Hello. Yes, this is Wally. Welcome to my 7th full report as Combat Master, and I apologize in advance for its length.

I wanted to take a quick second to add a new feature I’d like to try in my reports called “ACC Tips.” (Yes, I did type that in earnest without resorting to an Archer reference. Go me.) This week, I’d like to focus on the difference between Barrier and Deflection.

The first common misconception is that Barrier doesn’t block “energy” attacks. This dates back to the old systems used in the DB where Barrier was “physical” attacks and Deflection was ”energy attacks.” Since we had a bit more of a clean start with CS1.0/2.0, we’ve retooled each power to have the same “usefulness” in using the Force as a defense tool while giving each its own unique style for creative use.

First let's look at Barrier...

Barrier manifests the Force into a translucent defensive corona that can absorb physical attacks. These barriers protect only the user, and will shatter after enough impact. Barrier can stop repeated hits from conventional weapons (including blasters), but will shatter on heavy impact with things such as explosives or large/heavy projectiles like boulders.

In essence, Barrier will stop any type of attack, whether it’s blaster bolts, slugs, lightning, rocks, or a thrown body. Barrier does not do anything against mental or illusionary attacks. While powerful, it is classified as an advanced power. This means that while it can be used multiple times during a battle, it's a sustained effect that is entirely reliant on your character's concentration which becomes harder to do if you’re wounded, fatigued, etc).

The best canon example I’ve found is from this Marvel comic that depicts Vader using our variation of the “Force Barrier”:

Next we have Deflection...

Deflection allows a Jedi to dissolve or absorb energy from both Force-based sources and energy-based weapon sources such as blasters or Force Lightning. With an additional Feat, it can be used to redirect the absorbed energy as well.

In essence, Deflection allows you to “catch” energy-based attacks and dissolve/absorb them. Deflection does not do anything against mental or illusionary attacks. While powerful, it is classified as an advanced power and requires concentration.

Deflection is actually highly referential in that it sees heavy use in the Star Wars cinematic universe.

The most classic example is when Han Solo opens fire on Vader when he shows up on Bespin. Vader simply extends his hands and dissolves Han’s blaster bolts.

Han Solo vs Darth Vader

The other great examples are when Yoda catches Force Lightning that Doku throws at him...

Yoda vs Doku

...and later on he does the same thing against Sidious.

Yoda vs Sidious

(Note: Keep in mind this is a Sith Lord vs the leader of all Jedi. Yoda is on level with a GM in our system...and was also regarded as probably the strongest Jedi when it came to knowledge/connection to the Force...)

To better represent Yoda’s variation/use of the power, we’ve added a new Feat available for selection on the Character Sheets.

Bounce It
{{member}} has developed a talent for being able to redirect energy that was absorbed with Deflection and can bounce it back at original sender or a secondary target within line of sight.

This Feat will become available at Equite 1, for now.

On a deeper level, Barrier and Deflection both accomplish a similar goal, but do so in very different ways. Barrier is powerful because, while it requires concentration to maintain, it is a sustained effect against incoming attacks. Unlike Barrier, which can be used in quicker succession and requires the same level of intense concentration, Deflection focuses on matching attacks hit-for-hit. They balance in a way that one isn’t necessarily better than the other. Like everything on the Character Sheets...it all depends on the situation!

I hope this sheds some light on one of the more common misconceptions I see popping up. If you liked this section, or have any questions, please let me know in the comments section or by email!

Weapons Selection Guide (Pre-Possessions)

Weapons Loadout on Character Sheets is a big part of the approval/remand process. In an attempt to provide members with more readily available information that should ensure higher-percentages of approvals, the Voice team (with help from the CM) has come up with this new wiki page, the Weapons Selection Guide!

Within this, we break down the weapons that will closest resemble what Possessions will offer. The Blasters and Slugthrowers sections are probably the most complete. Evant will update everyone on possessions progression moving forward -- this was my answer, for the time being, to help give more knowledge in one place and readily available to the membership.

While it has been mentioned in previous reports by Mav, there has not really been a concrete landing point for information on how Sacramental weapons (such as: name a few) function in-character. I have gone through and explained each reward in better detail while also highlighting their functionality.

I’ve also gone through and written out a description of each Grand Master Royal Guard (GMRG) weapon (thanks for the spot-checks, Turel). While GMRG weapons are cosmetic mostly, we now at least have an actual description of how they could be depicted and used in Fictions or the ACC.

