A question for the GMs of Star Wars games, past and present, D6 and D20 alike:

When you run your games, how do you prefer the Jedi to be portrayed?  Do you prefer the more subtle mystic visualization from episodes 4-6, or the wire-fu anything-goes-school-of-martial-arts magical warriors from the prequel trilogy?

Personally, I prefer a little less Force Jumping and Lightsabre Boomerang and a little more Mystic Words and Jedi Mind Tricks in the Jedi in the games I run, but I can enjoy both styles of empowerment and from both sides of the game table.

You?

Since we run action to the hilt, our jedi have quite a bit of swash in their buckle. But our players are usually try to have a dash of jedi idealism to keep them from being full-on dark side cases.

#1 - Ignore the whole "midichlorian" b.s. - go back the the first movie style where Obi Wan said he could even show Solo a trick or two, and where Luke was just fine as a Jedi, thanks, despite not being trained until well after 20.

Um. Well, there IS no #2, really. Guess that means I prefer the whole Zen Archer/Kung Fu Master style to the "Ed Gruberman" school of Jedi.

Quote from: Werekoala#1 - Ignore the whole "midichlorian" b.s. - go back the the first movie style where Obi Wan said he could even show Solo a trick or two, and where Luke was just fine as a Jedi, thanks, despite not being trained until well after 20.

Um. Well, there IS no #2, really. Guess that means I prefer the whole Zen Archer/Kung Fu Master style to the "I'm Ed Gruberman" school of Jedi.

I'm totally with you... I think =)

I remember that line from Star Wars quite fondly.  I remember many fond notions as a kid of Solo eventually learning the way and Cherbacca getting a lightsabre and going apeshit on Vader.

But now, My favorite Jedi moments involve Luke all in black at Jabba's palace, giving himself over voluntarily, and then fighting the rancor not with crazy moves and kung-fu action, but with a rock and a happenstance door.  Rock on!

EDIT: And speaking of which, I wouldn't mind seeing a fan recreation of Boot to the head, only with Anakin and Yoda.  Would be priceless.

It gets run in whatever way is most appropriate to that character. Or in other words: both.

Quote from: James McMurrayIt gets run in whatever way is most appropriate to that character. Or in other words: both.

I think that should go without saying.

But that's not answering the question.  Which is your preference?  Or am I reading that you don't really have one?

That's right, I don't have a preference. They're both fun depending on the mood of the player, game, and situation.

While I certainly have no room for "midiassholians" I do think there's a time and place for both the old school, and new school Jedi, as it were, styles.

So far in our game, which is really still in the planning stages, it looks like less is more for us.

Low key chanbara, not ott wuxia.

There are no prequels.

For me, at least, what you call "mystic" Jedi is the funniest to GM, always, and the funniest to play, most of the time.

I can see how the Yoda's-a-gummy-bear style can be appealing, though. So I'm with Jimmy here. Whatever floats your boat.

But Yoda's not a gummy bear, and every SW GM would be wise to keep that in mind.

There is no gummy bears, there is only Alec Guiness and Liam Neeson.

Jedi's have the full options between Alec Guiness and Chow Yun Fat. The Force is strong, how they use it is their own decision. For NPCs, Sith are a bit more flashy, of course. I tend to concentrate on the ass-kicking, as delving too much on the philosophy rubs me the wrong way and could switch too much energy into my Skeptic Atheism circuits..

Honestly, I've tried to avoid using Jedi in Star Wars, both d6 and d20, because the players who seem so attracted to the concept have been ones who want to play a munchkin character - without any of the drawbacks. After a few disasterous games, I only let seasoned players who I knew wouldn'r run amuck play jedi or force-using characters.

How I would do it:
1) Game designers need to respect canon. GMs do not. So:
2) Midichlorians? What are those?
3) The Jedi Order are the most famous Force Tradition. They are not the only Tradition -- not by a long shot.  
4) The Dark Side is not part of the Force. It's part of the Force-User. It's what happens inside the mind of a Force-Wielder when he gives in to rage or terror, or when he intentionally uses the Force to practice cruelty.
4-a) One thing the prequels got right...corruption  by the Dark Side is more often a gradual process rather than sudden. Anakin fell one step at a time.
4-b) "A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack". Wise as he was, Yoda was wrong about this. It is possible to use the Force to attack and stay Lightside -- as long as you do not release your anger while doing so. It requires strict self-discipline, but it can be done.
4-c) In my campaign therefore, Force Lightning is just another weapon.
5) There is no reason in the Galaxy why Force-Users should be restricted from getting married.

Finally, 6) Saga Edition is the way to go when it comes to rule-set.

Force users ARE allowed to get married. Jedis are not. Jedi is not the only tradition, remember? Reason? Think nun. Think catholic priest. They are supposed to be commited only to their job. And the F-Lightning is evil. Want to kick somebody's arse? Get up close, like a man of honor.

Am I a geek or what?

Oh, I just remember this: Did you know there is a porn movie called...
[trumpets]
"May the foreskin be with you!"
[/trumpets]

Really. It is true and it also happened.