There's a much earlier version of this I posted to the Order 66 Forum years ago, but I've revised my homebrew Miraluka stats and done several sessions of playtesting. The new version below follows the maxim "use what's already there." In particular, when originally thinking about the Miraluka, I didn't have a copy of Savage Spirits, which includes something almost exactly appropriate to the Legends lore about Miraluka.

Miraluka

• Special Abilities: Miraluka begin the game with one rank in Vigilance. They still may not train Vigilance above rank 2 during character creation.
• Force-sensitivity: The Miraluka are an inherently Force-sensitive species. A Miraluka character begins the game with Force Rating 1.
• Force Sight : The Miraluka have evolved to "see" the essence of their surroundings through the Force, but retain only vestigial eye sockets. A Miraluka character starts with the base Farsight Power (Savage Spirits, p.36) and can commit a Force die to that base effect. If the ability to use the Force is suppressed, a Miraluka is effectively blind.

Notes

Force-sensitivity: Past discussions about Miraluka on this forum have centered around whether they should start with a Force Rating. I've always leaned toward, "yes, because it's interesting and opens up interesting possibilities." Specifically, the utility of FR1 in a species is combining it with an Edge of the Empire or Age of Rebellion career. There is already a natural balance to the FR1 granted by Force-sensitive Emergent or Exile: it does not stack with the granting of FR1 from a Force and Destiny career. According to the official devs, though I don't remember where, once you have FR1 from any source, the only way to increase it further is with the Force Rating talent at the bottoms of some spec trees. The Miraluka I've designed functions the same way: it does not stack with other sources of initial Force Rating.

The other bits of balance here are how Force Sight works for Miraluka (below) and reduced XP. In particular, I felt like 85 is a good place because, even with the maximum character creation bonus of 10XP in any of the three lines, you're still choosing between {3,3,3,2,2,1} or {4,3,2,2,2,2} with some XP left over. Slightly under-powering the characteristics out of the gate compensates for the Force Rating 1.

Force Sight: The basic effect of Farsight, as described in Savage Spirits, is, "the user may spend [Force Points] to see out to medium range for the remainder of the round (or one minute in narrative time), and can see everything most sentients can on a well-lit day. This functions even if a user can't see do to darkness or blindness." That matches how I've read Miraluka descriptions in Legends, and using it avoids inventing a major new mechanic just for the Miraluka . The only thing that's new is that Miraluka can commit a Force die to sustain Farsight's basic effect, and indeed have to do so if they want to see anything at all. That's a second major balance against starting with Force Rating 1.

Playtesting: Our group has found that committing a Force die to sustain the power can drive an interesting push-your-luck strategy for early characters. We've always house ruled that you have to roll the Force dice you commit, and suffer strain/conflict for any Dark Side Points you roll on dice you want to commit. So a Force Rating 1 Miraluka with the "see through solid objects" upgrade to Farsight could re-roll and commit their single Force-die, chasing a second Force point on the roll and risking conflict to do so. As Miraluka increase their Force Rating, they are effectively one-rating-lower than they would be while using Farsight to see but, in a pinch, a Miraluka can drop the Farsight effect and try to activate a power with their full rating and Force die pool. Both these situations have an interesting risk/reward combination that I tend to like in games I play and run.

If you have any feedback, or you use my stats in a campaign and something interesting happened, I'd love to hear about it.

This looks very interesting. I do agree with your point of starting with FP but not gaining additional FP for taking a Force Sensitive Career. Your other points are valid. I would let a player use this in my game although they may get frustrated at having a built in -1 to their FR but as you said, they can uncommit it if needed but there will be more penalties

Oh that's cleverly done with the FP 1 commitment for sight.

Interesting wrinkle on giving Force Rating 1 and then essentially taking it away to allow them to "see."

In Cyphers and Masks, there's a quasi-insectoid species that has what amounts to Miraluka blind-sight but without direct reference to the Force, and it's probably best way I've seen to replicate the Miraluka's particular form of vision.

Truthfully, I'd just use that and drop the free Force Rating 1, as it's overall easier to manage. And since they'd not be getting either a free Force Rating or a free Force power, bump their starting XP back up to 100 and set one of their characteristics to a 3, with Intellect being the non-powergamer suggestion. Although you could swap the starting wounds and strain values and put the 3 into Willpower without it being too problematic.

