Light Side Abilities

Combat

All Jedi begin their training with some sort of combat. Though we have many different levels of Padawans, most of them with experience have not been trained to use the Force while they fight. Even if you are a master swordsman on your own planet, there are still Force-skills that must be used to improve and maintain your fighting skills. Remember, not all Jedi Masters are master-level fighters, and neither are all the Jedi Padawans. When creating your character, remember to balance out your skills.

Padawan

A Padawan level training begins with sensing your relationship to the Force and how you can use it to enhance your own movement. Most Padawans have or can develop basic to intermediate hand-to-hand combat skills, including Force-enhanced jumps, short sprints, and sensing attacks. The Lightsaber is also introduced at this level, but should be used with caution and only for training.

Knight

Everything learned as a Padawan is enhanced by the time one reaches the Knight level. Force-enhanced jumps and sprints soon turn into defensive leaps and long-distance running. The Lightsaber cannot be learned quickly; Much study still must be put into the basic forms for attacking and blocking. If your character has a special predisposition for the Lightsaber, consider training not just for the basics but under a specific form:

• Form I: A basic form, which younglings begin learning.
• Form II: An ancient form used for saber-to-saber duels. As it is not practical in the era of the SW films, it is not taught in the Jedi Order. Count Dooku uses this form, which defeated Obi-Wan and Anakin and stood against Yoda.
• Form III: The most defensive form, reflects the philosophy of non-offensiveness. Obi-Wan Kenobi uses this form in AOTC, such as during the battle with Jango Fett. Masters of this form are unbeatable, but they may have trouble overcoming their opponent.
• Form IV: The most acrobatic form, used by Qui-Gon Jinn, Yoda, and Obi-Wan (in TPM). It is characterized by Force-assisted jumps and predictable, flowing saber moves. Yoda is an ultimate master of Form IV, using it to its fullest against Count Dooku.
• Form V: A form opposite to Form III, it stresses strength. It requires intensity, and its goal is to overcome the opponent. Anakin Skywalker (and Darth Vader) use this aggressive form. While Form III would deflect blaster fire away from the opponent, a Form V user would deflect the bolt directly to the opponent.
• Form VI: A combination of all the forms, it is known as the "diplomat's Form." Most Jedi use this form, but all the Form VI Jedi in the Battle of Geonosis died.
• Form VII: The ultimate form, it requires mastery of all other forms, more intensity than Form V. Although a Form VII user may seem calm on the outside, he or she is very powerful inside. Mace Windu and Darth Maul use this form.

Master

If your character's specialty is combat, either hand to hand or lightsaber, you should be able to hold your own in any sort of fight. At this point, your muscle skills and Force skills will be working in complete unison, and you will probably have learned at least one lightsaber form, if not two. As a Jedi, you will fight with strength of character, and not just power. You may be a sword master, but as a Jedi, you work for peace above all things.

These guidelines were written up by Ryla Relvinian, a Jedi Master who specializes in combat and healing, and agreed upon by the moderating staff.

Healing

There are three main facets of any Force-healing ability: Sense, Assess, and Heal. One cannot simply heal without being able to first sense the problem and accurately assess the dangers. Healing is not telepathy, and does not rely on sensing the patient's thoughts, but rather on receiving their emotions and their pain. Often times, true master healers are very rare, and they are sometimes not as powerful in other areas, such as telekinesis and telepathy, for that very reason.

Apprentice

It is not uncommon to happen upon a Padawan with a specific gift towards healing, but, for the most part, most Padawans have only reached, and will only reach, the level of Sense in their healing skills. Sensing, as stated before, relies more upon the detection and reception of certain emotions and states of being than actually hearing someone's thoughts. This is because injuries affect all of the person's being, not just the physical aspect, but also the Force aspect.

Knight

A knight can receive the emotions of others without trying, and can begin to pin-point the problems that lay within. The sharing of emotions eventually draws the healer's Force senses within the patient, forming a tenuous bond used as a Force-probe to detect and begin to examine whatever wound exists. The earlier stages of this training focus more on physical wounds, starting from flesh wounds and moving into internal injuries. Extended periods of healing activity are very strenuous on the healer.