A a big disclaimer note: Revisions are subject to change upon the introduction of the upcoming Possessions system which is coming Soon(TM) to the Dark Jedi Brotherhood.

(Translation: EVERYTHING IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE, KTHNX)

Poison Weapons Policy

Included within the Weapons Selection Guide, we have also hammered out a policy on how Poison Weapons will be handled on the Character Sheets. I’ve gone into very specific detail of how I feel this should work.

The real important thing to note is that you will be required to have the Poison Weapons Feat in order to use poison weapons in the ACC. Why? Mechanics and balance. While it stands to reason that anyone could pick up a knife that has poison on it and fight with it, it raises the question of, “Well, why aren’t all weapons poisoned then?” Requiring the Feat adds an organic “check” within the system so that characters that want to play that angle are forced to do so.

You can jump right to the Poison Weapons Policy here.

Going forward, and if you plan to compete in the ACC, I’d highly recommend updating your Character Sheet towards these new guidelines.

Lightsaber Forms - UPDATED

Oh, right. I did a thing.

As you have no doubt seen by now, the Lightsaber Guide has been condensed and streamlined into a single Wikipedia article that we decided to simply call: Lightsaber Forms.

The goal with this project was to create a streamlined, easy to reference guide on the various lightsaber forms available for selection on the Character Sheets. Each Form is now broken down into six elements: Description, Grip and Stance, Movement, Buzzwords, Weapon Support, and Notable Adherents. What this gives us is a clean snapshot that both judges and writers alike can use as a reference without having to parse through the wonderfully detailed (but over 80 page long) Lightsaber Guide on the main site.

Notable changes are as follows:

1. All forms are now selectable at the rank of Knight. In the past, styles were restricted by rank, but we’ve decided to open it up to make the achievement of reaching Knighthood all that much desirable and rewarding!

2. Dun Moch and Trakata were converted into Feats. This was done because each “style” really held no weight as a full form on its own. As a result, they are now supplemental Feats that you can select and apply to any of the other available Lightsaber forms.

3. Sokan will remain a selectable form. I have heard arguments from both sides of this camp, and argued this literally to the point of nausea. The decision has been made, finalized, and signed by the Grand Master himself. Like all things that exist in the Character Sheets, balance has been applied to make this form carry its own weakness and advantages no differently than any of the other selectable forms.

Congratulations to both Shi Long and Vivackus on their Anteian Cross’! I appreciate the hustle on getting this done.

Beyond that, if anyone is interested, I’m still looking for some more work on this article. Things like CSS tables and image-support would be welcomed. If you’re interested, please let me know!

The second change is a bit more subtle, but involved updating the Lightsaber article in the Dark Jedi Brotherhood Codex. This article now describes at which rank each saber style becomes available, and details how the different types of saber forms balance in terms of damage-dealing. I’d highly suggest checking it out!

New Lightsaber Exam?

I talked it over with Bubba, and he gave me permission to throw this out to the public. The Shadow Academy will be looking for a volunteer(s) to update the existing Lightsaber Studies exam. To be clear, I will not be working on the exam other than for review/approval with Bubba, so we are looking for someone that wants to take charge and get this done in a timely manner.

If you are interested, please send an email to Bubba ([Log in to view e-mail addresses]), Ood ([Log in to view e-mail addresses] ), and myself.

ACC Exam Reminder

Speaking of exams....

ACC Qualification

The new ACC Qualification Exam has been re-written from scratch and is now live! This also comes with an updated ACC Guide. As I mentioned earlier, ACC Fundamentals has been removed and is no longer an Exam. The ACC Qualification is now a single exam that members will take in order to participate in the ACC.

To answer some questions before they are asked:

1. If you already Qualified for the ACC (ACC:Q on your Dossier) previously, you do not have to take the new Qualification Exam.

2. If you are not Qualified for the ACC, you will need to pass the new Exam in order to compete.

3. Reminder: You must have an approved Character Sheet in order to qualify for the ACC.

ACC Combat Studies

The new ACC Combat Studies was written as a post-Qualification continued education course on how Character Sheets are used in the ACC. The exam involves reading a full 4-post ACC match between the same NPCs featured in the Qualification Exam (Krin and Harry), and has you answering multiple choice questions based on the details and content of the match.

