Force Points

[DougRed4]

In my game, Force Points have been something very much "behind the scenes". Nobody had even ever spent one until my last session, when the Jedi used one heroically (and thus gained one back again).

Now the rules tell us that the way to earn new ones is to do something heroic at the "dramatically appropriate moment".

In reading through the Star Wars Trilogy Sourcebook today, though, I see that some characters gained a great many Force Points over the course of their adventures. Now of coure these are "main characters" (just like PCs) and are some of the most pivotal players in the entire galaxy. But they must have been having regular adventures (just like we saw a long time ago in the Marvel comics) for them to have racked up so many FP so quickly.

For example, Princess Leia had 4 FP after The Battle of Yavin, 6 FP at the Battle of Hoth, and 7 at the Battle of Endor.

Luke, OTOH, had 6 FP for ANH, 12 as of TESB, and 25 during ROTJ.

That means he gained about 19 Force Points in about 4 years!!!

Darth Vader had 13 FP (and 14 DSP) at Yavin, 20 FP (and 25 DSP) at Hoth and 22 FP (and 30 DSP) at Endor!

Do you find yourself handing these out fairly regularly? Or are they more rare in your game?
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Currently Running: Villains & Vigilantes (a 32-year-old campaign with multiple groups) and D6 Star Wars; mostly on hiatus are Adventures in Middle-earth and Delta Green

[Barrataria]

I believe I have read more than one suggestion around here that the NPCs in the books are sort of over the top.

IMC they are rare indeed, but we play more gray campaigns than Rebels v Empire sort of stuff. I think handing out force points like chiclets is what leads to the overpowered games so many complain about in d6.
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"A special effect without a story is a pretty boring thing"- George Lucas

[Dromdarr_Alark]

My group has been playing regularly since January, and we've had more FPs spent than gained.
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"I still wouldn't have a roll for it - but that's just how I roll."

[Centinull]

If there is a genuine danger to the players and they spend their force point in a heroic manner that puts themselves in real danger, while rescuing others, I award an additional force point.

My Jedi players shoot for that goal much more frequently than characters who are not force sensitive.

That being said, we rarely see more than a single force point spent per session. With maybe 1 in 5 resulting in an increase in Force point total.

[garhkal]

As a player i have received a bonus one roughly once every 3-4 sessions, some times getting more than one bonus (usually when burning CP cause i was out of FP single handedly taking the baddies out or to stop others dying.
As Dm i often look at it as "would this make a highlight real if this adventure was made into a TV show or was part of the previews for a movie"
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[DougRed4]

Great feedback, all. Thanks!
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Currently Running: Villains & Vigilantes (a 32-year-old campaign with multiple groups) and D6 Star Wars; mostly on hiatus are Adventures in Middle-earth and Delta Green

[shootingwomprats]

I gave a few suggestions in the currently recorded podcast but I thought the discussion warranted some personal touch as well.

In my game, which is run during Rebellion Era, Force Points are RARE! I am typically lenient with players at the beginning of the game until people get familiar with their use as well as build up a Character Point bank.

Now how do I allow Force Users to improve. I use several methods:

1. Scholastic: learning from datapads, books, scrolls, information banks, etc. This also includes damaged holocrons and training material.

2. Urgings of the Force: wherein the Force in an attempt to balance the Force will move events and deliver epiphanies of insight into use of the Force. Typically this can be in the form of a Force event, crystal, attached to an area, etc.

3. Teachers: typically teachers will only be around long enough to each some rudimentary skill or offer insight then they are on the run again. Sometimes a teacher will go to ground in a certain area, forcing the character to find them over and over again. Typically these teachers will have very low Force attributes as well.

4. Channeling Device: I don't usually like these but will allow them as a story element, etc. This is an item that allows the character to attune to the Force better (adding additional dice to Force attributes or access to Force skills).

These are just some of the ideas I have used in the past. It is not meant to be an exhaustive list. Add to and play around with it.
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Don Diestler
Host, Shooting Womp Rats
The D6 Podcast
http://d6holocron.com/shootingwomprats
@swd6podcast, Twitter

[Barrataria]

[garhkal]

[shootingwomprats]

[DougRed4] Awarding of Force Points is a tricky thing. RAW says you get back a Force Point if it is used in a Heroic Way

1. Exposing yourself to danger in the name of good.
2. Making sacrifices to help others.
3. Taking big risks to help the Rebel Alliance/New Republic or fight the Empire.
4. Fighting other forces of evil, such as crime lords or any group that serve the objectives of the dark side.

It also states to gain a Force Point, he must do something heroic at the dramatically appropriate time: moments are any time time when success is vital to the story.

1. Conquering a more powerful and evil foe.
2. Saving a city from destruction.
3. Preventing the deaths of millions of innocent people.

So what does this boil down to? If your being heroic you get the Force Point back. If you are doing something heroic at the right time move a HUGE story point along or at the climax of the story, you get the Force Point back and another one. If you use a Force Point for a selfish reason, it is lost.

I think it really comes down to how you want to run/structure your adventures. If you have a party that is more heroic they will have more opportunities to gain additional Force Points. If your group is a shadier group, they will not have as many opportunities to gain additional Force Points.
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Don Diestler
Host, Shooting Womp Rats
The D6 Podcast
http://d6holocron.com/shootingwomprats
@swd6podcast, Twitter

[DougRed4]

[shootingwomprats]

Don usually handles anything outside of the SWR thread. I(Daniel) handle the news/episode/blog updates there.
_________________
Don Diestler
Host, Shooting Womp Rats
The D6 Podcast
http://d6holocron.com/shootingwomprats
@swd6podcast, Twitter

[garhkal]

[DougRed4]

That's good to know. That's about the ratio I was thinking (or something close to that), as I feel if somebody pulls off something incredibly heroic, but it doesn't happen to be at the end of the adventure, they should still get some reward for that.
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Currently Running: Villains & Vigilantes (a 32-year-old campaign with multiple groups) and D6 Star Wars; mostly on hiatus are Adventures in Middle-earth and Delta Green

[garhkal]

Big issue, is what do you determine as "incredibly heroic"?
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!