Edit: Sorry, wrong splat.

I didn't see anything comparable to Miraluka Force sight described in the stat blocks for Dowutins, Mikkians, or Phylodons. Or any stat blocks for an NPC with something comparable.

Am I missing it, or are you thinking of a different book?

1 hour ago, sfRattan said:

I didn't see anything comparable to Miraluka Force sight described in the stat blocks for Dowutins, Mikkians, or Phylodons. Or any stat blocks for an NPC with something comparable.

Am I missing it, or are you thinking of a different book?

He was thinking about Cyphers and Masks. Melittos have a Sightless vision ability that allows them to ignore darkness and other environmental effects that would affect vision.

Why not just rename and assign the Kanan's Farsight special ability/power from Dawn of Rebellion?

I personally think giving a whole species force rating 1 isn't a balanced ability. You can simply say they are all force sensitive which gives them easy justification for taking force specializations. Also, I don't think every Miralukan develops their potential to the fullest. Somebody has to file papers, pump gas, etc. I imagine the ones that do, are the ones that have actual force rating. As others pointed out Melittos have a pretty solid ability that works great for the Miralukan Sight, which is what my local game is using, we also gave them +1 discipline or +1 vigilance and they had 3 willpower and 1 cunning.

On 8/29/2018 at 5:42 AM, Varlie said:

This looks very interesting. I do agree with your point of starting with FP but not gaining additional FP for taking a Force Sensitive Career. Your other points are valid. I would let a player use this in my game although they may get frustrated at having a built in -1 to their FR but as you said, they can uncommit it if needed but there will be more penalties

well all force sensitive careers say you become force rating 1 and do not stack with each other so that's kinda a given

i would also put an option of miraluka half-breed that doesn't go blind when force deprived for 15 xp

• Special Abilities: Miraluka begin the game with one rank in Vigilance. They still may not train Vigilance above rank 2 during character creation.

I like this, it is a nice touch that makes sense.

• Force-sensitivity: The Miraluka are an inherently Force-sensitive species. A Miraluka character begins the game with Force Rating 1.

I'm with others that this is not a good idea. Not all Miraluka are going to have a level of control to do what someone in the game can with a Force Rating of 1. It's enough to say they are connected to the Force, plus the rank of Vigilance to represent their vision is a bit wider than a normal eye's view.

• Force Sight : The Miraluka have evolved to "see" the essence of their surroundings through the Force, but retain only vestigial eye sockets. A Miraluka character starts with the base Farsight Power (Savage Spirits, p.36) and can commit a Force die to that base effect. If the ability to use the Force is suppressed, a Miraluka is effectively blind.

I don't think this is necessary if you just give them vision through the Force. I do like the susceptibility to Force Suppression, it's a good balance to the Rank of Vigilance.

10 hours ago, FuriousGreg said:

• Force-sensitivity: The Miraluka are an inherently Force-sensitive species. A Miraluka character begins the game with Force Rating 1.

I'm  with others that this is not a good idea. Not all Miraluka are going to have a level of control to do what someone in the game can with a Force Rating of 1. It's enough to say they are connected to the Force, plus the rank of Vigilance to represent their vision is a bit wider than a normal eye's view.        

By default, no Miraluka as written would have the "level of control to do what someone in the game can with a Force Rating of 1." To achieve that level of control, they would have to do the same thing as any other Force-sensitive character: invest XP into Force Powers and Talents. I also think you may be overestimating the reliability of Force Rating 1 to do much of anything consistently without having to dip into the dark side, suffer strain, and eat a Destiny Point. Or, in the case of Miraluka with Force Rating 1 as described, overestimating the reliability of Force Rating 1 to do much of anything consistently without risking your sight (an action or potential Destiny Point flip to regain it) in the middle of a tense encounter.

On 9/3/2018 at 10:49 PM, Raicheck said:

I personally  think giving a whole species force  rating  1 isn't a balanced    ability     . 

That hypothesis largely hasn't been supported by our playtesting (several sessions into Chronicles of the Gatekeeper). Beyond a general, meta-conversation of whether all Miraluka ought to have Force Rating 1 or only those with importance to the story, what specifically do you think will go mechanically wrong because of it? I ask because we have not found things going mechanically wrong in the game we are playing.

