“Force Wizard” is my series on the Force powers in Fantasy Flight Games’ Star Wars RPG lines. It is primarily aimed at new players/GMs, and more experienced players playing a Force-sensitive character for the first time.
The Farsight Force power, in Savage Spirits, the Seeker Career sourcebook, is one of five powers related in some way toward augmenting a wielder’s perceptions. (The others are Sense, Foresee, Warde’s Foresight, and Seek.) Farsight augments one’s normal physical senses, mainly sight, unlike the others. This is one of the least expensive powers, with the Basic power and many upgrades costing only 5XP, and only 2 upgrades costing over 10XP.
Basic Farsight allows the character to see out to medium range normally, for 1 Force pip, negating darkness or blindness. “Normally” is defined as “can see everything most sentients can see on a well-lit day” in both the text and the tree. Note that the time Farsight lasts is the rest of the round or one minute in narrative time, outside encounters. The times apply to upgrades as well.
This tree is heavy on Control upgrades, having six, which cost between 5 and 15 XP each. All 6 refine and improve the wielder’s eyesight in some fashion. Several of them remind me of classic visual powers from the superhero genre, in fact. The three 5XP Control upgrades in the top tier cost 1 Force pip to use, in addition of course, to the pip to activate Farsight. The leftmost lets you see microscopic details on 1 item you’re engaged with. The middle one lets you examine details on a single item within medium range. The third allows seeing through 1 item AT medium range, as if it were transparent. Note the description reads “at” not “within,” unlike the second Control. All three of these can be activated multiple times.
The 10XP Control in the next tier down, the center of the tree, is one of those that adds a Force power check to the pool on certain skill checks. In this case, add the Farsight check to Vigilance and Perception checks, adding 1 Success or 1 Advantage to the result for each Force pip spent. The other 10XP Control, bottom tier, allows seeing details in a full circle/360 degrees. It costs 2 pips and is limited to one activation per check. The final, 15XP, Control increases one’s Perception ranks by 1, when committing a Force die. Apparently, multiple dice can be committed, as the text says, “(to a maximum of 5) each time this is performed.”
There are 2 Duration upgrades in the Farsight tree, both costing 5XP. For 1 Force pip, Farsight lasts an extra round/minute per Duration bought. Since, as usual, you are limited to 1 activation, that’s a total of 3 rounds or minutes.
There are also 2 Range upgrades, which work in the usual fashion. For one pip, only one activation, increase the range by one band. So with both Range upgrades, you could see out to extreme range in darkness, examine microscopic details on something at medium range, etc.
Finally, there is a 20XP Mastery upgrade, which costs 2 Force pips to activate. You will be able to see as if from a point at Planetary scale close range. To appreciate what you can do with Mastery and how it works, you and the GM need to read the detailed text. Per that, using Mastery is like you are “controlling a remote viewing mechanism” and is usable on or off planet. Sounds like fun to me.
As inexpensive, XP-wise, as Farsight is, you don’t have to concern yourself as much over what to buy when. The whole tree is only 135XP (6-7 sessions’ worth in my group) and you can get Mastery for only 40 total XP. Be mindful, I am NOT saying, “Buying the whole tree is a great idea!” Everything might be very handy for hunter or spy type PCs–but so would many other talents/powers/skill ranks.
So let’s be practical. Beyond Basic, I would definitely buy the middle right 5XP Control (next to Duration) and the Control right below for 15XP total. Next, pick up at least the 5XP Duration. After those upgrades, anything else is icing on the cake. If you are willing to go really deep into Farsight, it might be better to get the Commit Control for a little more XP than buying the Mastery. (Like several other Mastery upgrades, it is cool but situational.)
Farsight is more utilitarian than spectacular and showy, unlike some of the powers I’ve looked at recently. But that is better for adventures/missions where not raising suspicions and alarms is essential. Or for ANY adventure, when playing in an era (post-Revenge of the Sith, Rebellion, Resistance) where displaying Force-sensitivity will paint a big target on you–and your companions. Next month, I will look at the Manipulate power from Endless Vigil. Until then, may the Force be with you!
Force Wizard Index (Book/s)
Alter (Unlimited Power)
Battle Meditation (F&D)
Bind (F&D, Rise of the Separatists)
Conjure (Unlimited Power)
Ebb/Flow (Disciples of Harmony)
Endure (Knights of Fate)
Enhance (AoR, F&D, Rise of the Separatists)
Farsight (Savage Spirits)
Foresee (AoR, F&D)
Heal/Harm (F&D)
Imbue (Disciples of Harmony)
Influence (EotE, F&D)
Jerserra’s Influence (Ghosts of Dathomir)
Manipulate (Endless Vigil)
Misdirect (F&D)
Move (AoR, EotE, F&D)
Protect / Unleash (F&D) – Part 1 (Intro & Protect) and Part 2 (Unleash)
Seek (F&D)
Sense (EotE, F&D)
Suppress (Keeping the Peace)
Warde’s Foresight (Chronicles of the Gatekeeper)
Linda Whitson
Latest posts by Linda Whitson (see all)
- Astral Projections – The Ripperdoc Is In - May 8, 2023
