House Rules for DS & LS Points
We are getting ready to start playing a SW d20 game set in the Golden Age of the Sith. Our GM has modified the rules so that we the players can be Sith without racking up massive DS points and physically degenerating quickly. I hope this helps you out:
Light Side Characters
For a character who walks the light side, life is never easy. It is an endless internal battle, fighting off temptation and denying his natural emotions; to the Sith this is an unfathomably unnatural state of being. A character achieves the distinction of ascending to the light side in two stages: serene and light.
Light Side Strength
When a character accumulates ten or more Light Side Points, he gains a Light Side Strength Point. The ten Light Side Points previously gained are removed at this time, keeping any in excess of the ten required. If, for any reason, a character loses Light Side Points that he does not have due to having Light Side Strength Points, convert the Light Side Strength Points into ten Light Side Points and subtract the Light Dark Side Points from the character’s total.
When a character’s number of Light Side Strength Points equals one-half his Wisdom score (rounded down), he is considered to be serene. A serene character is in harmony with his surroundings and the light side of the Force. He has begun to walk its path and strengthened his will against the galaxy’s temptations. Such a character gains a +1 light side bonus on any Force skill checks made to use the light side of the Force, but takes a -1 penalty on any Force skill checks made to use the dark side of the Force.
Thereafter, each time the hero gains a Light Side Point, he must make a Wisdom check (DC 10 + the number of Light Side Strength Points possessed). If he fails this check, or when his number of Light Side Strength Points equals or exceeds his Wisdom score, he is considered to be light. He is now effectively one with the light side. A light side character gains a +2 light side bonus on any Force skill checks made to use a light side Force skill. He takes a -2 penalty on any Force skill checks made to use dark side Force skills.
Long-Term Light Side Effects
The light side offers a slow path to power, it also exacts a minor toll from those who walk its path. As time goes by and characters grow stronger in the light side, they subsequently experience a disassociation with the people around them – a lightsider’s emotions remain under strict control and he finds it difficult to overcome the logic and reason that he relies on to empathize with other beings.
Whenever a serene Force-using character gains a new character level, he must check to see if the power of the light side has had a permanent, lasting effect. To do this, the character makes a Fortitude saving throw (DC 5 + the number of Light Side Strength Points possessed at the time of advancement). If the save succeeds, the character manages to stave off the disassociative effects of the light side for another level. If the save fails, the character gains a permanent -1 penalty on all checks with one social skill (Bluff, Diplomacy, Entertain, Gather Information, Intimidate or Sense Motive). The player chooses which skill incurs the penalty, but no skill can be penalized by this means twice in succession (at each of two different levels).
For a light Force-using character, the Fortitude saving throw has a DC of 10 + the number of Light Side Strength Points possessed at the time of advancement. If the save succeeds, there is no loss. If the save fails, the character permanently incurs a -1 penalty to a social skill, as detailed above.
If a serene character eventually finds his own passions by losing all Light Side Points, all skill check penalties due to the disassociative nature of the light side recover at the rate of one to all affected skills per year (with the first decrease in penalty occurring immediately).
Dark Side Points
Dark Side Points measure the corrupting influence of the dark side of the Force. These points gauge a character’s devotion – consciously or otherwise – to the dark side.
A character gains Dark Side Points in three ways:
Using a Force Point to call upon the Dark Side
Using many dark side Force-based skills or feats.
Performing an evil act.
When a character spends a Force Point to call upon the dark side and thereby increases his chance of success, he gains a Dark Side Point. This occurs regardless of the task being attempted with the Force Point, the success or failure of that task or the hero’s intent in attempting the action.
A character gains a Dark Side Point by using many dark side Force based skills or feats. Not all dark side powers automatically grant a Dark Side Point, but most do.
A character gains a Dark Side Point by performing an evil act, such as killing an innocent being, causing unnecessary gratuitous injury or using the Force while angry or hateful.
All three of the above conditions are cumulative with one another. A character who spends a Force Point to call upon the dark side to use a dark side Force power to perform an evil act would gain three Dark Side Points.
Acts of Evil
Evil is not always easy to recognize. An innocent act may ultimately result in great suffering. An act of revenge may save the lives of millions of people. The pure at heart can lash out in anger. Evil may lurk beneath a mask of virtue. Whether an act is evil or not often boils down to a question of motivation, and motivations can be hard to identify.
When in doubt about whether to award a Dark Side Point to a character, you should consider the character's motives: Did the character act out of anger? Hatred? Cruelty? Vengeance? Pride? Did the character choose an option simply because it would allow him to spill an enemy's blood? Was greed or envy involved? Jealousy?