On 9/3/2018 at 10:24 AM, Nytwyng said:

Why not just rename and assign the Kanan's Farsight special ability/power from Dawn of Rebellion?

This is a good idea, and one I hadn't though of because I haven't looked at Dawn of Rebellion's character stat blocks in great detail (as I'm not running a game in that era at the moment). For a simpler version of Miraluka, I'd lean toward this description or Donovan's suggestion of something like the Melitto's ability. However, I think in the case of Kanan it's written out that way because he's an NPC and simpler abilities are easier on a gamemaster tracking multiple NPCs at once . I still like that the Farsight Power gives players interesting upgrade options if they want to hone their ability to see with the Force. Additionally, buying the Farsight base power during the game may almost seem wasteful to a player who started with 90% of it as a separate, overlapping base ability.

You can give the player a XP discount easily enough. Or design a unique upgrade for the farsight power only accessible to Miraluka.

For those that wish to have their Miraluka be "Force Sensitive" how about just give them a Force Rating of 0. This means they get no Force Dice to roll unless they picked up a Force Sensitive career, but they still gain the benefits of Force Sensitive talents should they wish to start out in a non-F&D career but pick up a F&D spec later. In other words, it's like you are Force Sensitive but your Force Dice are all committed.

Just a thought.

8 hours ago, sfRattan said:

By default, no Miraluka as written would have the "level of control to do what someone in the game can with a Force Rating of 1." To achieve that level of control, they would have to do the same thing as any other Force-sensitive character: invest XP into Force Powers and Talents. I also think you may be overestimating the reliability of Force Rating 1 to do much of anything consistently without having to dip into the dark side, suffer strain, and eat a Destiny Point. Or, in the case of Miraluka with Force Rating 1 as described, overestimating the reliability of Force Rating 1 to do much of anything consistently without risking your sight (an action or potential Destiny Point flip to regain it) in the middle of a tense encounter.

That hypothesis largely hasn't been supported by our playtesting (several sessions into Chronicles of the Gatekeeper). Beyond a general, meta-conversation of whether all Miraluka ought to have Force Rating 1 or only those with importance to the story, what specifically do you think will go mechanically wrong because of it? I ask because we have not found things going mechanically wrong in the game we are playing.

I think you are missing our main concern when making a playable species which is that the Players aren't limited to Force & Destiny, they could also choose a normally non-Force sensitive Career from one of the other books. In that context giving them a Force Rating of 1 is too much because it gives full access to all the Force abilities without the normal cost associated with either choosing a FS Career or a Universal Force Specialization. Further you don't need Farsight to represent Miraluka Force vision because at it's base level is essentially works the same as regular vision, it's just fluff, any differences with normal vision you covered in the addition of the Rank in Vigilance (which is a really good idea). So it may be fine in your personal game because you or your Player may have started off with a Force sensitive Career anyway but you asked for general feedback not just for your game.

10 hours ago, sfRattan said:

That hypothesis largely hasn't been supported by our playtesting (several sessions into Chronicles of the Gatekeeper). Beyond a general, meta-conversation of whether all Miraluka ought to have Force Rating 1 or only those with importance to the story, what specifically do you think will go mechanically wrong because of it? I ask because we have not found things going mechanically wrong in the game we are playing.

Because its not about outright play, for that it's up front not a huge issue. The problem is in creation and balancing new characters. An FR 1 species actually gets more out of not choosing a F&D Career/Spec. AoR and EotE career/Specs have more skills that FaD, so by stacking that with a free Species FR, you'll see an obvious advantage. A Bounty Hunter Survivalist Miraluka gets essentially the same role as a Seeker:Hunter, but with more skills. So why should I take Seeker:Hunter at all?

Now, commiting your eyesight does help, but is causes other issues.

Mechanically they'll want to keep that power sustained for a long time, throughout the adventure and across Encounters... so now they take a strain regen hit because "ha ha, you're blind!"? That's kinda a jerk move.

Narratively, why? A Miraluka seeing through the force is as natural as a Mon Cal swimming or a Toydarian flying. A miraluka doesn't need special training to see, or special focus... they just do it. I'm sure that while the Legends characters presented as Miraluka are all awesome c force users (because duh) What about a Miraluka mechanic, or accountant, or space potato farmer? They don't need to use mind bullets, they just... use the force to see the same way as a human uses special eyeballs to turn light into nerve impulses. Why bother learning how to get an FR at all?

