Character Concepts
There are a great variety of concepts available in the realm of independent users of the Force; this section will only discuss general themes, to help prospective players better identify standard modes of play that may, with some level of adaptation, suit their own conceptualization of their characters. Most generally, some characters might subscribe to the specific beliefs of the Jedi, whether they follow the Light Side or the Dark. Some others might have their own philosophies, or use the Force without any form of philosophical attachment to their abilities.
One of the most basic traits shared by the majority of SWI Force users is that they do not wish to join the newborn Jedi Order forming under the auspices of the New Republic's Jedi Academy, nor do they seek to sell themselves to the Dark Jedi Orders that have lingered on beyond the death of Emperor Palpatine. They are "rogues" inasmuch as they seek to either serve themselves, or simply operate without the confines of an organized ideological faction. Characters who wish to join either the Jedi Academy or the Dark Jedi Orders should contact the respective Branch GMs in SWNR or SWE, including any existing characters who wish to do so after their character has been approved in SWI.
Practitioners of the Light Side of the Force can come from a wide variety of backgrounds and character types. The only limitation is that these characters must follow some set of ethical or moral guidelines that reminiscent of the Jedi Order, such as compassion, kindness, detachment from emotional passions, and purity of spirit. Characters that follow the Light must be careful to avoid actions that gain them Dark Side Points, for they can be easily overcome by the allure of strength the Dark Side grants; in addition, no master of the Light will train a character that has not atoned for any selfish or hurtful actions they have taken.
Practitioners of the Dark Side of the Force can be similarly varied, but they are guided by the voice of the Dark Side. These characters are therefore driven to commit acts devoid of the charity and benevolence that typifies the actions of a Jedi Knight, much as the Sith Lords characteristically behave. They are driven by passion, emotion, and personal consideration, be it for the greater cause of the Dark Side itself or some more mundane end, such as greed, lust for power, or simple emotional instability. The most powerful motivators for these characters tend to be personal advancement, fear, anger, and hatred.
There is also some room in the center of this spectrum for characters who believe in a balance between the dual natures of the Force, or who deny that duality even exists. This is a particularly dangerous road to travel, as the Dark Side can easily claim them. Such a character concept is viable, but difficult to maintain, and is therefore suggested only to experienced players.
Characters who follow the beliefs of or seek to emulate or rebuild the Jedi Order cannot be created with any personal knowledge of or experience with the old Order that was destroyed by Emperor Palpatine. While characters with significant Force skills must have had some form of training in their backgrounds, this training cannot have come from a source directly connected to the old Jedi Knights. It can, however, have come from a teacher who received limited training with Old Republic Jedi in the short years following the start of the Purge, or from one who has a valid reason to have not been closely connected with the former Jedi.
The same is true for Dark Jedi characters. No character can have had direct experience with Palpatine's Hands, the Inquisition, or the Adepts, and characters submitted with any form of Sith training will be rejected outright (claiming to have had Sith training or to be associated with their order is another matter altogether, of course <G>). These characters may have been trained by some with shadowy connections to elusive groups, but they will not communicate their secrets to their students under any circumstance. Note that this also means that characters cannot use the name or title Darth, because they don't know what it means (even Obi-Wan used it like it was Vader's first name in A New Hope).
Characters unassociated with any form of Jedi ideology may follow published variants, such as the Tyia philosophy of the Revwien, or construct their own, either as a fully customized ethical path or within the confines of the Alien Student of the Force concept. Such a philosophy may be revised or altered at the discretion of the Branch GM.