Ka Powers Star Wars 3rd Edition
Monks of Shimura
Philosophy
Monks of Shimura
Long before there were lightsabers there were Jedi. After the invention of those graceful weapons Jedi began to lose sight of what the Force was all about and fall into the Dark trap of technology, or so the revered Master Kambei Shimura thought. The Knighthood was beginning to rely too much on "convenient" technology. That’s not the way of life; the way of the Force. Jedi after Jedi took up the saber and left for the stars and the adventures they contained. A Jedi craves not these things. Disgusted at the behavior of his fellow Jedi, Shimura broke away from the Academy with a handful of devoted students and established a Temple on the sixth moon of the third planet of the Nikus system. There he taught his disciples the true gifts of the Force: perfection through inner peace, compassion, contemplation and, ironically, tolerance.
Millennia passed and student after student joined the Brotherhood and learned the teachings of Shimura and the way of Ka, the religious philosophy of the Monks. Similar to Zen, Ka teaches the inner spirituality of life and the soul. Everything is provided by the Force, there is little need for cold, unfeeling mechanisms.
During the Emperors great purge, the Temple of Shimura was located by Dark Lord Vader and torn asunder. Few of the Brotherhood were able to escape and spread across the galaxy like seeds. Today, with the Empire removed, these remaining skilled Monks are establishing their own Temples in remote systems to pass on what they have learned.
Beliefs/Lifestyle:
1) Avoid the use of (unnecessary) technology. “There is nothing that technology may provide that the Force cannot. Why artificially radiate food when nature provides fire? Why ride aback metal creatures when the wind can send you across sea just as surely? Technology is quick and easy. These are traits of the Dark Side. Life should be neither.” Although it is true that nothing can be provided by science that the Force cannot, very few Jedi have been able to step across worlds. The modern Brotherhood believes it is in the spirit of Ka to accept one’s limitations. The Monks will avoid most technology whenever possible (datapads, blasters, lightsabers, scanners, holocrons, bacta tanks, etc.) but will reluctantly use other forms (starships) when needed (which isn’t often. Followers of Shimura discourage “adventuring” and tend to live entire lives in their Temples. The rare exceptions are traveling teachers and emissaries).
A Shimuran Monk would never accept cybernetic replacements or enhancements, nor are they likely to associate with droids.
2) The way of Shimura is the way of Ka. All answers may be found in it’s techniques. Ka is the foundation of all Shimura’s teachings. When a student is first accepted into the Brotherhood he begins learning Ka. First simple koans and history and later develop the physical disciplines. In line with the Brotherhood’s beliefs, the process is not quick or easy... it takes several years of hard work and devotion.
3) Follow the Jedi Code. Although the Knighthood has allowed technology to cloud their judgment, the Shimuran Monks still believe in the Code.
4) Tolerate the misgivings of others. Shimuran Monks are not retro, anti-technology fundamentalists. They do not attack technological centers or those who choose to use technology, nor do they harass commuters at starports with pamphlets damning them for their way of life. They simply have a different outlook on life. If asked, they will tell a koan of enlightenment. If sought out, they will teach their beliefs (but only those who prove worthy will learn Ka). The Monks do not hate the Jedi; in fact, they feel sorrow for their fallen brothers and would do anything to help bring them back to the Light.
The Monks of Shimura are best known for their mastery of Ka, their proto-martial art. Practice of Ka strengthens the mind, body, and soul. Masters of this art are capable of incredible feats. Through Ka, Shimuran contemplatives seek perfection and enlightenment, and with it, they stand powerfully against all who would threaten the sanctity of their Temples.
Seekers
Every 10 years students participate in a competition of sorts to earn the privilege of becoming the order’s Seeker. Seekers are permitted to leave the Temple and explore the greater galaxy. This exploration is in part to act as an emissary for the order and also to find new ideas or Martial styles or philosophies that may be beneficial to the order. It also serves to inform the order’s leadership of what threats there may be to the order. Lastly, it creates a well rounded individual who would be a good addition to the leadership of the order.
Monks of Shimura Force Powers
This is a list of all the Force powers only the Monks of Shimura can learn, minus the Jedi powers that are listed in the Force Powers section. Monks of Shimura can learn any of the Force Powers without restriction. (Force Balance still applies…!)
Ka Aerokinesis
Ka Atemi
Ka Block
Ka Defense
Ka Guided Attack
Ka Fist
Ka Geokinesis
Ka Healing (Katsu)
Ka Hydrokinesis
Ka Pyrokinesis
Ka Sustenance
Ka Aerokinesis
The character can control air and gains resistance to air effects at power level. The character can create a volume of air equal to 1 cubic meter per die of power. The character can also make an area that is absent of air, a vacuum. People and objects can move through this area, but won’t be able to breathe. To keep the area centered on a target, the character must make a opposed roll of Aerokinesis skill vs. the target’s Dex or Dodge.
The character can create a fog by trapping minute water molecules in the air. The difficulty to do so is Easy modified by the size of the area.
