• Lightsaber Combat: Jedi butt-kicking for goodness!! This adds the Sense Skill to the to-hit roll, and the Control Skill to the damage done -- which is why Jedi butt-kickers for goodness kick butt so well. Also does the whole MD thing.
  
• Projective Telepathy: Leia, can you hear me? Usually requires the Force user to speak out loud (Incantations?), but it isn't necessary. Also note that this is projective, not receptive -- but if you kick 'Receptive Telepathy' up, you have true 2-way communication...
  

 

Control/Alter Skills

• Accellerate Another's Healing
  
• Aura of Uneasiness: Projects a field of 'vague discomfort and unease', causing all non-sentient creatures to avoid him. You know, despite the 'unease and discomfort' thing, this -really- doesn't sound like a Dark Side ability. Wouldn't the Sith be all, like, 'Bring 'em on, I'll kill 'em dead'??
  
• Control Another's Disease: As the personal version, usable on someone else.
  
• Control Another's Pain: As the personal version, usable on someone else.
  
• Control Breathing: A sort of 'Breath In Unusual Environment', though it might not work in atmospheres/environments which are mostly hostile. Still, it 'controls the amount of oxygent flowing into his body', so if there's oxygen there, the Jedi can breathe. If there's no oxygen (space, vacuum, in the midst of a halon system going off), this wouldn't work...
  
• Detoxify Poison in Another: As the personal version, usable on someone else.
  
• Electronic Manipulation: 'The Jedi, using this power, can channel his anger into the circuits of a computer, droid, or machine, and reprogram it by manipulating its physical and electrical components.' Why does this have to involve anger?!?
  
• Feed on the Dark Side: Lets the Dark Side user gain power from their opponents' negative emotions. I can see where this is coming from, but shouldn't there be a Light Side version of this?
  
• Force Lightning: Cool blue bolts from the Emperor's hands.
  
• Inflict Pain: Stun damage only. Might be a Light side version of this, a sort of 'sleep' command...
  
• Place Another in Hibernation Trance: As the personal version, usable on someone else.
  
• Remove Another's Fatigue: As the personal version, usable on someone else.
  
• Return Another to Consciousness: As the personal version, usable on someone else.
  
• Transfer Force: A lifesaving device, the Jedi taps themselves and boosts the life of someone else with the Force.
  
• Waves of Darkness 'Aura of Uneasiness', boosted. Targets entering the AoE first become confused, then repulsed, fleeing if at all possible. Light Side version?
  

 

Sense/Alter Skills

• Dim Other's Senses: Or, How to Sneak Around in Six Easy Lessons. I prefer an 'obfuscation' sort of thing, but ...
  
• Force Wind: Whips up a tornado-level wind. I see other potential Light Side applications of this...
  
• Lesser Force Shield: Force Field/Wall -- but why does it give the Jedi a Dark Side point?!? And where's the Greater Force Shield?
  

 

Control/Sense/Alter Skills

• Affect Mind: Alters memories, muddles judgements. This is the ''These are not the droids you're looking for' power.
  
• Battle Meditation: Turns opponents against each other or turns the tide of battle by transferring skill from opponents to allies. Useful but difficult, I imagine, even though the two uses are two totally different powers in the Hero system...
  
• Control Mind: Full-bore mind control puppetry.
  
• Create Force Storm: Very very nasty, very very difficult, very very liable to backlash. We're talking hurricane, here.
  
• Distort Perception (Active): Warps the target's perception, making them see things as they aren't.
  
• Doppelganger: Creates a functional duplicate/illusion of the Force user that operates at 1/2 efficiency/skill. Why this gives the user a Dark Side point I'll never know; it certainly doesn't HAVE to be powered by rage, hate, or any other fierce emotions...
  
• Drain Life Energy: Pulls strength from nearby non-sentients in order to keep the Force user going. Much easier to use 'Remove Fatigue', I'd think...
  
• Drain Life Essence: Empowers the Force user at the expense of others; also channels the Dark Side into the victims (willing or not).
  
• Enhance Coordination: Fun ability, combining a subconscious Mind Link with an 'enhance skill use'. (SW Note: it's said that Palpatine uses this to enhance the coordination/skill of the Imperial forces, especially during the expansion period.)
  
• Force Harmony: Major bonuses in resisting powers called forth by the Dark Side.
  
