Ewok Shaman Lore was developed by one of my original player, Justin Scott, after he started playing Izzy the Ewok. Izzy was an apprentice to Logray, the evil Shaman of the Bright Tree Village, the same village that captured the rebel heroes in Return of the Jedi. Justin didn’t want the character to be a Force user, but rather wanted something completely different. As a result, the skill of Ewok Shaman Lore skill was created.

The rules for this skill were originally designed for the 1st Edition of the Star Wars Role Playing Game. As a result, I have altered some of the powers to conform to the Star Wars Role Playing Game: Revised and Expanded rule set.

Ewok Shaman Lore

The Ewok Shaman Lore is the Ewok equivalent of Force Use.

“The living spirit is a great and mysterious power of which the Ewoks are all part of. Even the leaves are things separate yet part of the tree. All things are part of the Great Tree.” – Logray, Ewok Shaman.

To have access to this skill, the character must be an Ewok, and must be Force Sensitive.

TRAINING
Every Ewok village contains a Shaman who is proficient in Ewok Shaman Lore. Ewok Shaman Lore is a Knowledge skill, and is treated as an Advanced skill incurring all costs and penalties associated with the advancement of that skill.

Ewok characters begin the game with 0D in Ewok Shaman Lore, but may gain training to increase their skill from their village Shaman. A teacher must have an Ewok Shaman Lore at least 1D higher than his/her pupil, and have a minimum of 3D in that skill. An ewok who has no teacher may teach him/herself, but this costs doubles normal character points. Double cost also applies if an Ewok increases his/her Lore to a higher code than that of the Shaman teacher. Initially the Ewok must approach or be selected by the Shaman Teacher to gain the initial 1D in the skill. This though takes time.

The Ewok child may be taken away from the family for extended periods of time. This may vary from 1 week to a number of months. For the length of actual time spent in training, refer to Force Skill Advancement.

MASTERING EWOK POWERS
When a pupil learns Ewok Shaman Lore, he/she does not yet have mastery over all the individual powers accompanying it. He/she must still learn powers from a teacher or else experiment to develop the powers. When a pupil receives the first 1D in Ewok Shaman Lore he/she also masters one of three powers. In traditional training these powers were:

Sun Ritual
Rain Ritual
Passage Ritual

Each time an Ewok increases his/her lore by a pip, the ewok gains the capacity to master a new power. If the Ewok is learning from a teacher their is no cost, but it takes a week of time to learn each new power. If the Ewok is experimenting by his/herself, it takes a week of time plus 2 character points per power learned. An Ewok may use a power not yet mastered but all a Force Point must be spent to do so. This Force Point may not be returned.

EWOK PENALTIES
Ewok spells require some form of material, somatic and vocal actions to be performed. Ewok Shaman Lore cannot be used instantaneously but must be prepared beforehand. By using a mystical combination of dance, vocal and instrumental rhythms, the Shaman is more able to become attuned with the environment and manipulate the spirits. An Ewok that does not perform this preparation will have a -2D penalty for using Ewok Shaman Lore.

As Ewoks are less physiologically complex than human, their ability to manipulate the Force is more difficult. An Ewok Shaman is capable of using force powers but with the additional penalty of being one rank more difficult than for a Jedi.

Ewok Shamans gain their powers from the spirits of the trees, animals, land and the elements. The more complex the ecosystem, the more life, energy and spirits the Ewok Shaman can tap. The less complex the ecosystem, the more difficult for the Ewok Shaman to use his her powers.

ENVIRONMENT MODIFIERS
The location of where the ritual is performed can also greatly affect the ritual. n example might be the creation of a topical ‘downpour’ aboard a space station (and yes, Izzy did manage to pull that one off). As a result, the environment type produces a modifier to the difficulty:

ENVIRONMENT MODIFIERS TABLE
Forest: No modifer
Shrub/Swamp: +2
Plain: +5
Desert: +10
Space: +15

POWERS

SUN RITUAL
Difficulty:
» Easy for 1 round
» Moderate for 1 hour
» Difficult for 1 day
» Very Difficult for 1 week

Effect: Dust, mist and clouds all depart from the vicinity of the spell increasing the amount of light there. For this power to have effect, the sun must be visible or at least capable of being seen.


RAIN RITUAL
Difficulty:
» Easy for 1 round
» Moderate for 1 hour
» Difficult for 1 day
» Very Difficult for 1 week
» Modified by Hydrosphere: Arid +10; Dry +5; Moderate 0; Moist -5; Saturated -10.

Effect: Depends upon the availability of water (planetary hydrographics). Causes precipitation to occur in the vicinity of the spell. The area of effect and intensity of down-pour is left to the Game Master’s discretion.


PASSAGE RITUAL
Difficulty:
» Easy

Effect: The passage ritual is a Ewok ceremony to celebrate the passing from one Ewok Life Stage to another (i.e. Birth, Adulthood, Marriage and Death)

If the roll is 10 less than is required, he target person or persons gains a dark side point.

If the roll is less than the difficulty, but greater than 10 more points below the difficulty, there is no effect.

If the roll equals or exceed the difficulty, but is less than 10 above the difficulty, the target gains a gift from “The Great Tree” in the form of a +2D to all skills usage which may be used once during the character’s life stage. Once this “gift” has been used, the effect is lost.

