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Force Boots +3 Notes from the Outer Rim #3 by Cap'n Andy Published 6/16/02 Jedi are pretty much clerics and paladins rolled into one. |
If you ever stop to think about it, the Force operates
almost exactly like the gods in D&D. Really.
D&D gods have clerics and paladins who worship them. In return, they grant their
worshippers special powers. In the case of the clerics, it's so that the clerics can
perform wondrous deeds and spread the glory of their god's power. The paladins get power
so that they can lay down some righteous (literally!) destruction on anyone who opposes
the god's will.
That's basically how the Force works, doesn't it? Those who believe in its power and
follow its will are gifted with amazing powers. Jedi are pretty much clerics and paladins
rolled into one: ambassadors for the glory of the Force, capable of healing and mediation,
and at the same time warriors who stand in the path of any who would do evil.
Of course, not everyone who believes in the Force is a Jedi. To take the D&D analogy
further, those people are level 0. Most people are level 0; they simply do not have the
potential to become heroes, or in our case, Jedi. Just as there can be thousands who
worship a god without being granted any power, so can there be plenty of people who
believe in the power of the Force and follow a good life, and yet simply are not
Force-sensitive.
So I wonder, looking at the Force along D&D lines, are there items that can increase a
Jedi's power? And the answer to that is yes. A lightsaber is the most obvious item; a Jedi
with a lightsaber in his hands is able to block attacks before they come, which is a skill
I can't remember seeing a Jedi use without a saber. A Jedi in a fistfight might know that
the opponent is going to swing at him, but to find his hands moving to block the punch and
perfectly counter-punch? I don't think so. Jedi pilots don't have that level of ability in
the cockpit; they know when an attack is coming but rarely exactly where it will be coming
from.
So, here's the question I'm posing to my audience this week: what items would you like to
see Jedi using? Don't waste my time with silly things like a wand of Force Lightning, but
if you've got a good idea, I'd love to hear it. For example, the gauntlets of Vader are
rumored to be powerful Dark Side artifacts ... what do you think they do? What about
Yoda's gimer stick? Obi-Wan's Jedi robes? How about items not used by Jedi of note, but
powerful nonetheless? What would they do, and what makes them into objects of power?
I'm stumped here, guys. I can't think of anything good, so I'm dying to hear what you all
out there come up with.
As always, not only do I not mind getting mail, I actively encourage and enjoy it. Hearing
back from my readers is something I greatly enjoy. In fact, this week, I'm asking every
single one of you to write back if you can with your best idea for a Force item. I'll list
the best in a future column, how's that for incentive?
And that's it for this time, until I write another one of my Notes From the Outer Rim!
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(Cap'n Andy has read every NJO book so far. When he's not reading, he's usually playing games, messing around on his computer, or roleplaying. And he's seriously stoked about Galaxies coming out soon.)