Star Wars Dark Side in Hero

[trechriron]

I am gearing up to run a Star Wars campaign. We have mapped out a PILE of the force powers utilizing a multi-pool, with some being separated for functionality (or define abilities better, applying all points to the character). The area I am having the hardest time is figuring out how the Dark Side impacts a character. Especially dealing with the idea of physical and psychological corruption of a supernatural nature that gradually accumulates for the character and gradually affects them. Short of simply tracking behavior and assigning disadvantages arbitrarily (something I want to avoid). There is the flip side to this relating to the “path of the Dark Side is intoxicating, faster, and more powerful in the short term†idea. D20 represents this by allotting extra dice when you call on the force spending a force point.

 

Drawing on the force to increase your chances is Luck (that is no problem) and I could simply reduce the cost for greater effect when drawing on the Dark Side for Luck. But what does that do to a character?

 

Here is how I think the Dark Side should work sans mechanics:

 

1) It affects the character gradually.

2) It has measurable physical and mental effects.

3) It begins to alter their perception and demeanor towards evil.

4) It “taints†them as detectable as a person corrupted by the dark side.

5) It can be healed/removed through meditation and atonement.

6) It is acquired through utilizing the Dark Side, committing acts out of anger or hatred, committing obviously evil acts, or utilizing any force power in an evil way.

 

Maybe there is a limiter I could create simply stating that if powered by the Dark Side the power has a -1/4, -1/2, or even -1 modifier. That could define the quick power of the Dark Side but would apply all the time to Dark Side powers and not really represent the power of the light side in the more experienced.

 

I thought of simply assigning character points with a specific allegiance (Light Side/Dark Side experience) and make on-the-spot rewards based on specific actions that qualified according to the moral paradigm of the setting. If someone commits an evil act, they get a Dark Side XP. But then what?

 

Any suggestions as how I could simulate this or point me towards someone who did?

 

Thanks,

[McCoy]

I disagree that the Dark Side affects the character gradually.

 

The Force is only to be used in defense and protection. As soon as a Force sensative buys an offensive power, uses a non-offensive power in an aggressive maner (such as choking someone with TK), or uses excessive (lower-case f) force in combat (such as drawing a lightsaber on an unarmed opponent, participating in an ambush, or not offering an opponent a chance to surrender), they have turned toward the Dark Side.

 

Simularly there is no gradual way back. A Force Sensative on the Dark Side must have a Road to Damascus conversion, must renounce the Dark Side totally, not just taper off. They might have a period of meditation and atonement, buying off all Dark Side disads (berserks, enrages, certain psych limits), but the final step of the process is they must give up the Dark Side powers, remove them (and the temtation to use them) from the character sheet. (GM's option if these points may be re-asigned, like a transformation or radiation accident, or are gone forever as part of the atonement process).

 

I would suggest that some powers (the psychic lightning for example), all attack powers, should get a 1/4 to 1/2 limitation, "only can be used by those inclined toward the Dark Side." This represents the “path of the Dark Side is intoxicating, faster, and more powerful in the short term†idea.

 

Other, gentler, powers, especally the psychic immortality survival of death by becoming One with the Force, get a +0 limitation, "cannot be used by character with berserk, enrage, or Dark Side only powers". This limitation should be absolute, either One has spiritual purity, or One does not. There is no slight turn toward the Dark Side, one is turned toward it or completely away from it. Would suggest that Healing and Aid, if Force powers in your campagine, would fall into this category.

 

Just some thoughts.

[Agent X]

How about a side effects: transform on an aid that is triggered by the use of certain attack forms or certain circumstances (using the dark side of the force). Make it all or nothing and eventually, as the character moves more and more toward the Dark Side they will go over the edge. You could also have a cumulative transform that makes it easier and easier for the character to go over the edge. The cumulative can be healed but the all or nothing is final.

 

And make all the Jedis buy the aid.

[RadeFox]

heehee

 

I am in and also ruin a SW game in Hero. I handle it quite simply.

 

Part of the Force Powers VPP (or in your case multi-pool) is this base limitation; Side Effect, Transform 1d6 vs EGO (cumulative); Turn to dark side if power is used for selfish or evil actions. Heals only with Atonement. (-1/2)

 

Also, Every Jedi character must have the Disad: Susceptible to the Dark Side; Transform 1d6 vs EGO (cumulative); Turn to the Dark Side , when performing a selfish or evl action. Heals only with Atonement. (20 pts)

 

This plays out perfectly witht he SW feel. A jedi by action or inaction, who allows evil or a base emotion to be played out in his presences gets hit with one die of transform. Oops.

 

If he uses the FORCE to do evil, or allow a dark emotion to be acted upon in his presence willingly, Boom! 2d6 of Transform hits him. Youch.

 

Obviously, I am of the camp, that the Dark Side seduction is a process, and not an instant change of personality.

 

I play it out as a noticeble change in the characters aura. I keep track of the Transform in secret, and rarely tell the player when they have stumbled. Though I may offer a obtuse clue from others. Once the EGO Transform has them past zero, they are in the middle ground, on the quick slope to the Dark Side. They stop getting clues or even Jedi Advice (we all know the questions, "IS it bad if I use the Force while gambling?", etc.) from me as GM. I might even at times, play the whispers of the Dark Side, and try to goad them. I play it balanced, and the feel of the 'seduction' is there. Classic SW.

 

Other Jedi can notice this, if they are looking, and try to bring the PC back. This is the area in which most 'conversions' happen, either way. The Dark Side can try to lure you deeper into shadow too. The Force is a dangerous road to walk alone. (Which is why the Jedi training was so long and arduous, and you always had your master right there, watching you for signs of faltering.)