This exam is not mandatory. However, I encourage anyone who is serious about participating in the ACC to read it over and take it. It will help you know better understand how Judges look at matches, and hopefully lead to less confusion when you're writing your own matches.

So, I repeat, if you’re serious about competing in the ACC, take the exam. Please? Kthnx.

As both exams are still very new, any feedback or notes you have would be appreciated. Drop us a line at: [Log in to view e-mail addresses] and we’ll make sure we make any hotfixes or changes that are needed.

Hand to Hand Guide 2.0

This project was originally being handled by Muz and a few others, but after a few switch overs it has landed (somehow) on my desk. So...

Unfortunately, I don’t have the time I did a few weeks ago when I headlined the Lightsaber Forms documents. Fortunately, I have minio— I mean, dedicated fellow staffers who are eager to assist.

For H2H 2.0, I’m going to be taking a very similar approach to the Lightsaber Forms. This means a succinct breakdown that tells me at quick glance: description, stance, movement and buzzwords. We will also list which “real life” Martial Arts style the respective form is similar to/inspired by.

If someone wants to create a more advanced, pretty document in a large PDF, I’ll be all for it. For now, though, the primary objective is to get all of this information updated and laid out clearly for members to be able to choose which style fits their character best, but also gives a simple guideline of how to write that specific style.

Like Lightsaber Forms, these documents are designed for the Wiki in order to provide members a single, concise source for referencing information when writing combat, whether that be ACC, ACB, or your own fictions.

Pending an update to H2H styles, ACC Judges will be lenient on the specific differences between forms. If you’re curious about something, just ask us.

• Contibutor Kz’set (Arden)
• Contributor Mirus

If anyone has interest in aiding with the completion of this project, please let me know. Volunteers are always welcome in our wonderful volunteer club!

---

I’m always working on something, and there is always something that (probably) needs doing. There are a lot of things still left to be fixed with the CS Reference Material and the ACC, so if you have pitched an idea to me on Telegram and I seem short or curt, it’s because I’m attempting to prioritize the project against everything else that is going on.

If you have a proposal for a project, email is still the best way to do so. I’m always with my phone on Telegram (unless underground on the subway during my daily commutes) but it’s easy to get lost/drowned in my chats (it’s not my fault I’m incredibly popular). My email has a much better filtering system and it’s easier for me to track/delegate information :).

As usual, send your ideas, feedback, or thoughts to [Log in to view e-mail addresses].

ACC Halls / Venues

There is some work to be done with ACC Halls and Venues. People have requested more venues, and we have been exploring how best to make the “Story Hall” a bit more useful.

The ACC Halls are now renamed and broken down as follows:

• Training Halls (Unranked) — The Training Halls are a place for new members to gain experience in the ACC without worrying over their ELO scoring.
• Duelist Halls (Ranked) — Standard ACC Hall. All matches here are head-to-head, conventional duels.
• Funderome (Ranked / Unranked) — True to its name, the Funderdome Halls are a place for members to engage in fun, alternate types of ACC Matches. This can range from epic rap battles and dance-offs to other unconventional conflicts that could arise between two characters. Funderdome matches can be Ranked or Unranked, depending on the requesting member’s comfort level. All activity will garner Clusters of Ice per the Voice Guidelines.
• Scenario Hall (WORK IN PROGRESS) — The Scenario Hall aims to provide challenges for members looking to expand beyond the confines of a conventional head-to-head duel in the ACC. Members will be able to engage in matches that incorporate scenarios or objectives such as: 1v1 vs NPC , 1v1 vs Objective, and more to come!

If you want to add venues for your Clan, please make sure you talk with your Summit who know to email me directly to start that discussion. I’m happy to add in Clan venues, just make sure you bring it to my attention.

ACC Space

• Contributor: Hades
• Contributor: Nikola Valtiere
• Contributor: Rayze Erinos Arconae
• Contributor: Mirus Hi'ija
• Contributor: Sashar Erinos Arconae
• Contributor: Nathan Deciarus

The team is working slowly, making sure the details and guidelines I requested are set up. This mostly includes the logistics of ships/stats/damage. It will be completed when it’s ready, and not a second sooner.

Antei Contract Bureau

Due to recent developments and decisions by the Voice, I’m going to be talking about the ACB in a separate news post. There is already a lot of information in this report, so I’m going to give the ACB its own space to explain what’s going on.

That should cover everything on the plate for now.

