Force User's Handbook

[Guardian_A]

RancorPitBooks is going to be starting work on a Force User's Handbook in the forseeable future (I'm guessing some time around New Years.) In the interest of getting a little discussion/feedback going, I wanted to run the project past the community.

What would people like to see included? Have we missed something? Do you want something specific included?

All thoughts, comments, and constructive criticism is welcome!

Contents:
1. The Force (A chapter about the overall nature of the force and how it affects the universe as a whole.)
2. The Jedi Order (Covering the main Jedi order as well a hand full of the
better known splinter groups. Include some sample characters and some stock NPCs from the Jedi & Sith NPC collection.)
3. The Sith (Covering the main Sith order as well as a hand full of the better known splinter groups. Maybe including some information on running Sith characters. Include some sample characters and some stock NPCs from the Jedi & Sith NPC collection.)
4. Servants of the Force (Covering everything from Force Adepts, to unaffiliated Force using organizations, to self trained Force users. Include some sample characters and some stock NPCs from the Jedi & Sith NPC collection.))
Groups to cover:
The Jenissari
The White Current
The Tyia
Aing-Tii
5. The Lure of the Dark Side (Covering the seductive nature of the Dark Side, Dark Side Points, and the risks vs the potential payoffs.)
6. Weapons (Weapons, weapon construction, & weapon modifications.)
7. Fighting Techniques (The Seven Lightsaber Forms and other fighting styles.)
8. Training Force Users (Training techniques & excercises.)
9. Artifacts & Lore (Verious Force related artifacts & Lore. Possibly covering Force Prophecy in some detail.)
10. Places of Power (Temples, Training Facilities, and places naturally strong in the Force.)
Locations to be included:
Korriban
Jedi Temple: Coruscant
Jedi Temple: Yavan 4
11. Force Powers (A compiled list of all the Force Powers published, including conversion works. Also include the modifier charts for using Force powers. Book/Page references for easy reference.)
12. Faces of the Force (A set of templates for people who are interested in playing Force Sensitive characters.)

[lurker]

Coool!

[Guardian_A]

Thanks for the feedback and ideas.

The schools of thought that we plan to cover currently include:
Light Side
Dark Side
Unifying Force
Living Force
Potentium
Way of the Dark
The Insidious Force

Jedi Groups:
Jedi Order
Grey Jedi
Corellian Jedi

Sith Groups:
Sith Empire
Rule of Two
Rule of One

Other Force Using Groups:
The Jenissari
The White Current
The Tyia
Aing-Tii

This list may grow if anyone thinks of anything that should be added, and a couple might get dropped if there isnt enough information to work with. Most of them, we would like to cover in detail, but a few of them may be footnotes like what was done for the Tyia in the R&E Rulebook.

As for the Potentium, there isnt a lot of information to work with, but they will defidently justify a page or two of material.

[lurker]

[cheshire]

It sounds like an interesting project. What sources will the contributors be drawing from, how many people do you expect will help, and what do you think would be the minimum number to complete the project? How will work be divided up?

Sorry if this is just a bunch of logistics. I'm trying to figure out what my writing projects are at the moment and what it might look like being involved in another.
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Before we take any of this too seriously, just remember that in the middle episode a little rubber puppet moves a spaceship with his mind.

[Guardian_A]

@ lurke,

Any help would be welcome. If you want to help out with the Potentium, that would be great! Maybe some stats for known members of the group?

@ cheshire,

Nothing wrong with logistics!

I think the first goal will be to get all of the existing material together (WEG and Conversions). Then move on to flesh things out ourselves.

Back when we started planning this project (2-3 months ago) there were 4-5 of us planning to work on the project. As of this morning, I sent out a message through RancorPitBooks to see who all is still interested in contributing. I expect to hear back from one or two of them in the next few days.

Worst case scenareo, I'll work on the project by myself, but the project will take a very long time to complete if thats the case. I'd like to see a group of +4 of us working on things, but we'll accept help from anyone who is interested in contributing.

Work will be divided by "first come, first seve." Pick a chapter, let the rest of the crew know what you are working on (So several people dont end up working on the same thing.) Then ask for help if you want/need it.

At present, we have some of the ground work done for the "Fighting Techniques" chapter, but no one workng on it. And I just finished a lot of the ground work for the "Force Powers" chapter (List of powers with no book/page references & Force Power diffiulty modifier chart), but I'd be willing to let someone else take that over if anyone was interested. Otherwise, the project is just a list of chapters with a few notes thrown in for good measure at this point.

[cheshire]

I know nothing of this RancorPitBooks of which you speak.

Also, you're just removing the page references on the collected powers in Gry's book and the conversion guides? Or what?
_________________
__________________________________
Before we take any of this too seriously, just remember that in the middle episode a little rubber puppet moves a spaceship with his mind.

[Guardian_A]

[Forceally]

I've been working on a compilation of Force powers that haven't been listed in Gry Sarth's Force Powers PDF or in the conversions from the WotC d20/Saga books. These include powers exhibited by other Force traditions like the Jensaarai, Witches of Dathomir, Baran Do, Aing-Tii, and etc. It's about 85-90% complete. I just need to work on a few more powers and add a few more things, then I'll be able to put it on Mediafire or something for you guys to take a look at.

[Guardian_A]

[cheshire]

There are also powers included in the Darkstrider:Endgame book. I don't know how complete you're trying to be, but it's there.
_________________
__________________________________
Before we take any of this too seriously, just remember that in the middle episode a little rubber puppet moves a spaceship with his mind.

[Guardian_A]

[JT Swift]

I have been compiling hand written notes (well over half a spiral notebook worth) about the nature of the Force and the Will of the Force.

The idea was to tackle its from a scientific POV and see what came out of that. While their is an implied bias that the Jedi and Sith are the traditions that have the best understanding of the Force, the notes are not about the Jedi/Sith. They focus on the Force itself.

They are pulled from the movies, novels, reference books, RPG source books, and even some theories from the amazing "The Science of the Star Wars" book.

I've also got a lot of theories based on the info that might be of interest [like a pseudo scientific explanation for why Force Choking is bad but chopping a head off with a lightsabre is okay. Or how psychological thought processes can enhance or cloud midiclurian based communications with the Force].

At the moment its all a big mess that I was planing to type up at some point. But if you think it might help this project then I move it up the priority tree.
_________________
- J.T. Swift

For Everything about the TARDIS check out
http://www.whoniverse.net/tardis/

For all things Gallifreyan check out
http://meshyfish.com/~roo/index.html

[Guardian_A]

Chapter 1 is going to be about the force, its nature, and how different groups see the force. While I dont see a scientific viewpoint adding a lot to the mechanics of the game, an entry covering the viewpoint would make a great addition!

We currently plan to do a 1/4 - 5 page entry for each viewpoint of the force in the first chapter and the book is going to be two columns.

We would love to see what you come up with!

[Forceally]

Good news - The announcement of this thread had motivated me to tackle the last 10-15% of my work. I've finally finished it. I will say it's a unofficial work in progress in that when a good amount of new material has come in, I'll update it and make it available for presentation.

Bad news - I had Microsoft Office 2010, which allowed me to create PDF files from my word documents. Unforunately, my computer had to be wiped back in October. I reinstalled Microsoft Word, but it's the 2007 version. I have PDF, but I don't want to pay for a membership. Can I make it availablle for you to look at as a word file, or would it be preferable to have it as a pdf.

Question - I have a 4shared account. Do I need to do anything special?