• Memory Wipe: Destroys all knowledge of an event, person, or even skill. Requires physical contact.
  
• Projected Fighting*: TK fighting at range, I guess. Causing more than stun damage gainst the Jedi a Dark Side point, and it says the Jedi should only use this in defense of an innocent. You know, with all these restrictions, no wonder the Jedi got themselves killed off...
  
• Telekinetic Kill: See Vader. See Vader get mad. See various Imperial Army/Navy commanders die. Go, Vader, go!
  
• Transfer Life: Major bad juju. Transfers the Dark Jedi's spirit into a new body, including but not limited to clone bodies and 'live unwilling hosts'. Immortality at the cost of others.
  

 

Force Points

These are fun wonderful things that let you do wild, wonderful, fantastic things like shoot down Death Stars and suchlike. In general, it doubles whatever ability you're using at the moment.

 

That's what I know. Know others? Post!!

[Wyrm Ouroboros]

First power:

• Absorb/Dissipate Energy: Ranges from simple protection from sunburn to radiation defense to blocking/deflecting/absorbing blaster bolts and Force Lightning.

Depending on exactly what needs to be defended against, this could be anything from 'Safe Environment: Radiation' or 'Intense Heat' to 'Armor (X rED)'. As the sense I get from the 'Absorb' part isn't a 'absorb and make me stronger', I would not put that particular ability into this.

[Lord Liaden]

Nice writeups.

 

Should you wish to see how others here have approached the Force (gee, that sounded mystical), here are a couple of earlier threads with detailed discussions:

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3305&highlight=force

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1275&highlight=force

 

The second one includes a couple of good links. Hope they're of some use to you.

 

Look forward to seeing the rest of your project!

[NuSoardGraphite]

Enhance Abilities: All the neat fun physical Jedi tricks, rolled into one package -- the leaping, the acrobatics, enhanced strength and running. Only one at a time, though.

 

Actually, I would think that there would be a "general" Enhance abilities power. Perhaps adding to STR, CON and DEX all simultaneously. However, it would be much less efficient as it would have to split the points rolled between all characteristics that apply:

 

Example:

 

A 4D6 Aid to Physical Characteristics adds a maximum of 24pts when divided by three adds 8pts to each characteristic which comes out to:

+8 Str

+4Con

+3Dex

 

Seems quite reasonable to me, and would allow the Jedi to surprass normal humans on all levels of physical capability, which they seem to do constantly with no problem.

 

Of course, if a Jedi needs more of one characteristic boosted than his others, he can switch to a slot that only enhances a single characteristic and boost is significantly. In fact I'd probably have two Enhance Abilities slots:

One slot would be add to All physical characteristics (well STR, CON and DEX at least) and another slot with an Aid that can add to one at a time (for a siginificant boost to a single characteristic)

[NuSoardGraphite]

Control Pain: Hrm. Essentially, it shunts pain away, enabling the Jedi to not take skill penalties due to wounds.

 

Overall Skill Levels, only to remove penalties associated with Pain(-1) and Cost Endurance(-1/2).

 

Or perhaps Penalty Skill Levels will work for this...(gotta check the FAQ)

[Wyrm Ouroboros]

Originally posted by Lord Liaden

Should you wish to see how others here have approached the Force (gee, that sounded mystical), here are a couple of earlier threads with detailed discussions:

Participated in the first thread, noticed that the second never really went anywhere. Here, I want to working on a full writeup of each power/ability, with the several ways to do it.

Originally posted by NuSoardGraphite

In fact I'd probably have two Enhance Abilities slots:

One slot would be add to All physical characteristics (well STR, CON and DEX at least) and another slot with an Aid that can add to one at a time (for a siginificant boost to a single characteristic).

I generally agree; unfortunately, the Star Wars dogma (which my karma, driven by my katma, has run over) says that a Jedi can enhance only one attribute at a time. I, for the record, throw the following into the 'possible-to-enhance' pool:

Strength		Speed		Running
Dexterity		Recovery	Superleap
Constitution		Endurance
		Stun

With running and superleap, however, I usually put it in directly. As this is a Control skill, it gains the 'benefit' of RSR: Control (-½).

