Jedi (force tradition)

There is no emotion; there is peace.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no passion; there is serenity.
There is no death; there is the Force.
     –From the Jedi Code

     Saga Edition Core Rulebook, page 104.

For centuries, the group of philosophers that would eventually become the Jedi contemplated the mysteries of the energy field known as the Force. Eventually, some of the group’s members mastered the Force. After that, they dedicated themselves to using their newfound skills and powers for good, helping those in need. In the thousands of years that followed, the Jedi served as protectors of the Galactic Republic. Answering to their own Jedi council and operating in concordance with the Judicial Department of the office of the Supreme Chancellor, the Jedi became the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy.

     The Jedi, in addition to battling interstellar criminals and settling galactic disputes, served as mediators, defenders, and teachers. Because of their sense of honor and the epic challenges they undertook, the Jedi became legends, serving as symbols of the best the Republic had to offer. With lightsabers at their side and the power of the Force flowing through them, the Jedi accomplished the tasks set before them with dedication and seeming invisibility. But invincibility was only an illusion; Jedi often died in the defense of freedom and justice.

The Jedi Code

Jedi are the guardians of peace in the galaxy.
Jedi use their powers to defend and protect, never to attack others.
Jedi serve others rather than ruling over them, for the good of the galaxy.
Jedi seek to improve themselves through knowledge and training.
     —From the Jedi Code

The philosophy known as the Jedi Code was created to keep young Jedi students from being drawn to the dark side. It was taught by the Jedi council to hundreds of thousands of Jedi throughout the ages, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda taught parts of it to Luke Skywalker, and Luke Skywalker passed on what he had learned to his students at the Jedi academy.

     At it’s heart, the Jedi Code provides simple instructions for living in touch with the Force. A Jedi never uses the Force to gain wealth or personal power. Instead, a Jedi uses the Force to find knowledge and enlightenment. Anger, fear, aggression, and other negative emotions lead to the dark side, so Jedi are taught to act only when they are at peace with the Force.

     Jedi are encouraged to find nonviolent solutions whenever possible. They should act from wisdom, using persuasion and council instead of Force powers and violence. When all else fails, or to save a life, a Jedi must sometimes resort to battle in order to resolve a particularly dangerous situation. Though combat may sometimes be the best answer, it should never be the first option a Jedi explores.

     Because of their connection to The Force, the Jedi sense its flow and drawn upon its energy. While doing so, a Jedi sometimes perceives disturbances in the Force. These disturbances can be explained by the presence of powerful Force-users in the area, or intense emotions that cry out in the Force, such as when the life of the planet Alderaan was extinguished by the Death Star. There are even times when such disturbances result in feelings of urgency or promotions that spur a Jedi to a place or situation where they are needed. This aspect and manifestation of The Force is covered by the Use the Force skill.

     During the rise of the Empire era (circa Episodes I-III), ten thousand Jedi served the Republic and defended its vast territory. They identified potential recruits early in life, usually within the first six months of a child’s existence. As infants, those attuned to the Force and accepted by the Jedi council were taken to begin their training. Older children, if identified later in life as being Force-sensitive, were refused training in most cases; the Jedi believed that the fear and anger in older children made them too susceptible to the dark side, and so it was unwise to train them. All characters playing in this era that are Jedi Padawan learners (Jedi class level 1st through 6th) have a master (Jedi class level 7th or higher). While there may be times when the master and the Padawan travel together, most of their interactions happen between adventurers, while all characters are training and improving. The master is a GM character, offering training, advice, and aid when the GM feels such aid is appropriate and necessary. Unfortunately, by the end of this time period, Anakin Skywalker has turned to the dark side and the Empire has slaughtered nearly all Jedi.

     During the Rebellion era, the Jedi purge has been completed. All but a handful of Force-users, let alone fully trained Jedi, were exterminated or corrupted to the dark side and placed in the service of the Emperor. Force-sensitive individuals, such as Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, were hidden from the Empire and cut off from their heritage. More powerful Force-users, such as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda, purposely disappeared and worked to stay unnoticed. Jedi characters in this era eventually attract a teacher, though the training these Force-users provide is haphazard at best. A would-be Jedi learns by experience, though occasional meetings with other Force-users, and even by studying with beings who follow other Force traditions. It’s not easy, which is why Jedi in this period are few and far between, and few reach the level of power exhibited in earlier or later periods. A Gamemaster wishing to simulate this experience might require the potential character to have at least one non-Force-using class level before allowing them to take levels in the Jedi class.