 

Once the Transform reaches the 2X EGO area, they are completely lost to the Dark Side, and I take them as NPC's. The party or friends can still try to bring the lost jedi back to the light, but I play the role of the new 'sith' during these encounters, to make sure the scenes are done appropriatley. It would be a very rare player indeed, who could play his fallen Jedi in these circumstances. NPC'dom is better all around, since in SW, the players are generally heroes, and a fallen jedi turned sith just don't work for that!

 

The Atonement in my games, must be earnest and a struggle, OR a Road to Damasacus style of 'revelation', but this latter type of Instant Reformation to the Light side, is almost never seen outside a death scene, or a scene equally laden with emotion and excellently convincing role playing.

[austenandrews]

As an aside, I think one of the best ways to simulate small uses of the Force (minor prescience, empathy, etc.) is with Overall Levels. It's simple, not underpriced and very widely applicable.

 

For the Dark Side I'd use a Cumulative Mental Transform, Partial Effect. The effect would be to progressively add negative Psych Lims (probably from a list tailored to the specific character). I would allow partial healing (atonement seems like a good mechanism) but only up to the last full level of a Psych Lim. For example, if the Transform is slowly adding a common, total Highly Aggressive psych lim, it will first add an uncommon, moderate version. Once that level is reached, you can't "heal it away" - you're stuck with it permanently ("forever will it dominate your destiny"). But you can heal back partial points before the next level is reached, staving off destiny for awhile. Of course the higher your negative Psych Lims get, the more difficult it is to resist further Dark Side behavior (though someone well-disciplined with a good EGO roll could conceivably resist for a very long time).

 

When to apply the Transform Side Effect is another matter. It depends on how you interpret the milieu. Myself, I'm in the camp that believes the Force itself is neutral; the Dark Side is defined by the nature of the person using it. Hence I believe that -all- Force powers should buy the above Side Effect, defined as activating when it's used with angry, selfish or evil motivations. (Think of Anakin using his lightsaber in the camp of Tusken raiders.) By convention certain powers (like Force lightning and Force choking) are overtly aggressive and should therefore have a stricter definition of what constitutes "good use." But ultimately it's a matter of motivation, which the GM must judge.

 

On that topic I'd caution against restricting Jedi too much. A lot of people have the same misconceptions about the Jedi that they had about Lawful Good characters in D&D. But the Jedi are warriors. They play to win. They use reasonable tactics like stealth, ambush, mind control, teaming up against a single enemy, etc. Obi-Wan deceived the cloners, but that wasn't Dark Side behavior. Qui-Gon Jinn cheated a cheater to get off of Tatooine. Heck, Yoda flung Force lightning back at Count Dooku. None of these were done selfishly or with evil intent, though, so the Dark Side was not invoked. I'd suggest using the same kind of judgement with your players.

 

-AA

[trechriron]

You people RULE!!

 

You people are geniuses!!

 

You have seriously relieved two weeks worth of scratching my head.

 

I like RadeFox and austenandrews ideas the best (a's idea being an extension of RadeFox's…).

 

The transform to gradually increase mental disadvantages is great. Combining it with an Ego threshold to determine the level of corruption is splendid as well. Putting both together will be the ticket. The gradual accumulation of disads combined with the Ego threshold solves all my problems with both determining "how" dark side a character is becoming AND mechanically defining "what" is happening to them.

 

You people rule!! :D

 

Thanks!!

 

BTW – if anyone wants to continue adding ideas, I’m all eyes. :-)

[RadeFox]

Sounds good, The disad add in is pretty uch what I do, just without giving the PC a solid disad to write down, so they can't just look at the paper, and know they are one hit from the end of the line.

 

I would also allow healing of the transform completely, with proper atonement, though. A force user with any sort of nasty, aggressive, evilish psych lim is going to be forced into a never ending cycle of gaining dark side transforms becuase of an unlucky disad roll, and atoning for them, ad infinitum. It looks nice and fits the universe on paper, but forcing a player to suffer through it (since if you use them, as soon as they get ANY transform, you are going to give them a disad) for the rest of the PC's life in the game. Nothing, however stopping you from making a serious quest to get rid of that last nagging bit of disad from your psyche, though.

 

Other things to keep in mind- Only force users or force sensitive folks are subject to turning to the dark side. Most folks are free to act however nasty and selfish they want.

 

Add in extra dice for truly heinous actions. If your jedi kills someone with the force powers, without darn good reason, I'd be ready to whack him with 4d6, or more-Cold blooded killing someone with your lightsaber or force kill, easy 6d6 in my book.

[NuSoardGraphite]

Agreed. I would use the Mental Transform approach (changes the targets mental state, not phsysical) coupled with the Cumulative advantage. This would allow multiple dark actions to "stack up" in their bid to turn the character dark.

 

Example:

 

Anakin calls on the force to increase his physical characteristics when he assaults the Tuskans that killed his mom. He rolls 2D6 for the Transform and gets a 7. Thats not double his Ego, so he's okay (for now), but he feels that the Dark has touched him deeply.

 

Later, he encounters some trouble and uses the Force to harm an opponent maliciously. He rolls an 11 (ouch!) for a total of 18. Still not double his ego, but he's well on his way to the dark side by now.

 

Finaly, Anakin faces off with his master, Obi-Wan. That Obi-Wan is jealous of his powers and won't let him and Padme be together....he wants Padme for himself! Unable to beat Obi-wan on his own, he calls on The Force to enhance his speed. Rolls a 12 for a total of 30. This is double Anakin's Ego of 15 and he is lost to the Darkside...

 

Of course its not that extreme during play, considering that the "Body" of the transform Heals over time. This gives PC's a little leeway, so that characters aren't falling to the dark all over the place. Of course, a character who performs questionable actions constantly will quickly fall witht his method...