And that's where everyone is going. As a species it's got to work across all system options and conditions, so you need to use a wider lens. Making Miraluka not have an automatic FR, but allow them to just passively, naturally see through the force takes care of that, and then you can make the rest of the numbers make the species stack well with force-using, but not a must-have. You can still make it Forceish... a Ysalimiri might appear as a big void bubble to a Miraluka, and getting too close makes them blind. You just don't get any leg up another species might also get from a non-force solution.

Not intended to hijack the thread, as I, too, was rather enamoured to the original concept, but my take of their Force Sight ability would be more along the lines of:

Force Sight: Miraluka are, as a species, blind to natural light. Through a minor connection to the Force, however, they can 'see' normally out to medium range. Beyond medium range and within Force dampening effects, they become blind again. Miraluka may remove up to 2 Setback Dice from darkness or other vision impairing effects.

Indeed, I see no reason to give them a species-wide Force Rating and making the FaD Careers and Specializations obsolete as @Ghostofman indicated (except for the opportunity to get Force Rating talents to increase that Force Rating) if one can simply slap on the Farsight basic power as a special ability, combine it with another advantage like countering darkness and the likes, but also limit the sight in range, like Farsight does. (Doesmake me wonder what a Miraluka would actually see? A grey waste with nothing but absolute blackness beyond a certain range? Does Miraluka Force-see colours? If they use the Force to see, and it is generated by all living things, do they 'perceive' life-threatening conditions, such as Death Stick use for example, as a dark spot in a bright life force?)

I ran this through my attempt to deconstruct existing species (another thread that didn't seem to be all that popular) using insights from Genesys. Not granting Force Rating 1, and not granting Farsight as a base power, but as a liability by limiting visual range, actually gave me more wiggle space. Actually increase an Ability like Willpower to 3, to oppose the 1 at Presence. Providing a few more starting XP. Allowing a Darkvision-like ability. It came out at 385 Build Points, like any Human or the majority of other species out there.

18 hours ago, Xcapobl said:

Not intended to hijack the thread, as I, too, was rather enamoured to the original concept, but my take of their Force Sight ability would be more along the lines of:

Force Sight: Miraluka are, as a species, blind to natural light. Through a minor connection to the Force, however, they can 'see' normally out to medium range. Beyond medium range and within Force dampening effects, they become blind again. Miraluka may remove up to 2 Setback Dice from darkness or other vision impairing effects.

Indeed, I see no reason to give them a species-wide Force Rating and making the FaD Careers and Specializations obsolete as @Ghostofman indicated (except for the opportunity to get Force Rating talents to increase that Force Rating) if one can simply slap on the Farsight basic power as a special ability, combine it with another advantage like countering darkness and the likes, but also limit the sight in range, like Farsight does. (Doesmake me wonder what a Miraluka would actually see? A grey waste with nothing but absolute blackness beyond a certain range? Does Miraluka Force-see colours? If they use the Force to see, and it is generated by all living things, do they 'perceive' life-threatening conditions, such as Death Stick use for example, as a dark spot in a bright life force?)

I ran this through my attempt to deconstruct existing species (another thread that didn't seem to be all that popular) using insights from Genesys. Not granting Force Rating 1, and not granting Farsight as a base power, but as a liability by limiting visual range, actually gave me more wiggle space. Actually increase an Ability like Willpower to 3, to oppose the 1 at Presence. Providing a few more starting XP. Allowing a Darkvision-like ability. It came out at 385 Build Points, like any Human or the majority of other species out there.

That's almost perfect. However, given that Miraluka see through the Force, rather than through eyes, they shouldn't have any Setback from Darkness or Vision imparing effects.

1 hour ago, Tramp Graphics said:

That's almost perfect. However, given that Miraluka see through the Force, rather than through eyes, they shouldn't have any Setback from Darkness or Vision imparing effects.

Well, you might have a good point there. But that is also why I, less than jokingly, wonder how Miraluka 'see', what they perceive? Does the Force connection, without it being a complete Force Power, allow them to see colours? Does it allow them to differentiate between the steel grey of a wall, and the yellow of painted Aurebesh script on it (i.e. do they read)? Do they see, as if they had functioning human-like eyes?