     In the New Jedi Order era, Luke Skywalker has trained about one hundred Jedi and identified perhaps a dozen others in need of training. Prominent Force-users such as Mara Jade Skywalker and Corran Horn help Skywalker train and coordinate the efforts of these Jedi, while promising students such as the Solo children and Ganner Rhysode show great promise for the future. Jedi characters again receive a higher-level mentor who provides training and advice between adventures or when the Gamemaster deems such interaction to be warranted and important to a mission.

     Membership: Any character with the Force Sensitivity feat can become a member of the Jedi tradition by being accepted as an apprentice by a Jedi Knight or Jedi Master.

Old Republic Era

     Knights of the Old Republic, page 129.

Eons ago, the Jedi Order was whole and in pursuit of a deeper understanding of the Force. However, some were not content with the Jedi path and turned to the dark side of the Force. They abandoned their pasts and were driven to the farthest reaches of the galaxy by the remaining Jedi. For thousands of years, the Jedi thought their long-lost traitorous comrades gone and forgotten. But when hyperspace explorers discover an empire ruled with an iron fist by the descendants of thos fallen Jedi, the order relaizes that the exiles had found and enslaved a people called the Sith, taking the name as their own. When the whole of this Sith Empire turns its terrifying might against the Republic in The Great Hyperspace War, the Jedi fully grasp the consequences of that nearly forgotten decision to banish their fallen comrades.

     Some Jedi denounce the Order’s zeal to extinguish every trace of the Sith in the war’s aftermath, and many think the Sith extinct. Then the mortal enemy of the Jedi returns in force. First the Jedi Knights Exar Kun and Ulic Qel‑Droma turn to the dark side and ally themselves with the Krath, a dark-side cult borne of the ancient Sith tradition. As the newly revived Sith Empire thrusts the galaxy into the conflict that would come to be called the Great Sith War, Ulic Qel-Droma cements his power by defeating the Mandalore and binding the Mandalorian warrior clans to his cause. The Jedi face not only fanatical soldiers and skilled warriors but also their own comrades; Jedi flee the Order to join the Sith cause, and the Sith begin to regain the numbers they once had during the Great Hyperspace War.

     During this time, the Jedi Order is at the summit of its power and self-confidence. The Jedi High Council is a largely ceremonial body with no real authority over Jedi. Jedi Masters and Watchmen are entrusted to maintain peace and train the new generations of Jedi, allowing remarkable diversity and freedom of ideas. Though a dichotomy of “light” and “dark” remains firmly entrneched, schools of thought abound about how to best serve the Force. Jedi Padawans are regularly accepted in their teens and twenties, and even though Jedi Knights rarely take more than two apprentices, a single Jedi Master might have dozens. Unfortunately, the Jedi suffer heavy losses during this war, and by the time the Jedi defeat Qel-Droma and the rest of the Sith Empire their numbers are drastically diminished.

The Restoration (3,995-3,955 BBY)

Humbled by the Great Sith War, the Jedi undertake major reform. The Jedi Council seeks to hold Jedi Masters and Watchmen to a higher standard of accountability and asserts more uniform practices. But as Jedi Code appendices indicate, Jedi do not rule over others, and the council faces a long, uphill battle toward claiming unquestioned authority.

     Tension is thick as differing points of view polarize the order, and the council seeks a responsible median. The Republic views the Jedi Council’s newfound sternness as positive, but Jedi accustomed to a looser hierarchy see the council as oppressive in its influence. Conversely, some Jedi are enthusiastic about implementing more stringent policies. The secret Jedi Covenant is one example of a reactionary group that Jedi heroes might oppose.

     Though few galaxy-spanning threats are apparent during this time, the Jedi must still deal with remnants of the Sith Empire, though this is a lower priority given their need to rebuild the order. The Jedi expunge the Mecrosa Order from the decadent Tapani Sector, and the Great Hunt turns Jedi into exterminators, slaying te rentateks and other Sithspawn left over from the Great Sith War. However, the Order returns to some semblance of normal operation, with Jedi running down pirates, breaking up crime rings, adjudicating planetary disputes, and fighting pockets of Mandalorian marauders on distant worlds.

The Mandalorian Wars (3,965-3,960 BBY)

Once again the galaxy plunges into war as the Mandalorians, thought disorganized after their defeat in the Great Sith War, begin their onslaught of Republic worlds at the command of Mandalore the Ultimate. Even though Jedi numbers have recuperated, their confidence and solidarity has not. This first interstellar crisis since the Great Sith War highlights the rift in Jedi ideology, with rogue Jedi pressing the Council to help the Republic and the Jedi Council taking a stance of noninvolvement. Once the charismatic Jedi Knight Revan defiantly joins the Mandalorian Wars, other Jedi must choose a side. The Revanchists, as those Jedi who choose to defy the Council and join the war are called, are heralded as heroes by the Republic and its citizens.

