My new RPG -> "Star Wars: Dark Rising"

[Sabriel]

I've just recently read a book called "Sabriel". It's about Necromancers - people who resurrect things from the dead - and the Abhorsen who, along with a few other people, re-kill everything. It started me thinking.

I have an idea for an RPG. It'd be a play-by-email one - done with a yahoo group or something, as opposed to a forum. Basically, the players can be either a "good guy", a "bad guy", or a "regular guy". The catagories break down as follows:

Good Guys:
Jedi
Rebel/New Republic people

Bad Guys:
Sith
"Imperial" people

Regular Guys:
Smugglers
Pirates
Traders
Bounty Hunters

Now, the idea is that this is a sort of Jedi-Sith war. So, though I use the terms "Rebel" and "Imperial", they are intended loosely. Basically, if you want to be an X-Wing pilot, as opposed to a Jedi, you can be. If you want to fly a TIE as opposed to being the Sith, you can be.


The fundemental premise is this: a really powerful Sith guy, known only as the "Necromancer", has been bringing dead members of the Sith back to life...people like Darth Maul, Darth Sidious (Emperor Palpatine), Lord Tiranus, etc. There would only be one other "present" Sith character, so that we fit in with the "Always two there are; no more, no less," thing that Yoda said. However, if you want to create a Sith that is already dead, you can.

The Jedi, on the other hand, probably wouldn't be resurected. Their leader, Jedi Master Sabriel Abhorsen, is a "Death-walker". She can use the force to bring herself into being dead, and wonder around as a fuzzy blue thing, like Obi Wan Kenobi did. She doesn't resurect things, unlike the Sith. This isn't because she can't. Its because the act of resurecting a dead soul requires them to have a new body. That means either killing someone, or making clones. The "good guys" frown on doing either.

Each side will have their own brand of Stormtroopers, Fighter Pilots, a few ships here and there. There would also be room for people from outside to sneak in...the odd smuggler or trader, bar owners, etc.


I don't have a website yet...I'm working on it as we speak. However, if anyone has any questions, or suggestions, or would like to express their desire to join, please e-mail me...my address is below.

BTW. Is it me, or does "Star Wars: Dark Rising" sound familiar? I'd 'preciate suggestions on a name...


e-mail: doctor_ivan_cheztekov@hotmail.com (& MSN Messenger)
Y!IM: groovysplat101

[Ryla Relvinian]

Hmm, Sabriel is an excellent book, but I'm not sure it will translate to this universe... hmm...

[Jarek T'chort]

Your thinking of Dark Force Rising by Timothy Zahn.

[Sabriel]

Ah yes. The book sat about three feet away from my face...lol.


As for the non-translation thing...*shrug* can't hurt to try, can it? ;)

[Dasquian Belargic]

Well it wouldn't work straight away because no one would have the ability, off the bat, to bring back Maul, et all. Especially if you're saying they'd be just as powerful as they were in life - which is baaaaysickally godmoding.

[Sabriel]

I've been thinking about that. I was pondering over the idea of keeping the more mighty Sith (Sidious, Maul, Tiranus/Dooku, etc) held back, more as "generals". They wouldn't be doing any actual fighting right away...after all, once they got killed, it'd be the end of the RPG's primary aim. In the mean time, it'd be the characters that were lesser Sith that would be around..."Death Hands", if you like.

I've also been thinking of the possibility of having the "souls" of the Sith in non-"human" bodies...for example, a former Sith in the body of a Rancor...something like that. Just to add in an element of the Sabriel-esque creatures and beasties.

Also, there's the "Force specialisation" idea. Sabriel, for example, is a "Death-walker". She can separate her blue fuzzy "soul" from her body, and wander around, or she can go into death (like when Capt Sisko talks to the Prophets in ST:DS9 or something...a big, white expanse) and talk to the blue fuzzy things of Yoda, Obi Wan, Anakin, etc. I came up with some other ones too (There are a few more, but I can't remember them)...

Healer - uses the Force to heal people (well duh!)
Illusionist - specialises in mind-tricks too such a degree that they can make people see things that aren't there
"Mage" - casts things like Force lightning, balls of Force energy, etc
Fighter - specialises in using a particular type of lightsaber combat - single bladed, two-bladed, two sabers, etc
Monk - good at meditation, and can do "Jai-do"...like Karate, but instead of making contact, they hit them with the Force

By breaking down the Jedi (and the Sith in a similar way) it should cut down on the ability of people to become god-like, as no one could ever become an all-powerful Jedi. Palpatine/Sidious, for example, would be the Sith equivalent of a Mage. Maul is a Fighter, specialising two-bladed sabers. Though their abilities do streach beyond their specialisation, - basic Jedi mind tricks can be done by most Jedi, for example - they are limited in effectiveness.



Thanks for all the suggestions. Keep 'ep coming!

[Dasquian Belargic]

By breaking down the Jedi (and the Sith in a similar way) it should cut down on the ability of people to become god-like, as no one could ever become an all-powerful Jedi.

That's already done at the moment :) People who make themselves 'jacks of all trades' and incredibly powerful in each of these trades are usually frowned upon.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

You wanna do this thing, go ahead. :)

[Peter McCoy]

Nothing like a bitta necromancy to spice things up. I've done it for so long I've gotten bored with it, so I've moved on with Garrett now. Still, good luck with the whole thing, I hope you have a lotta fun with it.

And just a little hint - necromancy isn't JUST about bringing dead things back to (un)life and controlling them, y'know :)

[Sabriel]

I've just uploaded the bare bones of a website, and am starting to deal with the padding files...database entries, character bios, rules files, etc. So, obviously, a lot is missing, including much of the graphical content. (hence it saying "logo" on the index page...I haven't finished one yet)

Anyone wishing to e-mail advice, request a character (I'll be uploading the "Availiable Existing Characters" article later, telling you which characters from the series will be allowed in some form or other, and a character creation one will follow shortly after) or offer services as image creators, wealths of unending knowledge, fan fiction story-smiths, or anything else you can think of, please feel free to e-mail me at my "business" address: webmaster@dark-rising.cjb.net.

Oh, and the address is:

www.dark-rising.cjb.net


May the Force be with you...

[Sabriel]

Feel free to tell me if you spot any spelling mistakes...I'm too deprived of caffene to notice! ;)