Creating our own Star Wars myth: Star Wars Force and Destiny TTRPG
REBender
30 Sep 2022 14:21 #370335 by REBender
Creating our own Star Wars myth: Star Wars Force and Destiny TTRPG was created by REBender
What I'm learning from my IP lessons is that myth is a powerful tool in exploring the self. When we watch heroes and heroines overcome impossible odds, we put ourselves in their shoes. We see ourselves in our heroes.
This self-insert method of interacting with myth is useful to a point. Eventually one should act on their inspiration and not simply succumb to hero worship. Instead of watching a mythic world from the outside with a god-like perspective one is compelled to become the dreamer.
Greater immersion in the world and having the option to choose what happens next is an experience that surpasses passive observation. As I grow out of the practice of searching for meaning I find myself simply yearning for new experiences.
I suspect that the next evolution of myths are ones that occur and evolve in real time due to the contributions of a group of creators. This improvisational myth building transforms the process from a static linear experience to a living process of collaborative creation that thrives perpetually in the moment.
I am interested in running a Star Wars the Force and Destiny Tabletop Roleplaying game through the temple.
Star Wars the Force and Destinyhttps://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/star-wars-force-and-destiny/
The idea is that the creation of a unique myth allows the players to explore the masks they wear, grapple with difficult moral choices, and contemplate the living force through the act of creation, all within a safe space. What we can learn by experimenting through fiction can be applied to our daily lives.
I had the idea of starting each game with a meditation that acted as a portal from our mundane consciousness to the world we create together. But this concept is highly experimental, and I don't know how effective it would be through digital channels.
If anyone is interested in exploring the deeper aspects of themselves through the creation of myth reply to this thread with your thoughts.
We all serve something, an ideal, a force of nature, our desires...
We are meant to outgrow the concepts we serve. Whether you're an ant, a slave, an emperor or a god the only difference is the scale of complexity.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Carlos.Martinez3, Silenus
03 Oct 2022 19:22 #370355 by REBender
Replied by REBender on topic Creating our own Star Wars myth: Star Wars Force and Destiny TTRPG
As with all things I must strive for balance. In this post I will do my best to articulate my own personal gnosis concerning gaming and storytelling but also the practical aspects of this project that I wish to build. Please enjoy and feel free to comment. If you're interested in playing a Star Wars tabletop roleplaying game with me through online channels PM me or message me on the temple discord. My hope is that if I can generate some interest, I can propose an official project to the temple and maybe create some space within the temple for this sort of self-exploration through the myth we all know and love.
My Personal Gnosis:
It feels like Star Wars and gaming has always been a huge part of my life. It was 1996 and I was 9 years old when I receive the Star Wars trilogy on VHS for Christmas. It wasn't a gift I asked for, nor did I have any concept of what Star Wars was. However, that Christmas night when I snuggled up on the couch with my cozy blankie to witness the Death Star explode for the first time, deep down in some unknowable part of myself I knew this was the greatest gift I could ever receive.
Through my IP lessons I am learning the value of myth. I am learning the value of introducing our youth to the concept of belonging to a power far greater than ourselves. No man or woman is an island and yet many of us were raised to perceive this. Having a shared myth that can be interpreted in infinite ways is integral to a healthy and connected society.
What I am beginning to realize is that stories are keys that unlock doorways or portals to higher concepts within ourselves and ultimately the Mystic Force. For me, Star Wars was that key.
On that first Christmas night when I was 9 and I watched Luke and Han receive their medals from Princess Leia the doorway to myth was opened and I took my first steps into a larger world. Although I didn't have the vocabulary to express it, from that moment on my whole reality would be filtered through the lens of myth and storytelling.
Today, with a slightly wider perspective my love for myth has evolved through gaming. Although, it is nice to experience story through linear, prepackaged media I feel the pull towards providing agency and choice within the storytelling experience. I feel the pull towards playing the role of a sort of shamanic guide.
Through gaming and myth, I want to guide others deep within themselves. I want them to adopt a mask and forget who they think they are. Through these masks they learn about themselves and dive ever deeper within. Until they dive so deep, they find themselves in a place without, in a place that is pure Force.
As within, so without. The players of the great game are the higher self and the lower self. They are both simultaneously. The players of the game find themselves in a superposition where the mundane world they thought they knew is superimposed over the myth they helped create.
All the while I am there with a gentle hand urging them forward and encouraging the fearless exploration of self. Because, through the exploration of self comes greater liberty.
Practical Goal:
My goal is to start a game of Star Wars the Force and Destiny, a tabletop roleplaying game that focuses on narrative game mechanics told through the experience of Force sensitive characters in the Star Wars Universe.