Force Skill: Enhance Abilities (Control)

1. Succor, Xd6, vs SFX (One power at a time: Str, Dex, Con, REC, END, STUN) (+¼), Self Only (-½), RSR (-½): (6 Active Points, 3 Points per 1d6)
   
2. Aid, Xd6, vs SFX (One power at a time: Str, Dex, Con, REC, END, STUN) (+¼), Self Only (-½), RSR (-½): (12 Active Points, 6 Points per 1d6)
   
3. Running, X", Not while Aid/Succor/Superleap is active (-¼), RSR (-½): (10 Active Points, 6 Points per 5")
   
4. Superleap, X", Not while Aid/Succor/Running is active (-¼), RSR (-½): (5 Active Points, 3 Points per 5")
   

Conversely, one could simply put both Running and Superleap into the Succor/Aid, and do away with those two enhancements.

 

On reflection, I believe that I'd build the 'Absorb/Dissipate Energy' thus:

Force Skill: Absorb/Dissipate Energy (Control)

1. Life Support: Safe in High Radiation, Intense Heat (4 Active Points); RSR (-½) (3 Points)
   
2. Force Field, 7 rED, IPF/X (Not Visible to Sight unless dissipating energy, +¼) (9 Active Points); x2 Increased Endurance (-½), Concentrate ½ DCV Throughout (-½), RSR Each Time (-1): 3 Points
   
3. Drain, 1d6, Fully Variable SF/X (Vs. any Energy, +½), One Effect At a Time (+¼), Returns at 5 Points/Minute (+¼) (20 Active Points); x3 Increased Endurance (-1), Concentrate 0 DCV Throughout (-1), RSR Each Time (-1): 5 Points.
   

The third effect, the Drain, is so that the Jedi can do such 'fantastic, wonderful!' things as shutting down force fields by draining them, or cooling down a red-hot object so that they could hand it off to someone else. Please note that the latter two effects DO require a considerable effort from the Force user; only talented Jedi would/should be able to do them 'casually'.

[Space Cadet]

I'm not sure where this one would fit on the Force Powers chart,

but given Luke's reaction to it the one time that he used it, it should

definitely be red-flagged as a Dark Side power.

 

Anyway, here it is:

 

Distort Perception: This power was first used by Luke in the

Heir to the Empire trilogy written by Timothy Zahn a few

years

ago. At one point during a space combat against Imperial forces,

Luke used the Force to distort the perceptions of the TIE fighter

pilots; however, immediately upon doing so, he experienced what

was described as a "wrongness" in the Force, as if he had stepped

upon a line that Jedi were forbidden to cross.

From that point on, Luke refused to ever use that power for any

reason.

 

If I had to guess at the way to represent this in Hero System terms,

I'd have to say that this was Mind Control with Illusion thrown in for

good measure.

 

Space Cadet

[rayoman]

I am in the process of doing the same thing you are doing here. However, I have decided to not follow the WEG or the WotC model for Force Powers. I felt this was limiting me too much plus I disagree with many things about Dark Side points being given out for using certain powers (Coran Horn's ability to drain energy cells gives a DSP in WotC's version).

 

I have decided to use a single skill: Power Skill(Control Force).

 

I have decided to use Force Powers exhibited in the movies only PLUS any that I make up myself. I have decided against using any from the Extended Universe Books.

 

Anyway, I do like some of the write-ups that have been done in this thread. Keep it up.

[NuSoardGraphite]

Originally posted by rayoman

 

I have decided to use Force Powers exhibited in the movies only PLUS any that I make up myself. I have decided against using any from the Extended Universe Books.

 

Anyway, I do like some of the write-ups that have been done in this thread. Keep it up.

 

The Expanded Universe books do have some pretty nifty uses of The Force in them. Some of them are pretty outrageous, but quite a few fit right in with the original conception of The Force from the original trilogy. Plus, a lot of the stuff from the WEG and WOtC Star Wars games come from the EU. You might want to check them all out and decide which ones you want to use and which one's you don't want to use before deciding to throw them all away. There maybe something in there you want that you didn't think of yourself...

[rayoman]

Thanks, NU. I have seen or own all the WEG stuff. I own all the WotC stuff. I am fairly current on the New Jedi Order. I am not saying that I dislike it. I am just saying that I WANT to use what was in the movies then start my new campaign from the end of RotJ. Make my own ending since Lucas won't and the EU stuff got out of wack due to Ep I and II.