At power level 10D, the character can convert his body to pure air if he wishes. While in this form he can do power level damage -2D and can't touch or be touched. If he engulfs them, he will do power level damage. How it works: skill roll to manipulate and hit the target. Duration: varies, -2D to all other actions while power is kept up. If changed into form of Air, then duration equals Power Die x10 in minutes that the form can be maintained. Range= Die value x5
The character can generate air doing power level damage.
The character can fly on winds created by moving air around at Skill level x10 meters.
The character can also hold their breath and act normally under extreme atmospheric pressure or lack thereof for 10 min per power rank.
Can create blasts of air, use Aerokinesis to aim and for knockdown damage.
Ka Atemi
Difficulty: to paralyze a target, first roll Ka Atemi skill versus the following difficulties: one limb-Easy, two limbs or mobility-moderate, all except neck and mouth-Difficult, total paralysis-Very Difficult. Then roll Martial Arts or Brawling attack roll to hit. To reverse Ka Atemi, difficulty is the same as creating the paralysis. Dislocating joints: roll Ka Atemi to hit vs. hit location difficulty + target’s dodge. If hit, then that joint is dislocated. Ouch! Dim Mak: Very Difficult to activate plus modifiers for how long until the damage hits. Damage will be Ka Atemi Skill dice plus normal Strength and any maneuver modifiers for the Martial Maneuver used to make the hit. 1 Dark for using this aspect of Ka Atemi. Cannot use Ka Atemi to reverse Dim Mak.
Warning: Anyone who uses this power to harm a helpless character receives 1 Dark per attack.
Effect: The character can use a combination of Martial prowess and knowledge of pressure points to render a target paralyzed or dead. If trying to use Ka Atemi on an alien species, roll Knowledge or the Alien Species skill to find the correct pressure points. Martial Arts is used to hit the target and the Ka Atemi skill is used for creating the damage effects. It’s possible to use the Ka Atemi for healing or other effects.
Ka Block
Skill Difficulty: Depending on duration Desired
• 1 Round Easy - 10
• 2 Rounds Moderate - 15
• Up to 5 Rounds Difficult - 20
• Up to 15 Rounds Very Diff - 25
• Up to 3 Hours Very Diff - 30
• Up to 1 Day Heroic - 40
• Up to 1 Week Heroic - 45
• Up to 1 Month Heroic - 50
• Up to 1 Year Heroic - 60
• Up to 5 Years Heroic - 70
• Up to 15 Years Heroic - 80
• Permanent Heroic - 100
Skill Difficulty modified by proximity and on type of Force to Block:
• Single, Specific Use Difficult - 17
• Single Skill Power Very Diff - 27
• 2 Skill Powers Heroic - 39
• 3 Skill Powers Heroic - 52
• Entire Attribute Heroic - 76
This power may be kept "up".
Time to Use: One Round for every level of duration.
Effect: In game terms this is a most devastating power. This power can be activated as a reaction to a specific force power used by another Force Sensitive, or it can have a more premeditated use. When used, the user suffers a -1D to all Force Skills for 2 times the duration called for. Any Force Sensitive Character who has had their Force Attribute or all their skills blocked will appear to any mode of detection as non-force sensitive. The user of this power can use it on themselves. Any malicious use of this power will cause the user to gain 2 dark.
Ka Defense
Difficulty: One opponent, Easy, 2 foes, Moderate, 3 foes Difficult, and so on…
Effect: When this power is activated an energy field surrounds the body (especially the hands and forearms) of the Monk (follower of Shimura) allowing him to parry and deflect blaster bolts as well as lightsabers. (Defense is Dice in Skill plus Strength roll vs. Damage roll) While using this power a Monk's senses are enhanced during combat so that it is easier to parry lightsabers or block/deflect blaster bolts just like Lightsaber combat (Power Skill Dice number is the bonus to parries or dodges, IE: 5D in Ka Defense = +5 to Martial Arts or Dodge). While the Monk is empowered his damage when hitting an opponent is significantly increased (Damage equal Dice in Skill).
Ka Guided Attack
Difficulty: Target's Control or Perception roll
This power may be kept up.
Warning: Anyone who uses this power to harm a helpless character receives 1 Dark per attack.
Effect: By successfully using this power and studying a single opponent for two full rounds, a character can anticipate that opponent's reactions in combat. This effectively reduces the opponent's defense dice rolls made to evade the character's attacks by half for the duration of the combat, or until the character using this power is stunned, wounded, or worse.
Ka Fist
Difficulty: ¼ damage: Easy, ½ damage: Moderate, full damage: Difficult, Increasing scale of damage: Speeder=+5, Walker=+10, Starfighter=+15, Capital=+20
Warning: Anyone who uses this power to harm a helpless character receives 1 Dark per attack.
Effect: By successfully activating this power, the character can make a Martial Arts or Brawling attack and add the Skill’s power dice to the damage. Scale of damage dice can be added as well. If combined with Ka Guided Attack, it can be very devastating! Can only be used once a day. If the character attempts to use this power more than once a day he must make a Stamina roll vs. the total activation difficulty used to activate the power a second time.
Ka Geokinesis
The character can control earth, rock, dirt and gains resistance to earth's effects, such as avalanches, at power level.
The character can generate earthquakes with a radius of 2m per power level.