     Jedi fighting the Mandalorians experience regular interaction with grateful Republic soldiers as they share the mess halls, battleships, and front lines. Reluctant Jedi are drawn into the war, but some of Revan’s followers abandon the fight once they see how thoughtlessly their leader approaches the dark side. Some of Revan’s recruits are spies, reporting back to the council, but few are prepared for Revan’s betrayal. At Malachor V, Revan confronts Mandalore the Ultimate, drawing him into a trap and activating a superweapon known as the Mass Shadow Generator. The Mandalorians are destroyed, but celebrations are cut short as Revan, already steeped in the dark side from his dealings with Sith remnants, flees to the Unknown Regions, taking a large piece of the Republic military with him.

The Jedi Civil Wars (3,959-3,956 BBY)

When Revan and Malak Return from the Unknown Regions at the head of a revitalized Sith Empire, the Jedi are inevitably drawn into the conflict as the Republic fights to defend itself against the might of the Sith. Though the Jedi Civil War is precipitated by a betrayal from within their own ranks, the Jedi have been preparing for battle since the Great Sith War. Witnessing the Sith corruption of Revan’s army, the Jedi are again fil led with conviction, fighting with impunity beside loyal Republic soldiers. Popular opinion of the Jedi, however, has declined steeply. Failing to comprehend the convoluted causes of the invasion of the Sith Empire, the galactic citizenry understands only that Jedi they once championed against the Mandalorians have now betrayed them; hence, they refer to the conflict as the Jedi Civil War.

     The Jedi Civil War rages for several years until the Council decides to deal the Sith a major blow. A Jedi strike team, led by legendary Jedi Knight Bastila Shan, lands on Darth Revan’s flagship, captures him, and brings him back to the Republic. The Jedi convert Revan back to the light side of the Force, purging from him the corruption of the Sith. With Revan’s help the Jedi locate the Star Forge—the source of the Sith military's resurgence—and defeat Darth Malak. Having defeated the Sith leaders, the Jedi continue to struggle against the remnants of the Sith Empire, who retreat behind their borders to recuperate.

The Dark Wars (3,955-3,951 BBY)

With their leaders defeated, the Sith Empire crumbles, and the Jedi face not a single, united Sith front, but instead a dozen or more Sith warlords who fight against the Republic, the Jedi, and each other. Unfortunately for the Jedi, a small cadre of Sith warlords manage to band together long enough to deal a staggering blow to the Order, using assassins to decimate the Jedi, leaving but a handful of survivors. This is a dire time for the Jedi. Reeling from crippling losses sustained during the Jedi Civil War, the Order hobbles on the brink of extinction. The Jedi Council’s authority has completely broken down and satellite academies are near-empty. The surviving Jedi are on a desperate mission to find the source of the killings.

     After the Sith Triumvirate is discovered and eliminated by a surviving Jedi, the few remaining Jedi resurrect the Order from the ashes of its defeat.

Jedi Organizations

Throughout the Knights of the Old Republic era, the formal organization of the Jedi Order adjusts and changes more frequently than in other eras. Some of these adjustments occur as the Jedi Council attempts to exert more control over the Order, but many are in response to external forces, such as the many wars of the era that directly impact all Jedi. See Chapter 9: The Jedi for the status of the Order during particular years. Some organizations included here might be available or fully functional only at specific times.

Jedi Academies and Enclaves

Throughout this era, Jedi training continues to be largely decentralized. For many, training takes place at academies and enclaves scattered through out the galaxy. Even though these organizations recognize the direction of the Jedi High Council on Coruscant, they operate independently and promote their own philosophical views on the Force. The terms academy and enclave are sometimes used interchangeably. However, academies are educational facilities, whereas enclaves provide living quarters and support for fully trained Jedi. An enclave might house its own Jedi Council, and might have an attached academy. In either case, academies and enc laves are communal facilities, providing living quarters, meeting space, and safe haven to members. Examples of academies and enclaves include:

Jedi Temple on Coruscant

The most prominent Jedi Academy is located at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, under the auspices of the Jedi High Council. This academy is usually the largest in the order, but its size and overall influence fluctuates with political and military events that impact Coruscant. Training methods vary, but the Master and apprentice model is most often used.

Jedi Temple on Dantooine

The Jedi enclave on Dantooine is one of the olde st en claves and academies in the Order. A satellite Council here manages Jedi affairs on nearby worlds in the Outer Rim, and the chambers serve as a meeting place for the Coruscant High Council when the Council is in the area. Many prominent Jedi students of the era study here. The enclave is completely destroyed by Darth Malak during the Jedi Civil War. The site is abandoned and in ruins for many years after the Sith attack, but it is eventually rebuilt.

