Dark Side Points for Dark Side Characters

[Jonos]

Maybe I missed this somewhere, but what do DSPs do for Dark NPCs?

[shootingwomprats]

[Jonos]

I see them listed in the stat blocks of villains all the time. They have no purpose whatsoever?

[CRMcNeill]

[Jonos]

I've been reading the Tales of the Jedi Companion and all the Sith in chapter four have DSP listed (and quite a few points, at that).

Later in the book, on pages 143 -144, it describes how a Jedi can add 1D per dark side point to any force skills during any force power use. It also states that those who have fallen to the Dark Side no longer gain the benefit. This clearly is an indication of using DSPs, but it would seem that once the character/NPC falls or reaches 6 DSP, the benefit ends.

Page 144 refers back to the Force in chapter 9 of the rulebook, which talks about the force and dark side, etc. That section then refers to Chapter 4, the Rules. There, it talks about the mechanics of using Force Points and getting DSPs and redemption. However, at no point does it mention any particular use for DSPs.

So, does the fact that Freedon Nadd has 32 (32!) Dark Side points and King Ommin has a mere 8 mean nothing?

If this is true, then why bother listing them unless it's just a dark side pissing match "I'm more Darkside than YOU, brah"

I can see keeping up with them for the purpose of redemption, but it isn't likely that would happen... ever.

[garhkal]

There is a lot more to.. Page 152 in the R&E book..
Rules. Characters who have turned to the dark side must
use the following rules.
• A character consumed by the dark side retains all Force
Points and Character Points.
• Force Points. A dark side character only receives Force
Points when spending Force Points while committing evil at
the dramatically appropriate time. The Force Point is returned
at the end of the adventure and the character gains
another.
Any other time a dark side character spends a Force
Point, it is lost, even if spent while committing evil. The dark
side requires greater and greater evil to fulfill its needs.
• Character Points. Characters consumed by the dark side no
longer receive Character Points for adventuring. Instead,
they receive one Character Point every time they receive
one Dark Side Point.
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[Savar]

The count matters for the purpose of redemption, how many dsp need to be atoned for.

[Jonos]

Essentially pointless for NPCs that are going to be villains; unless a character manages to sell them the "Search your feelings" line with a epic Persuasion roll!

[Naaman]

Considering how high the skills are for characters like Palpatine and Vader, etc, they should literally have thousands of DSPs if the only gain one CP for each DSP.

Not to mention that EVERY single use of a dark side power gramts a DSP. Anakin should have earned 20 or so in just the council chamber alone during the attack on the Jedi temple.

[Pel]

[CRMcNeill]

LOL. A simple misunderstanding. Murder hobo is actually a gaming term for characters who simply wander through the setting killing stuff. Of course, killing actual hobos would fall under the job description of a murder hobo.
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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

[crazydanny1]

[Pel]

So you're using the stock rules. Nothing wrong with that.

Does your party tend to hunt down the newly minted Dark Jedi?
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Aha!

[crazydanny1]

Pel-

With our old gaming group, it was a must to kill the newly christened Darksider almost immediately. We had one player who was a notorious hobo murderer. His characters usually had very short lifespans. If a PC fell to the Darkside, they didn't last long. This may have been due our GM not wanting the extra baggage of a PC turned NPC and all the back story and plot devices that came with it. He usually had a pretty good idea where our campaign was going without needing the extra "spice."

The one instance where the rules and our usual habits didn't apply was, through careful planning and storytelling, my Force-sensitive eventually fell to the Darkside. Granted, he fell to the Darkside in order to take out the nasty villian that had been tormenting our group for quite a while. I was given a very limited amount of adventures to redeem him. Trust me, I had to work for it a bit. Then again, that campaign was wrapping up and we were beginning plans for a reboot. There might have been a touch of power-gaming going on there. But my GM and I usually coordinated the stories enough that most of the events were happening for a reason.
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http://swbloodlines.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Wars_Bloodlines_Wiki

[Lane Arroway]

Another thing to consider about Dark Side points, is that an evil character can be redeemed and lose all but 5 of his/her Dark Side points. So it doesn't matter how many points they have, if you intend for them to be redeemed, even if they die in the process.

Darth Vader, anyone?

Another thing to remember is that a fallen character cannot simply atone like other Jedi with Dark Side points, they must be Redeemed first.

I had a pc fall and be redeemed in the same scene. It happened so fast, I didn't realize it until after the adventure was over. I had to tell the guy, "hey man, because of your noble sacrifice, you're back on the lightside. Congrats, here's 5 Dark Side points." Funny thing, he actually gained 1 point that way.
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