If so, if the Miraluka Force sight is 'just normal vision through the Force' with a range limit, then they should be hindered through fog, smoke... or darkness. Vision impairing effects if you will.

Otherwise, what does a Miraluka 'see' then? If not like normal vision as we know it, then what? Do they 'see' bright smears to represent living beings, able to make out shapes and movement, but not details such as an age-related wrinkle or the colour of hair, and just general grey shapes so they don't walk off a cliff? Do they have vision not unlike thermal vision through the Force? Is it like a Force-given form of X-Ray vision (and let's be careful in saying 'yes' here, as this is also a Farsight power Control upgrade, in a way)? Infrared? Ultraviolet?

Based on the lore, as well as their write-ups in previous editions, their Force Sight allows them to “see” normally, though not hindered by other “environmental effects”. For example, one of the Jedi from Tales of the Jedi was a Miraluka (and was where this species was first introduced), and she was a pilot . So, no Miraluka are not hindered by darkness or smoke, etc. but otherwise see just as if they had eyes.

12 hours ago, Xcapobl said:

Well, you might have a good point there. But that is also why I, less than jokingly, wonder how Miraluka 'see', what they perceive? Does the Force connection, without it being a complete Force Power, allow them to see colours? Does it allow them to differentiate between the steel grey of a wall, and the yellow of painted Aurebesh script on it (i.e. do they read)? Do they see, as if they had functioning human-like eyes?

If so, if the Miraluka Force sight is 'just normal vision through the Force' with a range limit, then they should be hindered through fog, smoke... or darkness. Vision impairing effects if you will.

Otherwise, what does a Miraluka 'see' then? If not like normal vision as we know it, then what? Do they 'see' bright smears to represent living beings, able to make out shapes and movement, but not details such as an age-related wrinkle or the colour of hair, and just general grey shapes so they don't walk off a cliff? Do they have vision not unlike thermal vision through the Force? Is it like a Force-given form of X-Ray vision (and let's be careful in saying 'yes' here, as this is also a Farsight power Control upgrade, in a way)? Infrared? Ultraviolet?

Like most SF and fantasy, it falls apart if you start pulling on these threads.

We see (at least in the old comics and games) that Miraluka cover their eye sockets with pretty bandages, big hats, etc. So their perception isn't affected by a layer of fabric. Now move that fabric a bit further away from them. An inch. A couple inches. A foot or two. Can they still see through it? What about when it's several feet away? What about when it's a mile away? Where is the limit? IS there a limit? WHY is there a limit?

6 hours ago, Stan Fresh said:

Like most SF and fantasy, it falls apart if you start pulling on these threads.

We see (at least in the old comics and games) that Miraluka cover their eye sockets with pretty bandages, big hats, etc. So their perception isn't affected by a layer of fabric. Now move that fabric a bit further away from them. An inch. A couple inches. A foot or two. Can they still see through it? What about when it's several feet away? What about when it's a mile away? Where is the limit? IS there a limit? WHY is there a limit?

Why does a blind man wear blackout glasses? because for normal people it is a bit disconcerting to talk to a person who's eyes do not focus on anything, or have scars. Same with Miraluka, they do not even bother with trying to use their eyes.at most they might be able to know when the sun is out.

52 minutes ago, kinnison said:

Why does a blind man wear blackout glasses  ?

To look hella cool.

On 9/8/2018 at 11:12 AM, Stan Fresh said:

So their perception isn't affected by a layer of fabric.

I see your point.

However, my perception in real life isn't affected by certain kinds of fabric as well, allowing me to cosplay a Miraluka without breaking my toes by stumbling into everything blindly. ?

28 minutes ago, Xcapobl said:

I see your point.

However, my perception in real life isn't affected by certain kinds of fabric as well, allowing me to cosplay a Miraluka without breaking my toes by stumbling into everything blindly. ?

Google Miraluka and you see a whole bunch of coverings that don't at all look see-through. We're not talking yoga pants or stockings material here.

1 hour ago, Stan Fresh said:

Google Miraluka and you see a whole bunch of coverings that don't at all look see-through. We're not talking yoga pants or stockings material here.

Did you even see the smiley at the end of my reply?