After our weekend game our group was talking about unleash and how it sucked that it was only zapping people. During the discussion we came to realize that unleash can be flavored in the context of some of the EU force attack powers out there, not just zap-age.

The basic unleash could just as easily be a small force blast, similar to force blast from saga, the force blast seen used by the felucian's in FU, the force blast/sphere used by Vader in Shadows of the empire, etc. If it's more about blasting than moving, it could easily be that.

By applying the ensnare effect, you could have a cryokinesis power similar to what is listed in the Book of the Sith. Cryokinesis doesn't come up in the EU, but something similar does get used in the dark nest trilogy, and is a power from saga (not a popular one for sure). The beta references murderous cold as well, so this is likely part of the design idea.

The Burn upgrade could easily represent pyrokinesis as well, also documented in the Book of the Sith and from Saga. Some collusion with the GM could also see the power functioning similar to the convection ability as well.

Emerald judgement, an extremely questionable application of zap-age from the EU (I believe Plo Koon was one of the main users) could easily be the upgrade inflicting additional strain. A user with that upgrade and strength upgrades providing advantage could easily incapacitate enemies without dealing any actual wounds.

Of course lightning can easily have all of these applied, and there's no reason cold can't provide lingering damage, or fire can't prevent someone from having an escape route to move from. But there is potential to have this be more than just an lightning style power.

Anyway, hope that's food for thought for some people.

These are all good narrative flairs to the ability which make sense. Honestly, when I read it the first time I pretty much thought to myself "Oh, 'Force Scream'", which anyone who has played Kotor, Swtor, etc have seen that ability.

+1. Flavor it for your character.

I always thought the Emperor chose to fry Luke because he was angry and wanted to make Luke suffer painfully and horribly in his moment of defeat. If he wanted Luke dead, he could have just snapped his neck or exploded his kindeys or whatever. But that would be instant, and His Highness probably hasn't had the pleasure of personally slaying a Jedi in a dog's age, so who can blame him?

In a way, it's not too far off from what I did with the Injure power I created for my Ways of the Force document.

I specifically didn't tie it to any one form of "dealing damage with the Force," more so that it could be used to cover both Vader's Force choke as well as Force lightning. It seems FFG took a similar route with Unleash in that it's "calling upon the dark side of the Force to inflict damage at a distance" without tying it to a specific effect, such as Force lightning.