 

Thanks for the heads up though. Hey, NU, ever thought about making a Mecha Toolkit book for HERO? I love seeing the stuff you post on the boards dealing with Mecha.

 

Wonder if Palladium still has the Robotech license? I wonder if a small startup gaming company could start with a license for, frex Robotech, then get a license for, frex HERO, to get a start in the gaming industry? Hmm. I would have to do more research before jumping into something like this. anyone have any websites for someone interested in doing this?

 

 

Originally posted by NuSoardGraphite

The You might want to check them all out and decide which ones you want to use and which one's you don't want to use before deciding to throw them all away. There maybe something in there you want that you didn't think of yourself...

[Wyrm Ouroboros]

Originally posted by Space Cadet

I'm not sure where this one would fit on the Force Powers chart, but given Luke's reaction to it the one time that he used it, it should definitely be red-flagged as a Dark Side power.

 

Distort Perception: This power was first used by Luke in the Heir to the Empire trilogy written by Timothy Zahn a few years ago. At one point during a space combat against Imperial forces, Luke used the Force to distort the perceptions of the TIE fighter pilots; however, immediately upon doing so, he experienced what was described as a "wrongness" in the Force, as if he had stepped upon a line that Jedi were forbidden to cross. From that point on, Luke refused to ever use that power for any reason.

 

If I had to guess at the way to represent this in Hero System terms, I'd have to say that this was Mind Control with Illusion thrown in for good measure.

Going by your description, I'd call it either a Sense/Alter skill (going off the 'Dim Other's Senses' schtick) or else a Control/Sense/Alter skill (going off the 'Control Mind' power). I think I'd make it 'Mental Illusions', though, as you're just twisting what they see, not making them actually DO anything.

 

Thanks for the power; I'll toss it onto the list. This is what I'd really like, especially from the 'Heir to the Empire' sourcebooks, etc. etc. -- more of the Force powers you talk about/find in them.

 

rayoman, while I appreciate the conversation, it's out of place on this thread; this is for the development of the powers, not 'I'm doing this, going to do that'. SHOW me what you're doing, what you think the powers that have been used (whether in the movies or otherwise) are, according to HERO. Writeup discussion, not background discussion, not license discussion.

[Wyrm Ouroboros]

Moving along ...

 

As I get to the 'Enhanced/Control' and 'Enhance/Control Other's' items, I'll be doing them together; after all, most of the time it's the same power, just with a few tweaks to the disads.

 

Force Skill: Accellerate Healing (Control)

Healing, 1d6, to Body, Increased Maximum (+10; 16 pts/8 Body), (15 Active Points); Self Only (-½), Gradual Effect (1 day, -1¾), Requires Skill Roll (-½), Concentrate 0 DCV (-½), Extra Time (Extra Phase, ¾): 3 Points, 1 END.

 

Force Skill: Accellerate Other's Healing (Control/Alter)

Healing, 1d6, to Body, Increased Maximum (+10; 16 pts/8 Body), (15 Active Points); Gradual Effect (1 day, -1¾), Requires Two Skill Rolls (-¾), Concentrate 0 DCV (-½), Extra Time (Extra Phase, ¾): 3 Points, 1 END.

 

The 'Self Only' gets replaced by the extra skill roll; at much, much higher levels this actually makes a point or two of difference, but it isn't enough to matter. A possible advantage might be Area of Effect (Radius, +1); this would raise the Active cost to 30, Real cost to 6, and END cost to 3. It would, of course, be quite the interesting effect.

 

It may seem like a cheat, adding on all the disadvantages, but using the HERO system to design the Force brings out, well ... disadvantages. The healing doesn't happen instantly, it takes concentration to do something like this, and perhaps extra time -- or increased endurance. In fact, Increased Endurance (x3, +1) would be a better limitation than Extra Time; either way it doesn't generally matter, considering that this sort of thing usually happens out of combat...

 

Force Skill: Control Pain (Control)

Overall Skill Levels, One Level (10 Active Points); Only to Offset Skill Penalties Due to Impairment (-½), Requires a Skill Roll (-½), Extra Time (Full Phase, -½), Concentration (½ DCV, -¼), Costs Endurance to Use (-½): 3 Points, 1 END.

