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[Rusty]

I think gandalf the white might be a strong enough force of light to at the very least get Psion to go away, but in the plot line in which psion is defeated, the Jedi that defeated him is actually a "rift in the force", and so is able to overcome the life draining being that is Darth Psion.

To protect a world assaulted by Psion? Hard to say. Again, the ring of power that gandalf posesses might help. Psion is probably defeated at the hands of gandalf.

At the point in the story arc in which Psion is defeated, the player character is over 18th level, and is posssibly past 20th. Psion is probably an almost epic level fight, in DnD terms. Recall that Kotor is run under D20 rules with strong concordance to 3.5e Dnd, in which the Balrog would be equivalent to a Balor, and would be a similar encounter, by CR.

The player does require the assistance of two companions of similar level, which would reduce the EL of the fight. I think post-balrog gandalf can solo darth Psion.

That's only in CRPG terms though, in the grand scheme of things RPGs tend to lowball powers, as they were described by the authors of the settings. I think it would be an epic battle, and would result in Gandalf the whitest. But I think he would win.

After all, as josh pointed out, sith like this are always popping up, and are always eventually defeated. They are clearly fated to be defeated, the question is if Gandalf the White is the one who will defeat him, or not.

[Liquidprism]

So we're at 3 votes for Gandalf, 0 for Vader, and 1 for some guy named Darth Psion (thanks Gideon).

I'd like to vote for Gandalf, but I just keep coming back to this whole Vader with a lightsaber thing, since rather than the contest going toward the magic side of things, I think it will go the opposite way.
Gandalf has very little 'offensive' magic thanks to Tolkiens obscurity. I can buy that Gandalf's ring and power could keep the Darkside at bay, but only in so far as it affected him directly. It also isn't going to stop Vader from getting close.
Sure Vader is a part of the Darkside, but he has his own will, he isn't a creature made of darkness. It holds him and helps guide his actions, but in the end his own acts show he still has free will. I think this seperates him from a creature like the Balrog, which seems to be an agent of some other force, sent to carry out a task.
This is all treading on thin ice I know. It is highly debatable the extent of the forces control over those attuned to it. I have read stuff which says Palpatine was nothing more than an incarnatin of the Darkside, and I have read stuff that said he was its greatest wielder. So who knows. I'm going with even the most corrupt of darkside users maintain some modicum of control. I think this helps better explain their actions.
At any rate Gandalf can't keep Vader from using the Force on himself and it doesn't keep Vader from using the scenery as a weapon. This fight is going to come down to the two of them hammering away in melee, as I once more say Vader should be able to close in on the old wizard.
Now we know Gandalf has ample ability with a sword and his staff. He proves he can stand and fight on numerous occasions (the battle of Minas Tirith being the best example) for many hours at a time, but where does his skill come from? He has training, but it isn't his area of expertise.
Vader however, spent his life in training as a warrior, and was for all intents and purposes the undisputed master of lightsaber combat (at least for a time).
Gandalf while powerful still has a mortal shell, with its strength lying in it's endurance more than anything. Look at the battles and the tests which he goes through. For that matter look at all Tolkiens characters. the whole story is one long test of endurance (both for the characters and the readers).
Vader can use the force to augment pretty much everything: speed, endurance, strength. He gets multiple attribute bumps instead of the one. And the bump is going to be much greater than what Gandalf displays.
The thing I think Gandalf has going for him is his God spirit. I think Vader wins the contest, but there is no way he would be able to permanently destroy the wizard.

[rydi]

i'm just torn. the thing is, vader is pretty clearly defined. gandalf isn't. he beat a giant shadown demon that was on fire and super strong. after falling down a chasm and climbing a mountain for days. his power lvl is clearly variable. we know he can be more than mortal, just not how much. it in many ways is a bad confontation, simply because tolkien's world is so poorly defined on the power aspect. gandalf never used power in front of other, because he was there to empower humanity, not become their god, and as such, we never get to see anything cool from him, though tolkien implies it is possible.

oh, and gandalf, while sword work isn't his specialty, has been alive since the beginning of creation. he picked up a few things. vader is like what? 40? and if we are going with gandalf the white, he has all his years of life, and a full understanding of the cosmos (or as much of it as a non-valar can take).

[Liquidprism]

Ahhhh, my forum grows quickly. Due, in no small part, to my own machinations.

On the second day, he looked out over what he had done, and thought it was good.

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