If the shaman rolls 10 more than the difficulty, the character gains a Force Point. This can only be invoked once per person, per life cycle.


TRIBE FRIEND RITUAL
Difficulty:
» Easy

Effect: A stranger is accepted into the tribe as a friend. This power gives no apparent modifiers, but Game Masters may wish to use this in much the same way as in “Return of the Jedi” when the Ewoks accepted the Heroes.


DARK RITUAL
Difficulty:
» Easy (with the sacrifice of a living creature)
WARNING: An Ewok who uses this power immediately gains a Dark Side Point.

Effect: In times of turmoil and hardship the dark spirits grew in power and had to be appeased with a sacrifice or they became angry and molested the Ewok Village. The Dark Ritual power appeases the dark spirits so that they do not harass the participants. For game purposes casting dark ritual will means that any villains will be less likely to harm the Ewoks involved or the Ewok village. If necessary, the game master may elect to penalise any villains searching or attempting to harm the Ewoks or their village. This may be in the form of modifiers to skill rolls.


HEAL WOUND
Difficulty:
» Moderate for a Wound
» Difficult for Incapacitated
» Very Difficult for Mortally wounded

Effect: Same as the Jedi Power ‘Accelerate Healing’. Make two natural healing rolls for the current day +2 to each roll.


REMOVE POISON
Difficulty:
» Easy for alcohol
» Moderate for mild poison
» Difficult for average poison
» Very Difficult for Virulent Poisons

Effect: Same as the Jedi Power ‘Detoxify Poison’.


CURE DISEASE
Difficulty:
» Easy for mild infection
» Moderate for high fever
» Difficult for serious sickness
» Very Difficult for life threatening disease

Effect: Same as Jedi Power ‘Control Disease in Another’


INFLUENCE
Difficulty (Modified by Proximity + Relationship):
» Easy for perceptions
» Moderate for memories
» Difficult for conclusions

Effect: Same as the Jedi Power ‘Affect Mind’


SPIRIT SUMMONING
Difficulty:
» Moderate for Minor Spirit (0D-1D)
» Difficult for Average Spirit (1D+1 – 3D)
» Very Difficult for Major Spirit (3D+1 – 6D)
» Heroic for Demon (6D+)

Effect: Summons a spirit of a chosen type into the object on which the spell is cast on. A spirit’s strength is based on its highest attribute or skill.


SPIRIT CONTROL
Difficulty:
» The Shaman and the Spirit make an opposed Ewok Shaman Lore Skill roll. The Spirits Ewok Shaman Lore roll is equal to its PER/Ewok Shaman Lore/Control skill.

Effect: This power allows the Shaman to use the skills and attributes of the spirit summoned. If the summoner is possessed by the spirit, he/she takes on the personality of that spirit (PER, KNO and Force Powers) and in turn for the duration of the possession falls under the Game Master’s control. The following table shows the effect:

Spirit Control Table
Shaman’s Roll
2xSHR < Spirit: The Shaman is possessed by Spirit
SHR < Spirit: Failure the Spirit leaves
SHR >= Spirit: The spirit is controlled for one adventure
SHR > 2xSpirit: The spirit is controlled permanently


BANISH SPIRIT
Difficulty:
» Moderate for Minor Spirit (0D-1D)
» Difficult for Average Spirit (1D+1 – 3D)
» Very Difficult for Major Spirit (3D+1 – 6D)

Effect: Banishes the spirit back to the spirit world and loses control over the Ewok possessed.


CURSE
Difficulty (Modified by Proximity + Relationship):
» Difficult
WARNING: An Ewok who uses this power immediately gains a Dark Side Point.

Effect: The Ewok Shaman roll is noted and labelled the ‘Curse Strength’. The effect of the curse is left to the Game Masters discretion.


REMOVE CURSE
Difficulty:
» Opposed roll versus Curse Strength.

Effect: Removes the curse.


DREAM TRANCE
Difficulty (Modified by Proximity):
» Easy
» If vision is to the past: +5
» If vision is to the future: +10

Effect: This power is similar to the Jedi Power ‘Farseeing’. The power is used by taking tobacco or some other herbal drug. The Shaman lapses into a drug induced trance in which he/she perceives visions that are later interpreted. This is usually used to foretell the future or find lost objects.


SPIRIT TRANCE
Difficulty:
» Difficult to enter trance
» Very Difficult to break away

Effect: Similar to the Jedi Power ‘Emptiness’. The Shaman Spirit leaves the body and ventures into the “Spirit World”. This is exactly the same as the real world but all the inhabitants are spirits (in a blue haze). The Shaman can visit his/her ancestors gaining advice or training. Venturing in the spirit world is dangerous. Away from the Ewok spirit village and in the voids of space lurk other spirits. A Shaman can be confronted with a dark spirit or lose his/her way, unable to return to the body.


EVOKE THE SPIRITS
Difficulty:
» Very Difficult

Effect: The Shaman manipulates the raw power of the “Spirit World” itself, allowing him/her to perform great feats of magic. The “Spirit World” is in balance. If the Shaman uses the power to return the Physical World to balance, it will be more likely to succeed than should the Shaman use it to break the balance. For every evocation there is an equal and opposite revocation. Any attempt to break the balance will result in another event at some later stage that will restore the balance. This entire power is left to the Game Master’s discretion.