Ask the Forcer: Force Lightning

[Evad]

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Force Lightning​

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So here's my question. Since (according to Wookiepedia) Force Lightning is in it's most simple definition, just electricity, and could be grounded by an ignited saber; I wonder of its reaction with other forces. For instance, can it power machines, can a magnetic field absorb or reflect it? What is the stance on the interaction of this 'lightning' with things that would normally react with true electricity?​

 

[Alric Kuhn]

I have always viewed Force Lightning as a pure expression of the darkside that acts similarly to electricity but not exactly like it. Basically i would say, no it can't power machines, no a magnetic field cant absorb or reflect it. Its not the flow of electrons, its the force exerting control and releasing energy. No where in canon(to my memory) do you see Force Lightning being used to "power" things, just explode them.

 

[Lief]

[member="Logan Valde"]

If that is so, then how can we explain the Force manifesting Electric Judgement, which has almost all the same properties as Force Lightning only utilizes the Light-side/Ashlan.

Edit:

Taken directly from Force Lightning's Wookieepedia Page:

Force lightning was a purely offensive, energy-based attack that channeled Force energy down the user's limbs, hurling arcing bolts of electricity from the wielder's fingertips or palms; Force lightning could be executed with either one or two hands.[2][6] Powerful discharges would branch out into dozens of smaller forks; thus, skilled practitioners could target several foes at once.[16]

This suggests what Evad is trying to get at. It's noted to be /energy/ and /bolts of electricity/ -- I wouldn't say it's beyond the realm of possibility, [member="Evad"]

 

[Alric Kuhn]

Energy/=/Electricity

But yes i get where you're coming from. Truthfully i had forgotten Electric Judgement because i despise it and think it should not exist, it kind of goes against the "Pure Darkside" attack that Force lightning was in my opinion meant to be. Though of course this is all my opinion and not fact and in reality how people use force lightning and what exactly it does depends entirely on who is writing it.

 

[Ignatius]

Just to point out that in Star wars the Force unleashed (as much as I hate the game and the story) Galen was on Felucia and powered three generators to activate a lift to go down into a Sarlac's stomach. so it can be done. Though I do not know if that is considered canon since pulling a super star destroyer is also considered canon......

my two bucks.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

There’s always been a bit of a debate over whether it’s just ordinary electricity (which it doesn’t really act like), or whether it’s a Force manifestation of the Dark Side. It’s difficult to say really, as the EU had it implied both ways.

 

[Evad]

The entire reason I bring this up, is because in the future this may be an issue I as writer run into, and I cannot find reasonable sources to prove for or against how the electricity behaves. Thus I am looking to the board, and the judgement thereof to rule in one way or the other (or both if you people really wanna screw with me LOL).

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Evad"]
Don't worry, none of us know either.

 

[Ignatius]

[member="Evad"]
Really go with what you think would be most reasonable. If they ask, give them this thread.

 

[Evad]

Not to beat a dying horse, but if we don't know the answer - and are unsure either way how it would behave, how can it be written about with any ounce of confidence. It will be completely conjecture and based on opinion. This is why I'm hoping that we can mark something down for the board itself, so if the issue does arise, we have a board approved answer, because the canon cannot give us a clear direction one way or the other.

 

[Lord Ghoul]

It's called Force Lightning for a reason. The answer is that it is neither electricity, nor manifested dark side. It's both.

If a lightsaber, a piece of technology, can ground it, then it's reasonable to assume something like a personal magnetic field would do the same. Rule of thumb is that if nobody knows, but you can provide a logical explanation for it that isn't powergaming then it should be fine.

At the point where we have beings walking into nuclear warhead blasts and surviving due to the Force I'm fairly certain this shouldn't be a huge issue.

 

[Evad]

Fair enough.

 

[Ludolf Vaas]

I've always hated how Force lightning became this "staple" Sith power. At first it just seemed like a neat trick Palpatine could do, suddenly it's an entire offensive ability in itself and you're not a truly powerful Sith Lord unless you can do it (herpderp).

I always thought Force lighting was just one of Palpatine's many abilities, not necessarily his most powerful, which he chose for that particular occasion because he wanted to torture Luke. I imagined that if Palpatine wanted to, he could simply stop Luke's heart in an instant, but instead he wanted to toy with him. I mean, Palpatine was a guy so powerful, that he even looked down on lightsabers as pathetic toys. Now we're supposed to believe that one of his greatest powers is an ability that can be stopped by a lightsaber? Not to mention one that pretty much everyone and their mother knows how to do?

Force lightning only became a thing because George Lucas and other subsequent writers were lazy.

 

[Asemir]

I treat it like electricity. Because lightning.

Thus, Faraday cage ftw.

 

[Runi Beskar]

I have a follow up question...

Has anyone in Cannon ever tried to use Force Lighting in the way that [member="Evad"] describes? To power things, because if it hasn't been done then who knows? Maybe someone could discover a way to use it to generate electricity.

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

I have a follow up question...

Has anyone in Cannon ever tried to use Force Lighting in the way that [member="Evad"] describes? To power things, because if it hasn't been done then who knows? Maybe someone could discover a way to use it to generate electricity.

The true canon is now only the films. So nope, I don't think so.

 

[Louise]

If you write it well enough you can get away with anything.

 

[Matreya]

If you write it well enough you can get away with anything.

 

[Asemir]

If you write it well enough you can get away with anything.

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

Now everybody's going to quote it?

Anyways, I don't like to think of different Force powers. There are only the limitations of power, not limitations of... I don't even know... The Force could do whatever its user wants it to, to a certain degree, so if you write something good enough, I am sure nobody is going to limit you. Yes, if the power is too strong, but no, if it's just something different. The things we learn about the Force from Star Wars sources (films, books, whatever else) and Wookieepedia are only what have been given names. There is so much else which could be discovered and that's what RPing is for.

So go on, if you want your Force Lightning to power something up, do it, but don't just call it 'Force Lighting'. Just describe how it's done and you'll be fine.