Machine Meld

A very unconventional power, and one that traditional Jedi from the Old Jedi Order would probably have deemed taboo and/or forbidden, a Jedi using this can actually merge his or her consciousness and life force with the computer, allowing the Jedi direct and exert even greater control over the computer than the Jedi would with technometry. However, the Jedi must maintain physical contact with the computer terminal. This power can be used in a number of ways. First, the Jedi can use this to commune with the computer in a way that friends or allies of the Jedi using the computer gains a bonus equal to that of the Jedi's sense die code. This bonus extends to the entire crew should the Jedi use this power for a ship's system or the entire ship, and is applied to astrogation, capital ship gunnery, capital ship piloting, capital ship shields, sensors, space transports, starfighter piloting, starship gunnery, and/or starship shields accordingly. Second, the Jedi can exert enough influence over the computer or ship system to override any pre-programming or any command inputted by the operator or the crew. If using this power to override any pre-programming, the Jedi needs to make the appropriate alter roll. If the Jedi uses this to override the command of an operator or crew, the Jedi must make an alter roll against the operator's skill roll. Success means the Jedi has overridden the operator's command. There are risks associated with this power. First, failing to make the associated rolls to activate this power inflicts 1D damage to the Jedi. Second, using this power requires total concentration, so the Jedi must make the associated rolls each round. Failure inflicts the aforementioned damage. Third, when a Jedi stops using this power, either voluntarily or from failing to make the required rolls, the Jedi suffers a -2D penalty to all Force skills for 1D hours for each round the Jedi spent using this power. If the Jedi spends more than an hour using this power, the penalty is -4D and lasts 1D days for each hour the Jedi spent using this power. The Jedi can recover faster by spending the same number of rounds or hours in emptiness, depending on the penalty. A consequence of the second risk is that the Jedi's body is considered helpless and unaware of his or her surroundings; thus, unable to make any rolls to avoid taking damage. In addition, the Jedi's body is extremely vulnerable to the transfer life power. A Dark Jedi or Sith trying to use transfer life to possess a Jedi's body while the Jedi is using machine meld treats the body as a recently dead body, making the associated alter difficulty Moderate.