The Dark Side

Your Dark Side Score measures the extent to which you've been corrupted by the dark side of the Force. A 1st-level character begins play with a Dark Side Score of O. The only way to increase one's Dark Side Score is to commit evil acts.

A character who commits an evil act increases his Dark Side Score by 1. What constitutes an evil act is discussed under Dark Side Transgressions, below. Regardless of how many evil acts a character commits, the maximum Dark Side Score a character can possess is equal to his Wisdom score. Thus, a character with a Wisdom of 15 can have a maximum Dark Side Score of 15.

A character whose Dark Side Score equals his Wisdom score has fully embraced the dark side and is wholly evil. A hero who falls to the dark side becomes a GM character (unless the GM wants to allow the player to continue playing the dark side character as a sort of campaign anti-hero).

The GM should use the considerations detailed below as guidelines for whether or not to increase a character's Dark Side Score. The guidelines are separated by degree: Major transgressions are acts that definitely deserve an increase, moderate transgressions are acts that probably deserve an increase, and minor transgressions are acts that could be considered dark but probably don't deserve an increase.

Major Transgressions

Any of the following transgressions should increase a character's Dark Side Score by 1:

Performing a blatantly evil act

This includes deliberately killing or injuring another character who hasn't done anything wrong or who honestly seeks redemption for evil acts he performed in the past.

Using a Force Power with the {dark side} descriptor

A few Force powers are, by their very nature, evil. Examples of Force powers with the {dark side} descriptor include Force Lightning, which channels dark energy, and Dark Rage, which feeds on negative emotions.

Using the Force in anger

Using the Force in anger or hatred is bad, but this can be hard to enforce. It's difficult to determine the emotion a character is experiencing. The GM should increase a character's Dark Side Score by 1 in these situations only when the player specifically states that his character is feeling fear, anger, hatred, pride, jealousy, greed, vengeance, and so forth.

Moderate Transgressions

Any of the following transgressions might increase a character's Dark Side Score by I, at the GM's discretion:

Using the Force to cause undue harm

Many uses of the Force are not overtly of the dark side, but they can be harmful or even fatal in their applications. When a Force power that isn't specifically tied to the dark side is used to harm living beings, the GM should consider increasing the character's Dark Side Score by 1.

Performing a questionably evil act

Some acts, while seemingly cruel, aren't necessarily evil. The GM should consider the intent behind the action before deciding to increase a character's Dark Side Score. For example, it may be a transgression to deliberately kill or injure (or allow someone else to kill or injure) a character known to have committed evil acts without remorse, but who is otherwise helpless.

Minor Transgressions

The following transgressions should probably not increase a character's Dark Side Score, unless the GM feels there's good cause to make an exception:

Performing a dubiously evil act

Increase a character's Dark Side Score only when the act is out of proportion to the situation. In most cases, the GM shouldn't increase a character's Dark Side Score for a single incident, but multiple incidents may indicate that the character has an unconscious cruel streak. For example, a hero who kills an opponent in combat while ignoring opportunities to end the situation without the loss of life might deserve a increased Dark Side Score, though a specific situation might not appear quite so clear-cut.

Atoning

A hero tainted by the dark side can work his way back to the light through heroic deeds, the use of Force Points, and by atoning for past misdeeds. A dark character's only path back to the light is to accomplish a truly epic act of heroism against the dark and in the service of the light.

Effectively, the tainted character accomplishes this by reducing his Dark Side Score. A character can sacrifice 1 Force Point to reduce his Dark Side Score by 1. This form of atonement represents a period of meditation, reflection, and absolution on the part of the character. If desired by the player and GM, this can be worked into the campaign as part of an adventure, but it isn't necessary. It can occur between adventures.

In addition, an act of dramatic heroism by the character-if performed without calling upon the dark side - reduces the character's Dark Side Score by 1.

A dark character can't reduce his Dark Side Score by atoning. Such a character's only option is an act of dramatic heroism (see below).

Dramatic Heroism

A dark character may attempt to turn away from the dark side by performing an act of dramatic heroism without calling upon the dark side of the Force. Such an act should require extreme personal cost, be made in a selfless manner, and provide a significant benefit to the galactic balance.

Darth Vader performed such an act of dramatic heroism at the end of Return of the Jedi when he sacrificed his own life to save his son and destroy the Emperor. Kyp Durron (in the expanded Star Wars universe) performed a similar act of dramatic heroism by destroying the Sun Crusher, a super weapon prototype. Additionally, Jedi history tells of a Jedi named Bastila Shan (from Knights of the Old Republic) falling to the dark side, but in an act of dramatic heroism she turned the Republic fleet against Darth Malak using a powerful form of Battle Meditation.

If the GM accepts the act as being appropriately heroic, dramatic, and selfless, the character's Dark Side Score drops to 1, and he clears all but one of the boxes on his Dark Side Score tracker (so that he has a number of empty boxes equal to one less than his Wisdom score). In addition, the dark side exacts a final toll by drawing away all of the character's current Force Points. Henceforth, the character must strive to walk the path of the light side.