So, I finally got my copy of Disciples of Harmony , and I'm really jazzed about the new rules for Mentors who come from outside the Jedi tradition (pp. 79–80). In brief, having a mentor from a non-Jedi tradition grants your character both benefits and drawbacks. The benefits tend to be discounts on certain Force powers or upgrades to specific Force powers, but it can also include ignoring conflict in certain situations, or pretty much anything. The drawbacks are usually requirements that make accessing the Force more time consuming (like having to meditate first), or more restrictive (like no combat Force use at all without conflict).
The section got me thinking about how to treat Ewok shamanism as a new tradition, so here's my first pass at the concept. I'd love any feedback on this. I've tried to model this on what we know about Ewok religion from Legends, but I think this is generic enough that it could probably be used for any form of shamanism with only minor tweaks. The idea is that a shaman working for a specific tribe would likely focus on powers that benefit the group and its wellbeing. That's the logic behind the powers it discounts, and for the discounts to the Magnitude upgrades (to let the shaman help more tribemembers simultaneously). The ceremonial/material component drawback is also based loosely on what we see in the Ewok-related Legends material. It seemed pretty restrictive to me, hence the hefty (30 XP) buy-off cost. I debated adding a Knowledge (Lore) check somewhere (either in combination with Survival to find the components, or to sanctify them in the ceremony), but I wasn't sure if that was necessary with the other restrictions.
Please let me know what you think! I'll give @KRKappel a shout out here, as I understand he wrote the rules I'm riffing off of here.
EWOK SHAMANISM
Ewok shamans recognize the Force in the form of spirits that animate all things. Shamans use rituals and ceremonies to petition these spirits for aid, and to imbue material components with their power so it may be accessed at a later time.
This form of Force use largely focuses on helping the shaman's tribe thrive and prosper. Calling on the aid of beneficial deities, such as the Light Spirit, Brother Sky, Mother Land, and the Forest Father, can give access to most uses of Battle Meditation, Foresee, and Heal/Harm. Shamans can access most other Force powers by petitioning various nature spirits, from the most powerful divinity to the smallest rock or tree spirit. However, only the evil Night Spirit offers access to uses of the Force that draw on the dark side, leaving its power to the Ewoks' traditional rivals, the Duloks, and to those Ewok shamans selfish enough to call upon it.
Benefit: Reduce the cost to purchase the Battle Meditation, Foresee, and Heal/Harm basic Force powers by 5 XP, to a minimum of 5 XP. Also reduce the cost to purchase any Magnitude upgrades to these three Force powers by 5 XP, to a minimum of 5 XP. A character trained in Ewok shamanism can use the Battle Meditation basic power to aid allies with the Survival skill for purposes such as gathering, agriculture, hunting, and primitive construction, in addition to its standard functions.
Drawback (30 XP): A character must possess the proper material components to use any Force power except Battle Meditation. Gathering the appropriate components for one use of a specific Force power requires a Survival check ; the difficulty varies based on the environment, from Easy (P) in a lush area, such as a forest, to Daunting (PPPP) in a desert. Each additional uncanceled [Success] on this check provides enough components for another use of the power, and each [Advantage] can halve the time required to gather the materials. Once obtained, the materials must be ritually sanctified, a process that takes at least three hours and costs the character two Strain per hour. However, the same ritual can sanctify several use's worth of the materials for a single Force power at no extra cost of time or Strain.
Edited by SavageBoblink