Taris Academy

The Taris Academy, housed in the Jedi Tower on the planet Taris, is an example of a smaller training facility. Early classes vary in size, but in the years immediately before the Mandalorian Wars, it is home to five Masters with a single student each. In addition to teaching, the Masters there contribute to planetary security, with their Padawans keeping justice as part of their training. The Jedi order and local officials do not know that the five Masters are also the First WatchCircle of Krynda’s Covenant, sent there to investigate possible Sith threats to the galaxy. When these Masters perceive such a threat from th eir own students, they murder them and blame the lone surviving student, Zayne Carrick. The academy is closed, and the Jedi are recalled to Coruscant. The building is later used as a headquarters for the Mandalorian invaders until its destruction by the planetary resistance.

The Jedi Covenant

An example of the limited reach and effectiveness of the Jedi High Council, the Jedi Covenant is a secret organization established within the Jedi Order. The Jedi High Council on Coruscant is unaware of its existence. The Covenant is wholly dedicated to preventing the return of the Sith. Covenant members depend heavily on visions and farseeing for guidance. Their fanatical dedication to this task leads them down paths that most Jedi would never find acceptable. However, they have been able to operate and grow without significant interference for twenty years before the Mandalorian onslaught.

     Krynda Draay establishes the Jedi Covenant after her perceived failure to recognize the threat Exar Kun represented to the Jedi and the galaxy. Funded by the assets of her dead husband’s fortune, she dedicates herself and her new organization to defeating the Sith. To achieve this goal, the Covenant recruits Jedi of many traits and talents. At its core, the Covenant depends on Jedi Consular vision techniques developed by Krynda. She trains ot her Consulars, organizing them into Watch Circles. They passed significant information on to Jedi Guardians and Jedi Shadows within the Covenant, enab ling them to carry out any tasks necessary to support or prevent the Consulars’ visions from coming true.

     At least, that is the theory. In real ity, the situa t ion is more complex and fluid. Those involved in the Covenant are on constant guard to keep the greater Jedi Order from discovering their activities. Many also have influential connections that they wish to protect or wield, in addition to their own ambitions within the Jedi Order. As such, the flow of information is not as direct as planned, and those acting upon the information are not always those intended in the structure of the Covenant. This produces conflict and stress within the organization, because some individuals act in their own interest or as they see fit, even though others see such actions as a risk to the entire Covenant. In some cases, a WatchCircle revealed to the Jedi Order or of the general public can be severed from the organization, framed as ansingle group of fanatics or wayward Jedi.

The Jedi Covenant Hierarchy

Krynda Draay’s Jedi Covenant

     Krynda Draay and Haazen: Krynda Draay has the power, finances, and will to build the Covenant. She works with Haazen to establish the details and organization. In the years before the Mandalorian Wars, Haazen directs the day-to-day operations of the Covenant, leaving Krynda to concentrate on visions and WatchCircle training.

     WatchCircles: WatchCircle cells are groups of three to eight Consulars, called Seers of the Circle. They typically use farseeing, visions, and Krynda’s group techniques to foresee the future. Over time, WatchCircles are quietly installed across the galaxy, particularly near locations where Sith threats have been foreseen. Some are devoted to early warnings on various aspects of galactic life, such as the Economic WatchCircle. The WatchCircle of Lucien Draay is known as the First WatchCircle. Other WatchCircles are named for fallen Jedi heroes of the Sith War, such as WatchCircle Vodo for Vodo Siosk-Baas.

     Executors: Each WatchCircle has a single Jedi Guardian who acts as an Executor, the facilitator who manages logistical details so the WatchCircles can do their job. The Executor is also responsible for reporting the WatchCircle’s findings and activities back to Haazen. Executors also operate in dividually, providing general security for the Covenant. In all cases, these individuals are selected for their inability to use farseeing or other significant precognitive abilities, so that they do not taint or influence the findings of their WatchCircles.

     Covenant Shadows: The Covenant Shadows operate at the direction of Haazen, at the request of an Executor, to carry out assignments and missions that a WatchCircle or Executor should not be associated with. When undertaking a mission, the Shadow operates under the Executor’s authority, but the Shadow is detached from the Executor’s group once the task is complete. Missions include investigating possible Sith-influenced individuals, as well as locating and acquiring Sith artifacts. They operate alone in most cases. The Shadows are removed from the rolls of the Jedi Order, either through bureaucratic subterfuge, or by being falsely reported dead. They give up their former lives in their dedication to the eradication of the Sith. The only full list of Shadows is kept at the Draay Estate and is maintained by Haazen, Lucien Draay, and a small number of other Guardians involved in logistics.