CHAPTER THREE

The Jedi and the Sith

Protectors of right and justice in a vast galaxy, the Jedi Knights have stood as a beacon of light in the galaxy for thousands of years; disciples of the all-pervasive Force of life, the Jedi have fought evil in its every manifestation. Most horrifying of all these manifestations, though, were the Sith...

The origins of the Sith are shrouded in mystery, their first rise to power recorded over 5000 years ago. The Sith were a race that discovered an internal logic to the Dark Side of the Force, and refined it into the dreaded "Sith Magic," with which numerous "sorcerors" rose to power in tribal circles among the Sith people. A fallen Jedi came upon the Sith people, and stole their knowledge from them, mastering their black arts and naming himself the first Lord of the Sith. This nameless Dark Lord brought many worlds under his power, until the Great Sith War, in which the combined efforts of the entire Jedi Order managed to drive the Dark Lord and his disciples from existence...

The Sith would eventually rise again a thousand years later, and the Sith Wars would begin anew. This was the time of great Jedi heroes such as Ulic Qel-Droma and Nomi Sunrider, and of Dark Masters like Exar Kun (one of the first users of the Sith double-bladed lightsaber). The Sith plunged the galaxy into total warfare during this era, beginning with the takeover of the Empress Teta system. Millions would suffer and die in this period, but ultimately the Jedi would triumph once again. The Sith Order was crushed once more, although from time to time a new Dark Lord would rise to prominence, only to be defeated by the Jedi Knights.

For a thousand years, the Sith have been naught but a distant memory. The Jedi Council remembers the lessons of those dark days, but no one fears another Sith War...the Dark Order is no more.

The Jedi Council is horribly wrong.

Never as numerous as the Jedi, the few remaining Sith practicioners went into hiding, preserving their teachings through a change in strategy: open warfare was no longer a tool of the Sith. Large numbers were out of the question, for fear of being hunted down by suspicious Jedi. Instead, the Sith would be reduced to a mere two beings...a Master, and his Apprentice. Adhering closely to this practice, the Sith have remained alive and hidden for a milennium, passing their black teachings down from Master to Apprentice over and over again.

At the same time, the Jedi Council has undergone changes as well. The Coucil has long since left the old Jedi "homeworld" of Ossus and has moved to Coruscant, where, it is whispered, they have become too compromised by galactic politics to function effectively. And the Jedi have grown stingy with their lore...there was a time when sensitives from all across the galaxy and all walks of life would be considered for Jedi Knighthood, but this practice has died out. Jedi candidates are selected as infants, found between the ages of six and nine months by special Jedi seekers (roving Masters like Qui-Gon Jinn). Any sensitive older than this is considered too much of a risk to train, too vulnerable to the lure of the Dark Side. Jedi Masters are reined in, chastised for eccentric beliefs, and expected to conform to the edicts of the Council in regards to training and commencement to Knighthood...the value of strong individuality is being forgotten, while, ironically, the practice of a Master taking on multiple Padawans has been forbidden. The Council has become regimented, and in this peaceful era, that regimentation has bred complacency. The Council is in many ways unprepared to face the challenges of the coming years...

...For the Sith are rising anew.

Reigning Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Sidious

A shadowy figure known only to a few, Darth Sidious is the current reigning Dark Lord of the Sith, and a hidden manipulator of galactic events. His apprentice, Darth Maul, has fallen under the blade of the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Council, out of touch and enamored of an ancient prophecy of one who will bring balance to the two sides of the Force, has given in to the pleas of the late Master Qui-Gon Jinn to train the child Anakin Skywalker, despite his age and anger at his slave heritage and the loss of his mother...they have been shaken by the unexpected return of the Sith, and hope to train a Jedi Knight who can end the problem once and for all. Lord Sidious, meanwhile, seeks a new apprentice.

Only Master Yoda has the foresight to wonder if the Jedi Council has not just spelled doom for the Republic in choosing the young Obi-Wan to train this dangerous-but-powerful child named Skywalker...