 

Force Skill: Control Another's Pain (Control/Alter)

[Overall Skill Levels, One Level, (10 Active Points); Only to Offset Skill Penalties Due to Impairment (-½), Costs Endurance to Use (-½): 5 Points, 1 END], Usable by Others and Simultaneously (4 Others, +1), (10 Actives); Requires Two Skill Rolls (-¾), Extra Time (Full Phase, -½), Concentration (½ DCV, -¼), Costs Endurance to Activate (¼): 4 Points, 1 END

 

An interesting thing I saw on that 'Control Another's Pain' -- presuming you have few (or no) advantages on the initial power, and you have penalties ... creating a power/spell/skill/whatever that enables OTHER people to do things is very efficient. Scarily, even. In the above case, the Force User can enable 4 people plus the Jedi to work even when they've had the cr@p kicked out of them...

 

Force Skill: Distort Perception (Control/Sense/Alter)

Mental Illusions, 4d6, Area of Effect Selective (x8 Radius, 16" Total, +2), (60 Active Points); No Range (-½), Requires Three Skill Rolls (-1), Side Effects (Character always acquires Disadvantages Tempted by the Dark Side (Common, Strong), Cruel/Sadistic (Very Common, Strong), and Violent (Common, Moderate) when using this power and for 1 hour afterwards) (-2): 13 Real Points, 6 END.

 

Or for the space battle version ...

Force Skill: Distort Perception (Vast) (Control/Sense/Alter)

Mental Illusions, 4d6, Megascale (Radius, 1"=1000km, +1), Area of Effect Selective (Radius, 2" Total, +1¼), (65 Active Points); No Range (-½), Requires Three Skill Rolls (-1), Side Effects (Character always acquires Disadvantages Tempted by the Dark Side (Common, Strong), Cruel/Sadistic (Very Common, Strong), and Violent (Common, Moderate) when using this power and for 1 hour afterwards) (-2): 15 Real Points, 6 END.

 

Very, very ... ummmmm ... dangerous. Vicious. Better hope you know where your buddies are. Probably best used only in a furball -- close, tight fights in practically touch range, so to speak...

[AnotherSkip]

Actually I think there is a 4th Jedi Power,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wait for it

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Necromancy.

 

after all, where else do you get the 2000 member "Skeleton crew" for the Death Star????!?!?!?!?

[rayoman]

More Force Powers

 

Without debating my choices I have attached a Hero Designer File that contains various Force Powers. Some of them I have taken from this thread and another thread or some websites. I maintain that I am trying to stay within the movies for my campaign (at first). I am not modeling the WEG version or the D20 version, however some of the powers may contain the same name as those models.

 

I have included Locate Mind as a Force Power. I have done this so I would not have to include Megascale on the Mental Powers. I also include this so I can explain Vader using Force Choke on Admiral Ozzel in The Empire Strikes Back. I think when I get to Force Choke that I may just make it a RKA, BOECV, Indirect attack. Would this work for a Force Choke?

 

Enjoy the powers.

 

RayOMan

[Wyrm Ouroboros]

Skip, I will be forced to throttle you for that...

 

Rayoman, thank you. Considering that a) I don't have HeroBuilder, and it'd be nice to actually discuss the mechanics we're looking at here, would you mind bothering to post them individually?

 

Telekinetic Kill would probably work as a ½d6 RKA, BOECV (+1), Does Body (+1) (30 Active Points); Requires 3 Skill Rolls (-1): 15 Points. (No, I don't know how you're doing it; this is how I would do it, fitting it into the above framework.)

 

I agree that Mind Scan would be an ideal Force Power, in order to use all the other wonderful Ego/BOECV powers that the Force is primarily built upon. On the other hand, if you have a Very Good Idea of where the object/person you're trying to nail is, your Mind Scan has an effective modifier of 0, as per the 'Mind Scan Modifiers' table on p. 134, FREd. Also, Mind Scan is automatically considered to have MegaScale on the +1¼ level, as it can search for minds on a planetary scale. Presuming the Sith Lord's target is within a planetary range, regular Mind Scan is good enough; otherwise, well ... you might want to buy it up to the +2¾ level, 'Solar System', so that no matter where in the Hoth System Lord Vader happens to be, he can choke Admiral X to death. It'd work like this:

 

Vader opens up the communications channel to the bridge of the Imperial Star Destroyer Indominable. Admiral Tigh steps up to the vidscreen; Vader can actually see where on the bridge Tigh is; he has the Mind Scan range (MegaScale level +2¾, costing him only +1½ Advantage) to reach the Admiral, and so has to do a Mind Scan for only one person in a very specific location. Difficult? Hardly! He's right there!! So Vader hits his target ECV (say Ego 15, so a 5), then rolls his Mind Scan to getthe Ego +10 levels (All Mental Powers, which the above 'TK Kill' would fit into, being BOECV now), and proceeds to throttle Admiral Tigh slowly and completely.