Can create a volume of earth or stone equal to 1 cu meter per Die of Geokinesis. The difficulty is Easy plus modifiers for area off the Manipulation chart.
The character can attempt to grab or grapple via earthen constructs coming out of the ground. Power skill to hit and Power dice for damage.
The character can also create quicksand to trap target in a sinking pool of sand. Power skill vs. target’s dodge roll to hit, Power skill roll vs. target’s str check to escape. Difficulty is Easy plus area that is to be affected.
Creating passages through the ground is also similar, Easy skill roll plus how big an area for the modifier. The passage is stable for 30min per rank of the power.
At power level 10D, the character can convert his body to pure earthen materials if he wishes. While in this form he can do power level damage -2D when he hits someone. If he engulfs them, he will do power level damage via crushing. Duration: Either always on or as long as power is kept up. -2D to all other actions while power is kept up. If changed into form of Earth, then duration equals Power Die x10 in minutes that the form can be maintained. Range= Die value x5
Ka Healing (Katsu)
Curing with Ka involves channeling Positive Ka into a wounded body. So long as the character is conscious, it’s also possible to heal oneself with Katsu.
Each successful use of this power allows the person being healed to may make two natural healing rolls for the current day (12 hours apart) regardless of the severity of the injury. The patient gets a +3 modifier to both Strength rolls to heal. Katsu may only be attempted once per day, per person
Difficulties: Easy for wounded characters, Moderate for incapacitated characters, Difficult for mortally wounded characters.
Ka Hydrokinesis
The character can control ambient water and gains resistance to its effects at power level (Can't drown). At power level 6D, the character can convert his body to pure water if he wishes. While in this form he can do power level damage at -2D. If he engulfs them, he will do power level damage. How it works: Concentration roll to manipulate and to hit a target. Duration: Either always on or as long as power is kept up. -2D to all other actions while power is kept up. If changed into form of Water, then duration equals Power Die x10 in minutes that the form can be maintained. Range= Die value x5
The character can create a fog by trapping minute water molecules in the air. The difficulty to do so is Easy modified by the size of the area.
The character can create a volume of water at 10 cu meters per Die of Hydrokinesis. The normal difficulty is easy plus volume of area to be affected, plus any modifiers for how dry the air is.
The character has the ability to breathe and act underwater with no restrictions to movement. Can withstand the ocean’s pressure with no problem.
Can project a blast of water at power rank damage. Skill roll to target.
At 10D or higher can separate water from any other harmful liquids. The effect can also be used on living creatures to remove toxins and/or poisons. Can be used to dehydrate the target as well, causing 1D per power rank in damage.
Can move on a jet of water at 5m per Die.
Can make a corridor of dry land through a body of water 4m wide and 50m long. With an Easy Difficulty. To make the corridor longer, every 50 m is +3 to the difficulty.
Chart for affecting large bodies of water:
Water Rank
Difficulty
Clear Calm Water
0-5
Choppy
6-15
Large waves (4m high)
16-26
Huge waves (8m high) or Sm Waterspout (15m high)
27-37
Huge waves, large waterspout (20m high) or small whirlpools (20m radius)
38-49
Tsunami waves, Huge waterspout (40m high) or large whirlpools (100m radius
50
Ka Pyrokinesis
Same as the Force Power:
With this ability, Jedi create friction on a molecular level, generating heat or igniting a fire. The size and intensity depend on the difficulty beaten and the target’s combustibility. Failure means either no result, an out of control fire, or the wrong target ignites (GM’s choice). A lesser usage would be generating small amounts of light and heat from manipulating air molecules. The difficulty ranges from 10 for a closet-sized area to over 30 for for a large area like the Houston Astrodome.
Mechanics: Skill or Force Manipulation Difficulty: Proximity+ combustibility+ 5
Combustibility Modifiers:
+5 paper, kindling, really dry wood
+10 typical wall, clothing, plastic
+15 plants, glass, people (people are dark-side only)
+20 brick, concrete, rock
+25 reinforced bulkhead, like a nuclear reactor
+30 something flame-proof and REALLY hard to burn like a twinky
Additionally:
At power level 10D, the character is able to convert himself into pure fire. When coming in contact with someone in this form, he can engulf them, doing power level damage, or just touch them, doing power level -2D damage.
Duration: Either always on or as long as power is kept up. -2D to all other actions while power is kept up. If changed into form of Fire, then duration equals Power Die x10 in minutes that the form can be maintained. Range= Die value x5
The character can generate fire doing power level damage. Doing so also increases the temperature. Power’s Skill roll to hit, Concentration to alter properties, such as, the width of the beam, intensity, stun only, and so on. Damage is Power's Dice Rolled vs. Any defense or str or armor. What gets through is the damage total. Duration: Instant. Range= Die value x5 in meters.
Ka Sustenance
The character does not need to breathe, drink or eat. He can survive in the vacuum of space. He uses Ka to sustain himself. How it works: Power's Dice equals days the character can survive without sustenance. An Moderate Ka Sustenance roll to activate the power. Once the time period has passed, the character must rest for 24hrs. after, to renew himself. Duration: Special
Range=self