Once you start down the Dark Path...

[CRMcNeill]

If Yoda was correct in ESB, characters who have been tainted by the Dark Side, "forever will it dominate their destiny." Yet under the RAW, with the atonement rules for DSPs, a character can essentially be freed of the influence of darkness. Would it be a better representation of this scenario if, once a character gains a DSP, they will always ever have a minimum of 1 DSP, no matter how much they atone?
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"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[Jedi Skyler]

Good question.

I don't know if that would necessarily be accurate, however. Yoda may have been speaking a bit more metaphorically, meaning that once you start down that path, even if you come back, you're always going to be more cognizant of the temptation to do so, and might have a harder time resisting it...or maybe are affected in such a way that they go to extremes to avoid doing anything that might even be PERCEIVED as evil...basically becoming the Star Wars version of a Paladin.

[CRMcNeill]

The problem for me is that there is no real framework within the RAW for that temptation to express itself. Good roleplayers might choose to enact that sort of character acting of their own free will, but rules lawyers and overworked GMs are just as likely to ignore it. Having a minimum of 1 DSP would make the potential vulnerability part of the rules.
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"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[shootingwomprats]

I tell you guys what. I have never been terribly happy with the mechanics of falling to the Dark Side in any of the version of Star Wars. I think it is too rapid, doesn't allow for slower progression, personality quirks or roleplaying.

I am giving serious thought to developing some rules for this. I am open to suggestions from people.

At this time, I am quite busy helping Ty compile the Optional Rules. The next project will be a new book of all official templates with optional character creation rules. There is some speculation that following that would be a book of unofficial templates.

Then there is five items I create every week for the SWD6+ community, the podcast and the three SWD6 games I am running. Yeah my plate is pretty full.
_________________
Don Diestler
Host, Shooting Womp Rats
The D6 Podcast
http://d6holocron.com/shootingwomprats
@swd6podcast, Twitter

[Ral_Brelt]

I really don't think there needs to be rules for temptation. Then again, I play the Dark Side in someone's mind. I give it voice and a personality, having it offer to help in difficult situations following the 'first ones free' mentality. After that, I still offer force points, but they claim a dark side point as well.

[Rollenspiel]

I agree that the DSP mechanics RAW are abrupt -- i.e. we need a bigger spread, and thus I am not opposed to introducing non-hexahedra (*gasp*) into my game. How's about making it a roll-under on 1d20? I cannot be the only person who has contemplated using other kinds of polyhedra. And even then, if the PC has rolled under his DS#, he should then be given the equivalent of a "Will Save" (if you will) to resist succumbing to the Dark Side, though I'm not sure what stat to use in that case.

[garhkal]

As i have experienced in game though, you can be the slickest most tempting voice for the dark side there is, but unless there is some sort of resistance roll (say willpower) to see if they slip up or not, leaving things to just the players choice makes it too easy to 'avoid' the temptation.

As for the once you start aspect, i like how our sparks group has it.
First ever Dark side point you get takes 3 gaming sessions of being REALLY goodie goodie to attone for it. Get another, now it takes 4 sessions.
Get another now it takes 5.. So even if all you do is gain 1dsp, and then atone for it, it will become harder and harder to atone.
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Mikael Hasselstein]

[Quetzacotl]

[Jedi Skyler]

The only problem I have with mandating a Willpower roll to decide whether or not the character resists or succumbs to the Dark Side is that it completely negates the roleplaying experience, which is what this is all about in the first place.

In the end, this is about telling a story. The dice serve to help put the players (and the GM, if they are able to get into the experience in the same way), on the edge of their seats, just like you're watching the movies, wondering whether or not the scene is going to go this way or that. They add in the element of chance so that the story isn't always the same.

Although it is a good thing to have the dice in there, the other (and more important, in my opinion) part of this equation is having good roleplaying. Take my character Jeaubert, for example. He's been trained in the ways of the Force, and has just lost his Master, who has drilled into him the understanding that the Force is to be used when he is calm, and to never take the quick and easy path. So far, there hasn't been a great temptation to use the Dark Side, although I strongly suspect it's coming very soon in our current campaign. He has, however, been tempted to do some not quite above-board things, and has so far refrained from doing so. If Jeaubert, for example, is presented with a really pressing temptation, and I subsequently have to make a roll to see if he succumbs or not, I would NOT be happy. I don't see any precedent being set for it being so great a temptation that it's going to break down his training, especially when he hasn't used the Dark Side before.

Personally, I agree that the slide to the Dark Side is too short. While I agree that a character (save for a Dark Side campaign character) shouldn't be running around accruing DSPs, I have a big problem with a character getting up to 2 DSPs, and having the possibility right at that point to fall to the Dark Side. IMO the character hasn't been messing around with it enough to have it happen...but roll that 1, and you're screwed.

[Mikael Hasselstein]

[DougRed4]

Interesting discussion, and I agree that you probably don't want that power gamer/munchkin-type playing the Jedi.

So far our Jedi hasn't gained any DSP yet, and the few times he's used some of the more powerful Jedi abilities (like Battle Meditation) - though they've been extremely successful - he's not felt good about doing so (self-imposed, before I as the GM have said anything), and has (more or less) purposed not to use them again.

That said, I'd like to add some temptations into upcoming stories for him, and imagine that Willpower is the appropriate skill to use (in tandem with actual role-playing, of course).
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Currently Running: Villains & Vigilantes (a 32-year-old campaign with multiple groups) and D6 Star Wars; mostly on hiatus are Adventures in Middle-earth and Delta Green

[Darth_Hilarious]

What about a character that unknowingly uses darkside powers . By not knowing any better (no Jedi to correct his ways) and he does not use them in a malicious manner or for evil. I can see that character possibly having a higher percentage of falling to the dark side. but attonement for him should be easier than for a character that already knew that the powers he was using were DS.
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People keep telling me that I'm crazy. I keep telling them "No I'm not, I don't get a check".

Revenge is beneath me , but accidents DO happen .

[shootingwomprats]

I am contemplating making mechanics where the characters get Taint. A point of Taint is equivalent to 1D. So 1 point of Taint 1D, 2 points 2D, etc. Whenever the characters is tempted or does something warranting some Dark Taint they rolls vs Easy 10 with the dice in the Taint of the Dark Side pool. Compare this to the a chart similar to this:

0-3 Personality Quirk (feelings of invincibility, powerful, smarter than everyone else, etc)
4-8 Personality Quirk (quick to anger, megalomaniac, bad dreams, etc)
9-12 +5 to use the Force
13-15 +10 to use the Force
16+ +15 to use Force Skill, gain a Dark Side Point

perhaps even ...

0-3 Personality quirk, Moderate PER to temporarily overcome.
4-8 Personality quirk, Difficult PER to temporarily overcome.

or ...

0-3 ....... Personality Quirk (feelings of invincibility, powerful, smarter
than everyone else, etc).
4-8 ....... Personality Quirk (quick to anger, megalomaniac, bad
dreams, etc).
9-12 ..... Gain a Dark Side Point
13-15 ... Gain a Dark Side Point, +5 to use the Force skill for 1 round.
16+ ...... Gain a Dark Side Point, +10 to use Force Skill for 1 round, gain a Dark Side Point.

Calling on the Dark Side +10 modifier.

The above charts are just preliminary but you get the idea.
_________________
Don Diestler
Host, Shooting Womp Rats
The D6 Podcast
http://d6holocron.com/shootingwomprats
@swd6podcast, Twitter

[CRMcNeill]