RPing the Force

[Meira]

I hope this isn't already a thread somewhere else...

As I've been bored allllll day long, I've done little else but hang around the site. As I'm fairly new to this site, and to Star Wars RPing in general, a question came across my mind. How does everyone approach RPing their character using the force?

This thought popped into my mind as I've been developing Meira, and I wanted to get other people's input. I know that I can read people's posts and see how they did it, but I'd like to know what was going through your minds as you made the posts.

[Jenno]

Well, the most basics for me are;

comparing it to something calm and natural like a river when referring to its use in the light side.

for the dark side of the force I tend to use more violent comparisons, maybe a raging storm, or fire in order to show its intent.

Although at times I'll write it as more of an aura, some mystical energy flowing around them.

Or, something I'm most likely going to be using more of with Jason. Is, mainly for telekinetic based actions, having it be as an extension of his body. Such as an extra arm or some such, although not to such a blunt extent as it's best to keep a mystical feeling when mentioning the Force. Otherwise it just ruins the atmosphere.

[Halmtier]

Jenno's images are very similar to the ones I picture when thinking of both sides of the force.
Personally I don't think of the force in great depth when I write about it, but years of Dungeon mastering have made me used to improv descriptions about magics, psionics and any other odd powers.

[Meira]

Mine are pretty similar too. It's hard not to think of the force as water when you're always hearing Jedi say things like "let the force flow through you". And that's what I've been doing with Meira, especially since she's a very calm and deliberate character, very tai chi.

But I've been thinking lately about a different approach: RPing it as something like a current of air. It would be similar to water, in the flowing aspect, but it would be lighter and more subtle.

As far as the dark side, I would think it would be very similar, but hotter, like the fire Jenno mentioned. And again, maybe a type of air current, but drier. I could imagine a dark jedi feeling the force like wrapping a super hot towel around you after just pulling it out of the drier. It's warm, almost too warm. Or like holding your hand down on a hot steering wheel. I could imagine the dark side might feel just a little painful, but not enough to make them stop, just enough to make them feel stronger for having survived it. Does that make sense?

[Halmtier]

I RP it based on the Psion theory of Tolkes. (Atmospheric pressure per cubic inch), so it is much more like wind than water. Psychic power would be the closest thing I can relate Tolkes to though.

[Otterling]

Having JUST joined, I'm afraid I haven't posted yet but I actually had a similar idea for how the force would physically feel. I would imagine it to be sort of like air, still and light but there, when the user is just doing subtle things but thickening to almost a viscous or liquid state when they are really concentrating it to one area. I could imagine that meditating deeply would feel a bit like laying in still water with only your face above it where as just doing a soft quick meditation might feel more like the rustle of a soft breeze around you. In other words, the more you try to manipulate it and condense it into something that can move, the thicker it becomes to achieve that end.

I also really like Meria's idea of the hot and warm feeling too. Very original and pretty darn neat.

I've also been thinking about force signatures and what people would feel like. If my Jedi character (once I submit her and she's approved) were to ever sense Master Yoda (not gonna happen, I know but bear with me, I'm trying to make a point), his very presence would appear in her minds eye as a tall tree with small golden leaves that rustle softly. Warm sunshine and such. Her own force signature might appear to others as something almost slate-like, like warmed marble. Subtle, un-yeilding, but just warm enough to warrant stretching out in it. It would be as if the signature was a mental image that was something symbolic of them. I don't know the character of Jason, but if he's a dark side user, she might sense something like slowly building stormfront. There would be an incredible sense of potential danger there that isn't as obvious as it might seem. The clouds aren't threatening, but the lightening hidden within IS. Does that make sense?

So...I'm curious. What would your character's force signature look like? ^____^