“Force Wizard” is my series on the Force powers in Fantasy Flight Games’ Star Wars RPG lines. It is primarily aimed at new players/GMs, and more experienced players playing a Force-sensitive character for the first time.
Today we contemplate an unusual Force power, Manipulate (Endless Vigil), which gives the wielder the ability to affect vehicles and devices, “healing” physical damage or even improving them–right down to molecular level. The minimum Force Rating to buy into the tree is FR1.
The archetypal Manipulate-wielder was the Star Wars Legends hero Anakin Solo, the youngest child of Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo. From toddlerhood, he could use the Force to sense what was wrong with machines, and fix it.
Before we get into Manipulate’s effects, a note about the text. While a solid Career book, Endless Vigil had a few editing fails, some of them in the “Force Power: Manipulate” entry. Mostly, these make the text portion more confusing than for other powers. For one, most Force power entries have upgrades, especially Control, in roughly the order they appear in the tree from top to bottom. The Manipulate Controls are in no order. Also, one Control (Increase System Strain) is repeated twice. Per FFG, go by the Manipulate tree if there is a conflict between it and the text.
The 10XP Basic power is one of the few that can be activated multiple times, making it more useful as the PC increases their FR–even without any upgrades. Each Force pip spent recovers one System Strain for an engaged starship or vehicle. As one’s FR increases, the number of Force pips you can potentially roll to generate Light/Dark pips to spend on effects increases, upping the System Strain that can be healed with each use.
Manipulate is another Force power with lots of Control upgrades, a whopping 7 (of 13). On the top tier is the lone 5XP Control, which can be activated multiple times. For each Force die committed, a single damaged weapon or item is considered undamaged. While somewhat situational, this is a very useful Control, particularly at higher FRs, when you can commit 1-2 dice to keep important gear/weapons functional and still be able to use other Force abilities. There’s also a 10XP Control on this tier. You may commit 1+ Force dice to increase 1 engaged vehicle/ship’s System Strain Threshold by 3 per committed die. Practically speaking, I’d say you need to be in or on it.
The next tier down has the remaining three 10XP Controls. The leftmost allows a combined Manipulate and Mechanics check, adding 1 Success or Advantage for each Force pip spent. The middle lets you heal Wounds equaling your Intellect on an engaged droid. It’s single activation and counts as using an Emergency Repair Patch. The multiple activation righthand Control inflicts 1 additional Strain or System Strain with a successful combat check against a “mechanical construct” (droid, vehicle, ship, etc.).
The first of two 15XP Control upgrades is on the left of the third tier. You may commit 1+ Force dice to increase 1 engaged vehicle/ship’s Hull Trauma Threshold by 3 per committed die. Like the System Strain version, you are going to need to be in or on it. The second 15XP Control is below but not directly linked to it. When you commit 1 Force die, upgrade the Ability of Mechanics and Computers checks once. It’s a single activation.
The Strength upgrade is pretty standard. Spend 1 pip to allow the target to recover +1 Strain/System Strain or heal +1 Wound per Strength upgrade. There are 2 Strength upgrades, and they can be activated more than once.
The 3 Range upgrades are deeper in the tree than you might expect, with the earliest in the second tier from the top, and cost 10-15XP each. They provide the usual benefit of increasing the Range by 1 band per Range upgrade bought, per Force pip spent. Range upgrade/s can be activated more than once. Also, the text explicitly says “personal range bands,” so, nope you can’t use the Force to repair your ally’s starship while flying by–even though you could use your action to remove System Strain or Hull Trauma on yours, if you have the requisite Control upgrades.
The Mastery upgrade improves the leftmost second tier Control upgrade. When making a Manipulate power check as part of a Mechanics check, spend 2 Force pips for a Triumph. Typical of Mastery upgrades, it can only be activated once. Mastery might be usable with the lowest-tier Control (upgrade Mechanics checks once) but this is definitely a GM call.
This Force power is a good choice for a Force-sensitive pilot or engineer, even if you only take the Basic power. This tree is packed with useful options for these PCs. Many of them give you other options during vehicle/ship combats when you’re passenger or crew, and some are usable while piloting. However, diving deep into this tree risks making you something of a one-trick orbak. So what should you buy first?
While situational, that 5XP Control is a good first choice. Not only is it invaluable if a weapon or important gear is damaged, it gives you access to the combined Manipulate/Mechanics check Control upgrade, my other top pick. The other top tier Control is also a solid first upgrade that allows you to make your ride that little bit more durable. It’s usable even at FR1, too. I would hold off on a Strength upgrade, since it’s useless without at least 1 recover/heal Control upgrade. Since Ranges can be activated more than once, I wouldn’t buy more than one. Same with Strength.
If you opt to buy more upgrades, any of the Controls, or Mastery, are pretty good. Just remember: as with anything that is going to require a large XP investment, make sure you aren’t shortchanging your character in other areas. Also, talk with your GM about how long the campaign will last. It would be a bummer to find out you put a lot of XP into cool abilities and not have much time to play with them.
Next up, is the Imbue Force power, in Disciples of Harmony. Until then, may the Force be with you!
Force Wizard Index (Book/s)
Alter (Unlimited Power)
Battle Meditation (F&D)
Bind (F&D, Rise of the Separatists)
Conjure (Unlimited Power)
Ebb/Flow (Disciples of Harmony)
Endure (Knights of Fate)
Enhance (AoR, F&D, Rise of the Separatists)
Farsight (Savage Spirits)
Foresee (AoR, F&D)
Heal/Harm (F&D)
Imbue (Disciples of Harmony)
Influence (EotE, F&D)
Jerserra’s Influence (Ghosts of Dathomir)
Manipulate (Endless Vigil)
Misdirect (F&D)
Move (AoR, EotE, F&D)
Protect / Unleash (F&D) – Part 1 (Intro & Protect) and Part 2 (Unleash)
Seek (F&D)
Sense (EotE, F&D)
Suppress (Keeping the Peace)
Warde’s Foresight (Chronicles of the Gatekeeper)
Linda Whitson
Latest posts by Linda Whitson (see all)
- Astral Projections – The Ripperdoc Is In - May 8, 2023
