The Influence of the Dark Side...and how you fall..

[ZzaphodD]

NEW DARK SIDE MECHANICS
I have for some time worked with the rules for the Dark Side. There are some points which I dont really comfortable with.
Mainly its the fact that they are a bit 'all or nothing' that bothers me. You have the very crude mechanism of turning to the dark side, and you have the rather crude bonus to the Force skills.

Turning to the Dark Side
I have never liked the RAW rules for turning to the darks side. They were simply put to crude with a too small span of DSP:s you can accumulate before turning (large risk of one choke and you’re an agent of evil). I originally changed this so that had no random element, but instead you automatically turned at 6 DSPs. However, your way to 6 DSP:s were not entirely under your control (see WDS below). However after some discussion with some posters not liking the 'fixed' number where you turned to the dark side, this was replaced with the following rule.
-The Jedi turns to the dark side if he rolls equal to or under his current number of DSPs with 2D. This keeps the original idea of increasing the span of DSPs you can have, and also the RAW uncertainess when you cross over.

This more 'lenient' way of handling DSPs is countered by the 'Will of the Dark Side'. This is a game mechanic that can gradually force your character into the folds of the Dark Side. The idea here is to give the player the feeling that he’s going down that slippery path and gradually losing control. This should of course be role played accordingly.

-Will of the Dark Side (WDS)
-From the point the character has at least 1 DSP the Dark Side will try to influence the characters behaviour. This will at first small things, like making the character use unneccesary force and cause pain. As the DSPs increase the urges will be stronger and will change to real atrocities.
The mechanic works like an opposed test against the resisting characters Willpower or Control. The WDS is normally equal to the current number of DSPs a character have +1D. For example, for a character with 3 DSPs, the WDS is at 4D. When resisting with Willpower you simply use the Willpower skill. When resisting with Control you obviously cannot use any DSP bonus, and will actually instead suffer a penalty equal to your number of DSPs instead as the Jedi has to make an effort to not use the DSP bonus (somewhat like the normal DSP bonus rules).
The test is called for by the GM at 'convenient' or appropriate times. This might be if the characters behaviour is not according to the Jedi Lore or if the character is in combat surrounded by a great deal of violence and death. Also, confronting a strong dark sider might trigger such a test if one falls into the trap of being goaded by the dark sider (think Vader vs Luke, 'I can feel you hatred making you stronger'). As the number of DSPs grow, the tests are called for more often and for lesser transgressions.
The WDS might be modified by +1-3D. This depends on generally Situational and Behavioural circumstances. These are mentioned above and should be scaled to the above bonus to the WDS. For example a character behaving recklessly and relying solely on violence while fighting in a large battle surrounded by much death will face a +2D WDS modifier. I there is a dark sider present using dark side powers this might rise to a +3D WDS modifier.



-Dark Side Bonus to Force Skills. (DSB)
As this system will allow characters to, in general, accumulate larger number of DSPs before turning I want to reduce the bonus to the DSP. With the RAW you will have to be 'lucky' to get to achieve 4 DSPs without turning. With the above system you can get to 4 DSPs without a high risk of turning. Hence the bonuses will in general will be higher if nothing is done.
With this new system I propose that you each round will get a bonus dice pool, to use for force actions, equal to to your current DSPs. This is your Dark Side Bonus (pool), or DSB.

-The DSB is a bonus dice pool which you can use every round. At the start of each round the pool refreshes.
-However, the Dark Side should favour those using violence and cruelty and especially hatred. The DSB i doubled any round the Jedi is in combat or otherwise is using violence. A Jedi with Dark Side Points that initiates combat too easily will have to resist the Will of the Dark Side frequently to avoid giving in to hatred.
-If the Jedi acts in hatred or gives in to hatred by losing control.( A Jedi that willingly gives in to hatred is actually calling on the Dark Side as per the normal RAW) the DSB is tripled. This will always trigger the Will of the Dark Side. If the character fails to resist, the Jedi will call on the Dark Side (as per the RAW).

Things to do: I want to specify more when you get your normal DSB, doubled and tripled. To be more specific, when (giving in to) hatred (triple DSB) and the RAW rules for Calling on the Dark Side.

-DSP skill bonuses for non force sensitives.
Im thinking of making non force sensitives influenced by the dark side as well but to a much lesser degree. If so, some kind of limited bonus system will be created as well. These ideas are still very much under construction, but Im thinking of adding bonus 'pips' equal to the number of DSPs to certain actions that cause unneccesary pain and violence...

[Leon The Lion]

Well, concrete and hard codified rules for going over to the Dark Side are not entirely my cup of tea, but the above seem pretty well thought out.
One thing I'll say, I don't like a hard DSP boundry after which you fall, but I don't like the random one either. Myself, I'd probably go with something similiar to the way the D20 version is doing it (gasp! ), and have a concrete, or at most mildly variable (+/-1), number of DSP after which you go over, based on the character's Perception (or maybe even Willpower).

Oh, and a random, spur of the moment idea regarding the DS' influence on the character, to maybe get a little more roleplaing into it (or will that be metagaming in this case?) - anyway, more spicy choice for the player:
I. The character may always just give in and go along with the Dark Side's suggestions. Bad idea
II. The character may resist with a Willpower/Control roll as described above.
III. The character may just say "NO" and automatically resist the dark compulsion, but in return must suffer some kind of penalty in the (near) future (no auto success AND harder to resist the DS' whispers next time?).
Anyway, it's just something that popped into my brain on the spot, I don't expect for it to make much sense on analisis
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[ZzaphodD]

[garhkal]

While i personally prefer the 1d turning, your solution looks usable. And i especially like the will of the dark side rules.
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[ZzaphodD]

OP is now uppdated. Specifically 'Bonus to Force Skills'

[Random Numbers]

How does the bonus work with lighsaber combat?
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Random is who random does...

[Lancil]

Maybe I'm just a simple guy, but this all seems a little more complicated than necessary.
Weather you use the 1d or 2d system is really just up to the GM as to how much wiggle room he is willing to give to his players (I prefer the 1d personally)
For me it is simple. The dark side prays on you when you are at your most desperate and afraid. You automatically get +1d to all force abilities for every DS point you have. If you choose to use the bonus you get another dark side point. If you choose to not use the bonus points you are at -1d for each DS point to all force skills.
This may seem harsh, but I think it represents the lure and temptation of the DS. Once you start down the path it is a slippery slope indeed.
But I also don't like the RAW force skills either. I think that the force rules are clunky and under powered. And that PC force users, in general, are allowed to get away with entirely to much with out gaining DS points.
Let the flaming begin

[Random Numbers]

[ZzaphodD]

[Lancil]

IMO...The Jedi code is strict and it is meant to be taken literally. Because only buy living by it can you not eventually turn. Remember, the code has had thousands of years to be tried and tested. Evin if the guy who wrote the code didn't know what he was talking about by now it would have been refined to perfection.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no chaos, there is harmony.
There is no death, there is the Force.

Ignorance and passion both lead to chaos and death, and all races in the galaxy have a plethora of both. With out strict discipline and diligence to the code (or one very similar too it.) A force user does not stand much of a chance at staying with the light. Anakin Skywalker is a good example of this he played fast and loose with the code and became the surge of the galaxy.

[Nico_Davout]

[atgxtg]

[ZzaphodD]

[atgxtg]

[ZzaphodD]