Master

At this level, the Master level healer can heal himself or herself with a moderate level of difficulty, and can assess and treat most common physical wounds in their patients. After many years of study and practice, a Master healer would also be able to sense psychological illnesses, though this is not very common, and should only be attempted with a trained healer. Long periods of physical healing, or moderate stretches of time with psychological healing are very taxing on the master healer, and should be attempted only under the utmost necessity.

These guidelines were written up by Ryla Relvinian, a Jedi Master who specializes in combat and healing, and agreed upon by the moderating staff.

Energy Manipulation & Absorption

Warping the Force to create the aberration that is Force-Lightning is recognized as a Master-level only skill, but there are other kinds of energy in existence. Skill levels come down to: what kind of energy are you working with, how much of it are you attempting to control, and how complex a task are you trying to achieve? These guidelines are for energy manipulation specialists. If wielding energy is not your specialty, this information is still helpful, just tone it down a bit. Use common sense.

Apprentice

The Apprentice-level energy manipulation specialist will understand the basic principles of thermal energy and how to manipulate it. Light Siders will likely learn more defensive aspects of energy manipulation, such as how to siphon energy away from blaster shots to make them less harmful, or how to drain a blaster's energy pack over time. Dark Siders could learn to create, feed, and control a few fireballs at once for short periods of time, or remove small amounts of thermal energy from a person or object. Wielders on both sides will begin to learn how to sense the aura that is the Force, and how it flows into all things. Through this, it may be possible to learn how to manipulate less complex electrical devices (electronic displays, datapad powercells, etc) and cause them to overload.

Knight

For the energy wielding specialist, understanding thermal energy is but the beginning; utilizing the more chaotic elements of electrical energy is the next step. Jedi Knights refine their capabilities to dissipate blaster bolts more quickly, and can also draw energy from one source into another, shutting down one door's locking mechanism in favor of activating another one. The Dark Jedi Knight can easily cause a non-shielded droid or certain pieces of machinery to explode or be damaged by causing a power surge in the device. Both sides will expand upon their knowledge of thermal energy to enhance what capabilites that had before. Knights may draw on the Force to create small protective shields. Stunning of non-Force users with a non-lethal electrical charge may be learned as well.

Master

The practiced Master in energy wielding will integrate his knowledge of lesser forms of energy with direct control over the Force itself. Force Lightning (a warping of both the Force and electricity) tends to be common among Dark Side Masters, however energy specialists will outdo their peers vastly in this technique and may also learn to summon small to medium explosive energy blasts. Similarly, a Light Side energy specialist may be extremely adept at dissipating the energy from Force Lightning (or multiple blaster bolts) into his surroundings or deflecting it back at his opponent. They may also learn the crafting of larger Force barriers to block or deflect thrown objects. A Sith energy specialist may adapt his knowledge towards certain forms of alchemy, imbuing Force energy into swords to allow them parity in battle against Jedi lightsabers. An energy specialist will be able to destroy multiple combat droids with a single energy blast, and well as stun lower level Force users. The ability to control thermal energy is refined to such a degree as to allow the specialist to change the physical state of various substances (vaporize/freeze certain liquids, melt/sublime certain solids, etc). If accepted as a skill focus within energy manipulation, a master can develop limited control over electromagnetism, allowing generation of electromagnetic fields and manipulation of certain metals.

It should be noted at this point that the manipulation of energy carries with it both an inherent risk and a cost. The risk, simply put, is that energy is a complex and unstable medium at best and anyone dabbling in it may accidentally lose control of the forces they are attempting to work with, putting themselves and others in mortal danger. The cost is one in bodily vitality- the Jedi who only uses this talent sparingly will outlast the Dark Jedi who whimsically throws fireballs around in battle. Long term effects of heavy usage include decreased physical ability and a shortened life span.

Drain Life Force

The power to drain the Force from plants and animals to boost the vitality of the wielder is a recognized power in tabletop roleplay. However, draining the Life Force from another roleplayer's character can conceivably fall under SW-Fans.Net rules regarding killing or maiming other characters during roleplays. Therefore, the power Drain Life Force is limited Master-level energy specialists. Also the power can only be used on subjects the wielder is physically touching, and cannot be used to kill a character, only weaken them.

These guidelines were written up by Pierce Tondry and Figrin D'an and agreed upon by the moderating staff.