 

Interestingly, I think Luke -- most Force Users, actually -- would/should have this ability. In the games, it's sort of written into the powers; you get a bonus or penalty for willingness, or relationship, or the distance to the person. Luke, hanging off the weather vane on the bottom of Cloud City, knows Leia is around, so he goes searching for her. Large town gives him a -10 penalty (ouch!), but Leia by this point is a very familiar and emotionally close mind -- I'd max this out at +5, so Luke actually has only a -5 penalty to his ECV. And for Leia finding him, well, all they need is 'Greater than EGO' on the roll for her to get his heading, though EGO + 20 would be best, so she can zero in on his particular weather vane ...

[rayoman]

Wyrm,

 

I'll post the powers. They are only a first pass, but I have used some of the ideas suggested in the two threads about Force Powers. I really don't want to hijack any threads, but I also don't want to create another.

 

I am not trying to model the control, alter, sense Force powers that can be found in the WEG/D20 games. I am using a single skill called Power Skill (Force) or Power Skill (Control Force) as the only skill needed for the powers to work.

 

I hope this turns out to look decent. Oh, I am planning on having Padawans powers having Active Point Caps between 30-50 pts. I am thinking this would represent a Padawan at an early age, mid-to-late teens up to Obi-wan's age in TPM. I may change this once I finish my first pass on all the powers that I am planning on creating.

 

 

 

Cost	Power	END
	Padawan Rank Powers
18	1) Absorb/Dissipate Energy: (Total: 45 Active Cost, 18 Real Cost) Life Support , Safe in High Radiation, Safe in Intense Heat (4 Active Points); Requires A Skill Roll (-1/2) (Real Cost: 3) plus Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50%, Invisible Power Effects (Not Visible To Sight Unless Dissipating Energy) (+1/4) (37 Active Points); Concentration 1/2 DCV, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (-1/2), Increased Endurance Cost 2x END (-1/2), Requires A Skill Roll (-1/2), Costs Endurance Only Costs END to Activate (-1/4) (Real Cost: 13) plus Damage Resistance (8 ED) (4 Active Points); Requires A Skill Roll (-1/2), The Amount Of Resistant Defense Gained Cannot Exceed What The Character Normally Has (-1/4) (Real Cost: 2)	8
17	2) Danger Sense: Danger Sense (Function as a Sense, Intuitional, Sensitivity: Out of Combat) 11-
13	3) Empathy: Telepathy 6d6 (30 Active Points); Empathy All Emotions (-1/2), Requires A Skill Roll (-1/2), Normal Range (-1/4)	3
18	4) Enhanced Ability: Aid: STR, DEX, CON, BODY, REC, END, STUN 3d6, Variable Effect One Ability At A Time (+1/4) (37 Active Points); Self Only (-1/2), Requires A Skill Roll (-1/2)
26	5) Force Choke: Killing Attack - Ranged 1d6 (vs. PD), Based On EGO Combat Value (Mental Defense; +1), Does BODY (+1) (45 Active Points); Requires A Skill Roll (-1/2), Concentration 1/2 DCV (-1/4)	4
8	6) Force Healing: Healing 3d6 (max. Healed Points: 18), Variable Effect (BODY and STUN; One Power At A Time) (+1/4) (37 Active Points); Gradual Effect 1 Day (-1 3/4), Extra Time Extra Phase (-3/4), Requires A Skill Roll (-1/2), Concentration 0 DCV (-1/2)	4
5	7) Force Leaping: Leaping +5" (7" forward, 3 1/2" upward)	1
20	8) Force Lightning: Killing Attack - Ranged 1d6 (vs. ED), No Normal Defense (Force Fields or a Successful Block/Missile Deflection With An Active Lightsaber) (+1), Does BODY (+1) (45 Active Points); Requires A Skill Roll (-1/2), Extra Time Full Phase (-1/2), Concentration 1/2 DCV (-1/4)	4
20	9) Force Speed: +10" Running (16" total), x4 Noncombat, Noncombat Acceleration/Deceleration (+1) (50 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost 3x END (-1), Requires A Skill Roll (-1/2)	15
8	10) Force Stealth: Invisibility to Force Sense, No Fringe (20 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost 3x END (-1), Requires A Skill Roll (-1/2)	6
10	11) Locate Mind: Mind Scan 6d6 (30 Active Points); Concentration 0 DCV (-1/2), Requires A Skill Roll (-1/2), Increased Endurance Cost 2x END (-1/2), Costs END To Maintain Full END Cost (-1/2)	6
12	12) Psychokinesis: Telekinesis (20 STR) (30 Active Points); Concentration 1/2 DCV, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (-1/2), Increased Endurance Cost 2x END (-1/2), Requires A Skill Roll (-1/2)	6
27	13) Sense Force: Detect The Force 11-, Discriminatory, Increased Arc of Perception: 360-Degree, Range, Sense
12	14) Telepathy: Telepathy 6d6 (30 Active Points); Concentration 0 DCV (-1/2), Requires A Skill Roll (-1/2), Surface Thoughts Only (-1/2)	3

