“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. Today I look at Suppress from Keeping the Peace, the Guardian career sourcebook.
In the “Qel-Droma Epics” we find the earliest recorded instance of a Force power similar, in some ways, to Suppress. Master Odan-Urr taught Nomi Sunrider an ancient Jedi “Force Sever” technique to cut off Darksiders from the Force. Nomi’s love, Ulic Qel-Droma, infiltrated the Sith’s Krath cult, intending to destroy it from within–but fell to the Darkside himself. Nomi, horrified by the unrepentant Ulic killing his own brother, permanently Force-blinds him using this power.
The actual Suppress Force power is much, much weaker than Jedi Sunrider’s legendary ability. First it is temporary, the effects lasting, at most, only as long as the wielder concentrates. It also, as the name implies, only suppresses a Force-sensitive’s abilities. The target is still connected to the Force, but is simply unable to use it for a short time. Finally, it can be used both by and against both Lightsiders and Darksiders. Contrast Nomi’s ability, which was only usable by a Lightsider against a Darksider, a common trope in the Epics.
For all that Suppress is so much less spectacular than its epic counterpart, it does have the advantage of being accessible to weaker or less-skilled Force-users, with a prerequisite of Force Rating 1+, and only the Mastery upgrade costs more than 1 pip to activate. The Basic power seems a little more powerful than most, since it partially protects both the user and all allies within short range (not engaged) from hostile Force users, but this is balanced by Suppress being situational. It’s most useful against so-called “Force wizards,” those who favor Force powers. One automatic Failure is added to Force power checks made against them until the end of the Suppress user’s next turn. Like most Basic powers, it can only be activated once. Since this costs only 1 Force pip, the Basic power is easily activated by FR1 PCs.
The 3 top tier upgrades, and all Range upgrades, are only 5XP each. The Range upgrades, as usual, extend the power’s range by one band for each upgrade purchased, for 1 Force pip, and multiple activations are possible. Note that Range upgrades apply to all uses of Suppress, including the Mastery upgrade.
The Duration upgrade requires committing 1 Force die to sustain the power’s ongoing effects for as long as the die is committed and is only single activation. This upgrade is easily usable by an FR1 PC, since the wielder commits the die after spending the Force pip to activate the Basic power, per the text on p. 39 of Keeping the Peace. (Yet another example of why you should read the fine print on Force powers.)
The final top tier upgrade is the first (of two) Strength upgrades. For 1 Force pip, you add an additional Failure for each Strength upgrade, to hostile Force power checks against you and/or your allies within Range. Strength doesn’t get multiple activations, so the most you can add to the result is 3 Failures.
Next up are the three Control upgrades. The first (10XP) Control is an ongoing effect where the wielder commits one or more Force dice. When an opponent uses a Force power against the wielder, subtract 1 Force pip from the opponent’s Force power check result for each die committed. This Control upgrade is especially effective on Force-wielding opponents who are notably weaker (have a lower FR) than you. An FR1 character has no chance, for example, of affecting an opponent who has 3 Force dice committed to this Control.
The second 10XP Control provides another option for spending a Destiny Point. Once per session, you may spend a DP to activate Suppress as an out-or-turn Incidental action. As always with a “DP Control” upgrade, choose your moment well. The final Control upgrade costs 15XP and is the only upgrade that explicitly affects someone calling on the Darkside, defined as using Dark Force pips to generate Force pips. A Force-using adversary who targets a character (Suppress wielder or their ally) with a hostile Force power, using Dark pips, takes Strain equal to the wielder’s Discipline ranks. Like the Basic Suppress, and all other upgrades, this Control can be used regardless of either combatant’s Morality.
Finally we reach the Mastery upgrade (20XP), which costs 2 Force pips to activate. This upgrade, fittingly, is the closest Suppress comes to Nomi Sunrider’s epic Severing ability. (Although it still falls far short). The wielder makes a combined Discipline vs. Discipline and Force power check. If the wielder spends the 2 pips and succeeds on the opposed Discipline check, their opponent is forced to uncommit all Force dice. Additionally all Force effects (talents, powers, etc.), that use committed Force dice end, immediately.
What powers should you pick up and when? It’s a hard choice when they are all very good. Assuming, of course, that you’re playing in a campaign where a number of adversaries use Force powers, since Suppress, with the exception of the Mastery upgrade, only affects an enemy who is directly using Force powers against you and your allies. If you opt to upgrade while still FR1, go for Duration first, since it requires no additional Force pips to activate and is only 5XP. Hold off on Range and Strength upgrades until you’re FR2+, when you can more reliably activate both the Basic power and an upgrade that costs 1 Force pip.
After that Duration and a Range and/or Strength? Go for the Controls, which don’t cost additional pips to activate. Finally, if you want to get impressive mechanical and narrative results for relatively little XP, go for Suppress Mastery. The Basic > Duration > Control > Strength (15XP) > Mastery path is 55XP, which is much less than the cost to gain a Mastery upgrade in most power trees. Then, possibly with the aid of the Duration upgrade, you can dramatically shut down a Sithlord’s torturing sustained Bind (Bind activated with Dark Force pips and its Duration upgrade). And that 15XP Control can result in scenes almost as cool.
So try Suppressing the Force-using thorns in your side, regardless of where they–or you–are on the Morality scale.
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
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