Grand Master’s Invitational Tournament

As Sarin mentioned in his original outline months ago, as well as in his most recent address to the Brotherhood, I am going to be running my second DB-wide ACC competition that we are calling: “The Grand Masters Invitational Tournament.”

Or as I like to think of it...

MORTAL WOMBATS—

(What’s that? No? Oh. Frak. I guess Wombats are not canon. Nevermind.)

This snapshot shows the meat of what the Tournament will be about.

You can view the rest of the details here in the published form (shiny and chrome).

The main thing to take away from all that information is as follows:

• This tournament will consist of all 2/2 Singular Ending matches with the finals bumped to a 3/3 format.

• Each Clan gets 2 members to compete as their Champions (Selected by the unit’s Consuls)

Sigh...okay, let’s get this gif out of the way now.

• The Grand Master will nominate 2 Dark Councilors to compete as Champions.

... ffs. Anyway, moving along.

• The final four and the two finalists will receive accessory and weapon goodies! These are detailed in the document above, but here is a quick look at all three. Thanks Slag/Vyr for GFXing these for me based on my crappy sketches!

• The signet ring is exclusive to this tournament. The Bracer and Vambrace, however, will become possessions items for the ACC (which doesn’t get a society, so, close enough) and will be up for rewards in future ACC competitions as well!

• There will be an introduction fiction to kick off the Tournament that covers the slight politics of the Tournament.

I’ve already reached out to the individual unit leaders regarding their selections. They have until Sunday, November 15th, to get me their selections. These nominations will come from the Consuls directly, and I will post the bracket in a news post that will accompany the launch of the tournament.

UPDATED ACC Rubric

The ACC team, myself, and former CM/DGM Mav have all worked hard to bring you an updated rubric for the ACC. You can view the rubric here.

The first tab is very straight-forward and is a conventional rubric. The biggest change is in clearly outlining how realism, syntax, and continuity are graded based on errors-found.

We added a second tab that expands a bit on the things that judges look for/consider in ACC matches. These were created for transparency and to make even more information readily available to members.

The Rule of 2 (Judges)

I will also add really quickly that any match that is considered close will have two judges confirming the final verdict. Even on a more clear-cut match, judges will often confer with one another to make sure that they are referencing the correct mechanic, usage, or detractor point. We are in constant communication as a team and work as one mind. Please keep this in mind when reading your judgements.

As usual if you ever have any questions, just send us an email at: [Log in to view e-mail addresses]

With the success of Rivalries, I am confident that Singular Ending matches will carry over into my vision for this Tournament. If it falls short, feel free to leave feedback at the end of the event. I’d love to hear people's thoughts and opinions! I appreciate everyone’s support, patience, and continued desire to be a part of the services we (at the ACC and Voice Staffs) work hard to provide for you guys.

For everything else, I just wanted to throw out a casual reminder to anyone still actually reading this report: the DJB is supposed to be a fun place. We have our rivalries and competitive streaks. We tease one another and sometimes can accidently say the wrong things at the wrong time. Please always try and remember that there are real life people that are behind the dossier and IRC/Telegram handles. A lot of us dedicate our time and energy because we want to make this club a better place. Part of that involves creating guidelines (and sometimes restrictions), instilling changes, and adapting to a rapidly evolving future while always keeping our eyes forward. If you get told you can’t have a custom (glares at V’yr), cortosis-weave Darth Vader super-suit (with climate control, re-breather, and unlimited ammo reserves) it’s not because we want to oppress your creativity, it’s because we’re creating a realistic standard that creates a fair / level playing field for anyone who wishes to join our little corner of the internet. Open minds, positive thoughts. Pew pew!

• Species Wiki
• Disciplines Wiki
• Aspects Wiki
• Skills Wiki
• Force Powers Wiki
• Feats Database -- CDawg

ACC Exams (DO THE THING)

• ACC Combat Studies
• ACC Qualification Exam

One last thing. I don’t usually like to focus on myself, but sometimes someone does something for you that’s so super awesome you have a desire to share it. Out of the kindness of his heart, the recently returned Cyris Oscura created a commission of Marick that portrayed him in a way I had never really thought of him in before. His work is amazing, and I think closer to the holidays when he has more time he’ll be looking to set-up a deviant page that I’ll make sure to share with everyone. Check it out!

Okay, that’s all I have. This is actually the longest report I’ve created. Thanks for reading.