Game Structure:
If you're new to the concept of tabletop roleplaying games this is how they generally work. One player of the game acts as the game master, or the leader of the game. The game master embodies all of the allies and villains that the main characters of the game's adventure would encounter. I would be playing this role. The rest of the players would be playing the role of player characters. The player characters each have their own unique background and abilities, but all are working to achieve the same goal. The player characters interact with the world and the people that inhabit it while the game master articulates what happens next. Dice are rolled to determine the outcomes of actions and the game master and player characters work together to weave a winding narrative into a fantastic myth of their own creation!
Game Synopsis:
This game would be played in the time between A New Hope and Empire. The player characters would roleplay as Force sensitive individuals who lack the structured guidance to grow into their power due to the fall of the Jedi Order. However, thanks to a rogue mentor that they all know they have learned to evade imperial entanglements. At its core, this adventure starts as a story about finding out who you are in a galaxy that actively prohibits spiritual growth.
Digital Channels:
This game would be played online using Roll20.net to display game tokens and other visual information. We would use discord to communicate while playing. There is no need for the player characters to purchase books or dice or anything of the sort. All information can be provided through the Roll20 platform.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I know I'm still new here and I'm still working through the IP lessons, but I really want to make this temple a sort of spiritual home for myself, and this is what I can provide to the community. I guess you could say that storytelling and gaming is my Force Power.
I have more to say about my personal gnosis concerning gaming and myth and I'll probably continue posting here to articulate it. Please feel free to comment and if you're interested in joining this game PM me. Thanks again!
The following user(s) said Thank You: River
Replied by River on topic Creating our own Star Wars myth: Star Wars Force and Destiny TTRPG
My guess is that Ashria probably has some interesting thoughts about this, if you'd like to reach out to him. This type of game, for very similar reasons, is very much something he has been interested in and has done within the Temple to a degree.
The following user(s) said Thank You: REBender
Astragalomancy and DUality in Star Wars Force and Destiny
The following is a metacontextual explanation of the Table Top Roleplaying game, Star Wars Force and Destiny told through the lens of Astragalomancy and duality.
Dice divination has occurred all over the ancient world including in Greece, South Africa and Tibet. The practice of astragalomancy involves the tossing of marked knucklebones, usually from sheep or goats, with the intent of deriving divine truth from the symbols rolled.
In ancient Greece the results of these divination practices were carved into the stone pillars of temples that survive today. What we can understand from these carvings is that the roll results were given positive or negative meanings depending on the combination of symbols. This practice is a fantastic example of how the divine truth of the universe shines through the patterns that we recognize every day.
As I research Astragalomancy and work with the Star Wars Force and Destiny game system it is evident to me that the practice of dice reading has survived to this day. The only difference is that we apply our interpretations of divine truth to myth instead of applying it literally to our material lives.
Once one reaches a level of spiritual growth that allows one to move Beyond the duality of this existence once can use both positive and negative symbols to divine greater truths. The Star Wars Force and Destiny game system does just that.
Please let me explain...
In SWFAD players build dice Pools to determine the outcome of a scenario. There are two different types of dice, positive and negative.
The positive dice are derived from a player character's natural talents and skills. The more skilled a player character is at any given concept the more positive dice get applied to the dice pool.
Positive Dice:
The negative dice are derived from opposition and represent difficulty. There could be a person actively opposing the player character, or a natural phenomenon could be occurring that hinders the player character. The more opposition there is, the more negative dice are added to the pool.
Negative Dice:
To put it in spiritual terms, the brighter the player character shines the more opposition rises to meet it. Once the positive and negative dice are assembled the player rolls all the dice at once and then interprets the symbols that are revealed to shape the outcome of the given scenario.
For example, if a player whose character was gifted at computer programming wanted to hack a computer, then a high number of positive dice would be added to the pool. However, the computer being hacked has advanced quantum firewalls protecting it. So, a high number of negative dice would be added to the pool. The player rolls and the Destiny of the character is to be interpreted through the various symbols revealed.
Completed Dice Pool:
There is something about this game that feels ancient. It feels as if we've been interpreting complex combinations of symbols for millennia. When playing SWFAD I always feel like I'm entering the forgotten flow of my ancestors. Also, the dual nature of this astragalomantic game engine creates essential conflict within the scenario.
It is as if the dual nature of this game engine drives the experience forward. Without opposition momentum cannot be generated because there would be no need for it. Positive dice represent the gifts that are given, and the negative dice represent the opposition, struggle and pain of the world that is being built within the minds of the players.
