[Requesting Aid] Revised Force Lightning

[Jachra]

I'm not terribly happy with Force Lightning, RAW. I've been doing a lot of revising of Force Powers, but for some reason I'm banging my head against a mental brick wall for this one - writer's block, no doubt.
(Side note, I searched but didn't find anything on anyone else addressing this, or at least not these points, so forgive me if I'm unknowingly stepping on someone else!)

So here's my beef: Judging by the effects observed in AotC and RotJ, Force Lightning doesn't seem to cause a sudden burst of damage (ala a blaster bolt) so much as it is a continuing and adjustable deep-frying.
Reading on the SW Technical Commentaries about Darth Vader's injuries and cause of death (I have no particular objection to the data presented there) and observing the effects of Force Lightning in the films, followed by some brief perusal of it in other media, here's my initial conclusion:

Before discussing effects, two or three clear defenses:
1) Lightsaber aids in block
2) Straight control (?) can absorb, or at least deaden the effects, presumably absorb/dissipate comes into this
3?) Alter can overcome and redirect it (aided with Vaapad, apparently)

Effects on targets:
Force lightning isn't so much great at direct damage, but it completely disables a fleshy target with pain and nerve impulse stimulation. Particularly skilled Jedi can overcome this portion of it. It can be maintained for a goodly while.
It can be tuned down to low-grade torture or up to 'I murder you by cooking you with lightning.'
Probably ignores anything short of sealed armor. Probably penetrates sealed armor quite well (if the dark Jedi can disassociate ions without actually being able to see the target - I don't see why not, though perhaps the connection would be disrupted between their hands and the skin? Dark side powers, or at least Force Lightning does, work because of irrational emotional outburts, so it may not be easy to adjust to such a thing on the fly.)
Electrical targets are fried. Darth Vader's cybernetics took a serious beating. Any ungrounded, unshielded electronics are going to be blowing off like fireworks as tons of EM radiation and flying electrons race through them. Grounding/shielding may not even be all that sufficient, given the nature of the Force.
It seems to various possess a great deal of blow-back force to whoever gets hit. Does the lightning grab the person and shove them back, somehow? Is it impacting the air? Or is it actually a telekinetic side effect that can be done at will when you use the power? (A suggestion was that it could be like grabbing an electrical fence - boom!)
Long-term effects: Force Lightning makes your bones light up like a Christmas tree, if it's intense enough. Even for someone like Luke, he suffered crippling bone pain (Truce at Bakura,) even at low intensity, though with Force powers/the miracles of space medicine, he recovered.

Conclusion:
It's clear that Force Lightning is an excellent away to knock down mundanes or Force Users who are unable to resist or block the effects somehow.
My best idea is that Force Lightning produces stacking damage - that is, any overage is stacked together each round, so when the power is released, the final damage is calculated. While it's stacking damage each round, it inflicts various different effects depending on power level. It's possible that with enough power in a single bolt (and lacking resistance on their end), you COULD cook someone alive in a single shot.
I'm spinning my wheels, though - I'm not sure how to adequately construct or balance it in a way that fits those observations.
_________________
"Jumping through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops, boy."

[Bren]

Houes Rules for Force Lightning has been discussed several times - search might turn up some threads.

IIR, one suggestion was to add in the effect of Inflict Pain and then to allow damage to accumulate an additional 1D per round the power is kept up on a target. A second suggestion was that a dark sider could choose to inflict less damage then his maxium so as to draw out the pain while trying to turn the lightsider or so as to just make the torture last longer.

Combining these effects will give you a lot of what you are looking for. You could allow lightsaber parry to give a bonus to resist the power and use alter (or some new power that Yoda never taught Luke) to redirect.

[Downstrike]

I assume you are running the game? If your just a player SHUT UP AND DO WHAT YER GM WANTS!