 

[Space Cadet]

Originally posted by AnotherSkip

Actually I think there is a 4th Jedi Power,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wait for it

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Necromancy.

 

after all, where else do you get the 2000 member "Skeleton crew" for the Death Star????!?!?!?!?

 

You're just asking to be turned into Purina Sarlacc Chow,

aren't you, Skip?

 

Space Cadet

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: More Force Powers

 

Dear Sir , I was unable to downlaod that file . Have you got a pdf version fot the technologically challenged .

 

Originally posted by rayoman

Without debating my choices I have attached a Hero Designer File that contains various Force Powers. Some of them I have taken from this thread and another thread or some websites. I maintain that I am trying to stay within the movies for my campaign (at first). I am not modeling the WEG version or the D20 version, however some of the powers may contain the same name as those models.

 

I have included Locate Mind as a Force Power. I have done this so I would not have to include Megascale on the Mental Powers. I also include this so I can explain Vader using Force Choke on Admiral Ozzel in The Empire Strikes Back. I think when I get to Force Choke that I may just make it a RKA, BOECV, Indirect attack. Would this work for a Force Choke?

 

Enjoy the powers.

 

RayOMan

[Cybrarian]

Originally posted by rayoman

I am in the process of doing the same thing you are doing here. However, I have decided to not follow the WEG or the WotC model for Force Powers.

 

[snip]

 

I have decided to use a single skill: Power Skill(Control Force).

 

I've been thinking the same thing but looking at the opposite approach. What I'm considering is using a VPP (Powers can be Changed as Zero Phase Action(+1), Only for Known Force Powers(-1/4?)) and having a separate Power skill for each power. The character only gains the ability to use the power once they learn the appropriate skill.

 

I would base the individual Power skills largely on attributes that others are using for the three skill (Alter, Control, Sense) version.

 

This would do a couple things for me. It would make Force powers accessibly costed in a heroic game (as any power framework approach does.) It would allow a single character to have different degrees of expertise in the various Force abilities. It would also allow me to add a Dark Side set of Power skills as Everyman skills for Force Sensitive characters, tempting them to use those skills on occasion.

 

"The Dark Side is quicker, easier, not more powerful."

[Cybrarian]

Re: The Force (Continuing Powers Project)

 

Originally posted by Wyrm Ouroboros

Once these are finished, I'll put together a web page, and all you happy-go-lucky fun people can download the suckers.

 

Wyrm,

 

Did you ever create that web page?

[BlackSword]

Waves of Darkness 'Aura of Uneasiness', boosted. Targets entering the AoE first become confused, then repulsed, fleeing if at all possible. Light Side version?

For the light side verstion, I don't know how to model it in HERO, it would probably be similar to the Darkside version, but with different SFX.

 

It could be similar to the Lensman's Arisia, where people avoid a certain area unless invited(in this case an entire star system). The mind just doesn't track the area and people go around that part of space unless they force themselves to concentrate on it (in which case bad things happen). I don't think its inherently darksided, as in this case the Arisians just wanted to be left alone (though they did kill an entire crew, which would give them a dark side point).