Playing Jedi in the Prequel Era
Playing a Jedi character at the height of the Order is an exciting propect. Until now, unless you were playing in a Tales of the Jedi-era campaign, the only Jedi available as player characters were old failures and young students. No more! In this era, the Jedi are numerous and powerful.

Take heed, though...the Dark Side is also alive and well. Although the Sith Order exists only as a hidden remnant, there are still Sith Holocrons out there that are unaccounted for, and ancient Sith structures loaded with arcane secrets. Sith "cults" are not unheard of, and in fact have been mistaken from time to time for a Sith resurgence. These pockets of darkness are indeed a threat to those who discover them, but they can be controlled...for a price.

Even in a peaceful era, there is danger.

I would suggest that anyone interested in playing a Prequel-Era campaign involving the Jedi and the Sith try and track down a copy of West End's Tales of the Jedi Companion. This book includes dozens of Force powers, and a much more detailed history of the Sith and the Jedi. Hands down, this is a fantastic book, full of information that the Prequel-Era player and GM can make use of. And NO, West End is NOT paying me to say that!

Jedi PCs should probably begin as young Knights, just out of their Padawan training phase, like Obi-Wan at the end of Episode I. If a player wishes to create a character at this level, I suggest using the parameters established in the Tales of the Jedi Companion. This creates a character whose training has been focused and refined, but has yet to become terribly broad-spectrum. For those who don't have this book, beginning Jedi have 3 dice in Force skills and nine Force powers, just as in the Second Edition rulebook, but they have a great many more powers to choose from, and are each specialized in some way (for higher-powered campaigns, allocate 4D and select 12 powers, or 5D and 15 powers, 6D/18 powers, etc.). I could post a list of available powers if enough people are unable to find the book and ask me to do so..

Some players are obviously going to ask to play a Jedi Master (which is possible using the sliding scale from the previous paragraph), but I as a GM strongly advise against letting them do so; otherwise, the non-Jedi PCs can be quickly eclipsed by their flashier Jedi counterparts (unless of course your campaign group is made up entirely of Jedi). Qui-Gon Jinn was an NPC, as far as I'm concerned. :)

And as for GMs creating Sith villains...well, there are probably players reading this part...but I'll go into it briefly anyway. The Sith have access to the same powers that the Jedi do, but there are Sith powers out there that the Jedi cannot use (the Companion includes a number of these). I think that most innovative GMs could run with this concept and create their own Sith magics, but if you can find the book, even better.

The Jedi Council
The Jedi Council of this era is organized as follows: five permanent members who have dedicated themselves to the difficult life of maintaining the affairs of the Order sit as the senior members. four long-term members serve an indeterminate length of time, stepping down when they feel the time is right for new blood, and three special-provision members sit for short, specified terms. This arrangement is intended to maintain a balance of experience and innovative thought, but has in many ways failed...the younger members, out of respect and sometimes trepidation, tne d to defer to the senior members all too willingly, even when the senior members are being too cautious in political matters.

The current Council consists of the human Mace Windu, Senior Member of the Council and legendary negotiator and Jedi Knight; the wise and diminutive Yoda, oldest of the Jedi Council and one of its most well-travelled members; the Quermian master of mind tricks Yarael Poof, master space pilot and telepath Saesee Tiin, an Iktotchi; Ki-Adi-Mundi, a native of Cerea and the newest appointee to the Council; Even Piell, a rugged and scarred little humanoid known for his surprising acumen in battle; Eeth Koth, an Iridonian Zabrak; Oppo Rancisis, abdicated monarch of Thisspias and tactical mastermind; illuminated Chalactan observer Depa Billaba; Adi Gallia of Coruscant, an expert at political maneuvering and intelligence gathering, highly valued by former Chancellor Valorum; Plo Koon, a Kel Dor from Dorin, vulnerable to Coruscant's atmosphere but willing to serve behind goggles and a breathmask; and Yaddle, a member of the same species as Yoda, but considered youthful at only 477 years of age.

Mace Windu	Yoda	Saesee Tiin	Even Piell
Depa Billaba	Yarael Poof	Ki-Adi-Mundi	Eeth Koth
Adi Gallia	Yaddle	Plo Koon	Oppo Rancisus

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