Whether you realize it or not, taking part in playing a dice game is an evolution of a millennia old tradition derived from the ancient quest for divine truth.
Moving past the duality in this game engine we come to a die that stands beyond the rest. It is not positive, it is not negative, it is both. The Force die represents both the light and dark side of the Force. It is the source of the mystical talents that seem to bend the rules set in place by the positive and negative dice used to determine the outcome of physical matters.
Force Die:
When using a Force power in SWFAD a player must roll the Force die. This die will generate either light energy, dark energy, or both to power the Force ability. If a light aligned character draws on the dark side to use their abilities, there are consequences that manifest through internal conflict. This concept applies to dark aligned characters drawing on the light as well.
What is interesting to note about the Force die is that there are more sides depicting dark side energy then there are sides depicting light side energy. My interpretation is that the game designers had a firm grasp on the nature of the Force. The dark side is the quick and easy path. It is easier to access but the price of utilizing it is steep.
This presents a fantastic moral quandary for light side aligned characters. If they find themselves in a dangerous situation it would be tempting to tap into the abundant dark side energy to resolve the problem.
In this game system the Force die represents the unknown mystical Force that bends reality to the benefit or demise of the Force wielder. The benefits and consequences attached to this die urges the player to think carefully before wielding such a power.
This is an important lesson that can be applied to our everyday lives. We each have our own sensitivities and powers that if wielded responsibly can bring great benefits to our lives. However, if wielded carelessly, our gifts can quickly transform to curses. This is the reason Jedi adopt stoicism in their spiritual practices. The Mystic power they wield requires balance and the SWFAD game captured that concept beautifully through this dice engine.
If you might be interested in practicing some Astragalomancy with me and want to play this game PM me here at the forum or on the discord. Keep in mind, although physical dice were used to illustrate the concepts of the game mechanics digital dice and tokens would be used to play a game through online channels. I would love to build a unique myth and put these concepts to practice with some amazing Jedi. There are innumerable lessons to be learned from this game system and I feel that putting in the energy to learn the game symbols and master their interpretations can only bolster our spiritual growth.
Destiny and the Use of Personal Will
In the tabletop roleplaying game, Star Wars Force and Destiny there is an amazing little rule mechanic concerning destiny. Before the start of each game players role a Force die to generate light and dark side points. These points are represented by coins that have a white side and a black side. These coins are placed in a pool in accordance with the Force points rolled and act as the greater flow of the Force through the character's lives.
When a player character finds themselves in a tight spot, they can call upon the light side of the force to enhance their chances of success or enhance their foe's chances of failure. When this occurs, a light side point is flipped and is converted to a dark side point. Conversely, the game master (the one playing the baddies) can call upon the dark side of destiny in the same fashion and flip a dark side point over to the light.
If utilized frequently throughout the game this fantastic little mechanic can represent the eb and flow of the force and the constant conflict between the light and dark. It is a great representation of the duality that the player characters must grapple with as they grow.
When I contemplate this mechanic from a metacontextual standpoint I can't help but feel as if the bending of destiny in one's life is a fear-based reaction. The Force guides me and if I am balanced and acting in accordance with my authentic self then I should be satisfied with whatever outcome is presented to me. If the Force allows the details of our lives to happen perfectly then why would I want to call upon destiny to bend the outcome to something less painful, or make my path easier?
After grappling with this concept, I realized the genius of this game mechanic. When a player character uses the Force to bend his or her destiny a piece of the light side destiny pool is converted to the dark side. By using the Force to control the outcome of something YOU want you are hindering your connection to the light side of the force. The more the player characters control the Force, the weaker the connection they have with the light side of the Force. Through controlling the force to your personal will the dark side grows.
However, when the game master utilizes control of the dark side to bend destiny it is as if a Sith Lord is trying to grasp tightly onto something that cannot be held. In turn, the dark side energy is transformed into light. Anytime anyone tries to grasp this mechanic and use it to control their destiny the power they hold shifts and morphs and leaves their perception. Only by taking no action and allowing their enemies to try and bend their destinies can one side control the destiny pool.
Through non-action, the player characters can eventually watch the destiny pool shift entirely to light as their enemies attempt to control destiny. However, then the temptation sets in. With all that light side energy maybe one point can be used to make things a little better for everyone. And so, the shift begins again. This simple little mechanic displays a core truth to this reality. The flow of the Force is not stagnant, and it never will be. Even with perfect discipline we will be compelled to act. We will be compelled to grasp at the Force to improve our destinies and thus keep the flow churning ever onward.
I'm currently building a campaign for Star Wars Force and Destiny on Roll20, a digital tabletop gaming platform. If you would be interested in playing this game PM me!