[Guest Major Tom]

I've got another Force power for your project, Wyrm. Some years

ago, back when I still had a copy of Alan Dean Foster's Splinter

of the Mind's Eye, I came across a rather nasty-sounding

Force power (I say nasty because the power did its damage if

the target attempted to resist it). Towards the end of the

story, Luke and Darth Vader were duking it out Jedi-style when Vader attempted to use a "kinetite, or restrained energy

globule"* against Luke. As stated in the book, if Luke had tried

to resist the kinetite, the resultant energy release would have

thrown him through a wall (considering that they were fighting

in an ancient stone temple at the time, they would've needed

a blotter to recover Luke's remains).

 

Now, I don't know exactly where this power would fit into the

Control/Alter/Sense format, but at the very least it sounds like

it'd be an Energy Blast with both Increased Knockback and the

Trigger: Power only goes off if target attempts to resist the

attack.

 

Hope this is of some use to you.

 

Major Tom

 

The Poster formerly known as Space Cadet

 

*NOTE: the line in quotation marks is a line from Splinter of the

Mind's Eye.

[Wyrm Ouroboros]

Re: The Force (Continuing Powers Project)

 

Yeah, yeah, I know, back from the dead.

 

It just so happens that I'm finally playing my Jedi, which means I have a reason to put powers together. I've already noted that I've put together a Hero Designer prefab file (Jedi.hdp) over on HeroCentral with much/most of Eosin's build information. For what it's worth, I'm going with:

 

Three Power Skills: Control Force, Sense Force, Alter Force.

Max Pool: (Points in Top Power + Average of Points in Other Two) x 5.

Skills Learned: Learned Powers Limited to 2 x CP spent in Force Skill (Per Skill); Multi-Skill Powers Require 1 Point From Each Skill.

 

So Alter Mind, a Control/Sense/Alter skill, requires 1 Control skill point, 1 Sense Skill point, and 1 Alter skill point.

 

Anyhow. I've got a wonderful whole bunch of skills, but I've got to build four more to top off my power set, and one of them has me somewhat ... stymied.

 

Control Disease

This controls a disease, but does not cure it -- i.e. it works mostly/only on the symptoms.

 

How, exactly, do you describe this in the HERO system? How do you define just an outright 'cure disease'? I'm stumped, though I'll confess I haven't really thought it over. Transform is a fair possibility, I suppose, or more likely Heal, but ...

[Hyper-Man]

Re: The Force (Continuing Powers Project)

 

 

Control Disease

This controls a disease, but does not cure it -- i.e. it works mostly/only on the symptoms.

 

How, exactly, do you describe this in the HERO system? How do you define just an outright 'cure disease'? I'm stumped, though I'll confess I haven't really thought it over. Transform is a fair possibility, I suppose, or more likely Heal, but ...

 

Penalty Skill Levels, Only to offset disease.

or

Aid, with same limitation, would also need to affect multiple abilities and have an increased time interval.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: The Force (Continuing Powers Project)

 

*dusts himself off*

 

Sorry, what'd I miss? I'm not even going to consider retreading the mess of Force Powers; that, and everyone and their mother attempts to write 'em up, so it's REALLY a matter of personal preference and interpretation. I think that having three separate groups makes for an excellent control factor; I further think (based on conversations about doing this with my magic system) that "Combined" Force Powers should force the roll from the lesser of the two skills, but gain synergy from the higher. You can reverse it, but that's how I would do it.

 

Or. You can set them up so one is a "leading" school, and the other is the "subordinate" and they have to make a Synergy roll (at least a general success) to use the power. In so far as power design, I'm drowing in HALO equipment at the moment, but if you post an individual power, I'll be happy to throw in my change for the builds.

 

Not even Hyper-Man wants to comment individually on every spell I have up in the Fantasy HERO forums, but should you need inspiration, they're there. Finally, you NEED Hero Designer. Even though it isn't flawless, it's extremely flexible and streamlines the ENTIRE process. No more hackneyed home brewed design systems. One clean program does it all.

 

I don't even bother writing up by hand; I just cut & paste what I do in HD when I want people to review things. So please, save the pain, save the puppies (please... think of the puppies. Won't you help?) and buy HDv3.