If you’re a GM, ask yourself what you want it to do. If you wanted to say that it knocks out perception and dexterity which is why Luke was rolling around on the ground like an idiot, make it so sir! Wanna say instant mortal wound stun effect, have at. You could say it starts pumping you with dark side points and then make a bunch of rolls like they are going to loose the character but ham it up like your frustrated with your rolls. All they have to do is accept the dark side and yer in like Flynn but as long as they resist you fill their heads with dead puppies and cold pancakes. It’s a game man, a very very flexible game.

Cheers
DS

[garhkal]

Where i see it is that with all powers, the jedi using it can call for less damage than max, which gives the "i torture you/don't fry you in one bolt' effect we see.
_________________
Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Jachra]

[Downstrike]

[Jachra]

Obviously not, I was referencing that Inflict Pain was an interesting way to look at it. I listed the phenomena I'd like to see represented in game terms in an appreciable way, I'm having some trouble coming up with adequate rules however. Inflict Pain provides some useful advice on how to accomplish one part of that (the way lightning sears your flesh in a torturous fashion.)
_________________
"Jumping through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops, boy."

[Bren]

[CRMcNeill]

[Bren]

Try here and here for past threads.

[Jachra]

[Bren]

[garhkal]

Hows about this for a poss new write up.

Force Lightning
Control and Alter skill
Control roll 10 + target's perception (or control) roll
Alter 5 + target's control or perception roll

This power is one of the few dark side powers that are an active manifestation of the dark emotions of rage and hate, in that the dark sider's anger literally forms up blackened lightning bolts that shoot from their hands to the target(s).
Someone so hit (power successfully used) takes 3d base damage. This damage increases cumulatively each round the power is maintained based on the difference between the target number needed and the roll to activate (Control side)
Cont beats diff by
1-6, adds +1 pip per round maintained
7-14, adds +2 pips per round maintained
15-21, adds +1d per round maintained
22-28, adds +1d+1 per round maintained
29+ adds +1d+2 per round maintained.
In addition to the damage, target's are affected by intense pain as if the power Inflict Pain had been successfully used (cannot perform any actions due to pain as long as power is maintained, and 1 round after)..
Lastly due to the kinetic impact of the lightning, targets are hurled back 2 meters per full D of alter the dark jedi has.

WARNING this power causes an immediate gaining of a dark side point for activating it, and per round maintained.

Note: Force users who are targeted can substitute their light saber skill for their control roll to deflect it, but if they miss, they GET NO control roll to try and suck any up.
Jedi who are also masters of Vappad, may instead substitute their Alter skill for their Control roll, but need to make an immediate Willpower roll (difficulty of 20) or gain a dark side point themselves, due to the fueling of emotions.


How's that?
_________________
Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Bren]

I'd probably just go with a simpler add +1D damage per round the power is maintained. The GM can decide whether to require a new damage and resistance roll made each round or whether to track the totals rolled the first round and add +1D to the attacker's total. Once the attacker's total equals or exceeds the defender's total - FAZOOK!!- defender takes damage.

[Naaman]

Force lightning is definitely tricky to implement cleanly into the D6 system. Dooku and Palpatine seem to favor this power while Vader seems to favor the choke. I might speculate that force lightning is more effective against force users than choking is since the choke seems to be used against non force users, while lightning seems to be used against force users.

I would also tend to think that the attacker's skill roll would determine the potential for knock back. Yoda got knocked back as did Anakin.

If we are going to allow a lightsaber to deflect it, I would be much more comfortable using a reaction skill to oppose the control roll (so force lightning could, in theory, be dodged). This way the lightsaber skill can appropriately be used as a reaction. If the control roll fails, the power simply misses.

As for damage, I might say that any damage more aerious than stun generates the crippling effect we see on film. Damage stromg enough to incapacitate (mortally wound?) generates the knock back effect.

As for how to calculate damage, alter vs. strength seems apprriate, with the option to absorb/dissipate if the power is known. An additional control roll allows the defender to redirect just like lightsaber combat.