You should always remember that simply feeling anger, fear, bloodlust, or any other similarly negative emotion is not in and of itself of the dark side. The journey to the dark side begins when a character allows such negative emotions to determine his actions rather than the will of the Force. A Jedi may hate a Sith, but if he kills the Sith in self-defense he does not necessarily gain a Dark Side Point.
Resisting Temptation
If power corrupts, then one of the most dangerous aspects of harnessing the dark side of the Force is the temptation to continue to wield that power, letting it corrupt and twist one’s identity. However, strong-willed, tranquil, and grounded characters may be able to avoid this temptation even when faced with the lures of the dark side.
In game terms, whenever a character commits a dark side transgression (this does not include using the dark side with a Force Point or dark side Force skills that automatically grant a Dark Side Point as part of their activation), the character must make a Will save to avoid gaining a Dark Side Point. The base DC is set by the severity of the transgression: minor (DC 20), common (DC 25), and major (DC 30). Add +10 to the DC if the character is tainted, because such characters are particularly vulnerable to the temptations of the dark side and dark characters automatically fail this saving throw. (In contrast, dark characters are already corrupted, and light side characters have not yet tapped into the greater powers of the dark side and thus have not yet confronted these deeper temptations.)
This rule has the effect of making less experienced characters much more likely to succumb to the dark side, and their journey down that evil path accelerates substantially once they become tainted and truly begin to taste the power of the dark side. Still, even the most experienced Jedi Master can gain Dark Side Points from even the most minor transgression; after all, you always fail a saving throw by rolling a natural 1.
Particularly egregious actions may warrant a substantially higher Will save DC.
Dark Side Characters
At first, it may seem that the dark side is an easy path to power. Eventually, however, those who depend on the power of the dark side of the Force fall victim to it. A character achieves the distinction of falling to the dark side in two stages: tainted and dark.
Dark Side Strength
When a character accumulates ten or more Dark Side Points, he gains a Dark Side Strength Point. The ten Dark Side Points previously gained are removed at this time, keeping any in excess of the ten required. If, for any reason, a character loses Dark Side Points that he does not have due to having Dark Side Strength Points, convert the Dark Side Strength Points into ten Dark Side Points and subtract the Dark Side Points from the character’s total.
When a character’s number of Dark Side Strength Points equals one-half his Wisdom score (rounded down), he is considered to be tainted. A tainted character is in danger of being lost to the dark side. He has begun to walk its path and taste the seductive power it offers. Such a character gains a +2 dark side bonus on any Force skill checks made to use the dark side of the Force, but takes a -4 penalty on any Force skill checks made to use the light side of the Force.
Thereafter, each time the hero gains a Dark Side Point, he must make a Wisdom check (DC 10 + the number of Dark Side Strength Points possessed). If he fails this check, or when his number of Dark Side Strength Points equals or exceeds his Wisdom score, he is considered to be dark. He is now effectively lost to the dark side. A dark side character gains a +4 dark side bonus on any Force skill checks made to use a dark side Force skill. He takes a -8 penalty on any Force skill checks made to use light side Force skills. Any Force Points spent by a dark character automatically call upon the dark side of the Force.
Long-Term Dark Side Effects
The path of the dark side is mentally and sometimes physically corruptive. As use of the dark side of the Force leads to deeper immersion in it, this malevolent power takes its toll on the body of a dark side practitioner. A well known characteristic of many dark side users is that their irises become a sulpherous, hideous yellow color. In extreme cases, the taint will mottle and disfigure the flesh into a corpse-gray color. The dark side's corruption also has the tendency to lower the user's voice several octaves over time.
While the dark side offers a quick path to power, it also exacts a heavy toll from those who use it frequently. As time goes by and characters grow stronger in the dark side, they subsequently experience a physical deterioration – a darksider’s body withers and fails as it is corrupted and rotted away by the dark, evil power coursing through it.
Whenever a tainted Force-using character gains a new character level, he must check to see if the corruption of the dark side has had a permanent, lasting effect. To do this, the character makes a Fortitude saving throw (DC 5 + the number of Dark Side Strength Points possessed at the time of advancement). If the save succeeds, the character manages to stave off the debilitating effects of the dark side for another level. If the save fails, the character permanently loses one point of Strength, Dexterity or Constitution. The player chooses which ability point is lost, but no ability can be reduced by this means twice in succession (at each of two different levels).
For a dark Force-using character, the Fortitude saving throw has a DC of 10 + the number of Dark Side Strength Points possessed at the time of advancement. If the save succeeds, there is no loss. If the save fails, the character permanently loses one point of Strength, Dexterity or Constitution, as detailed above.
If a tainted character eventually finds redemption, any ability decreases due to the corruption of the dark side remain.
Force-sensitive sentients are not the only things altered by the dark side. Another example of the corruption of the Dark Side are the Terentatek which evolved on Korriban and due to the planet's Dark Side presence the creatures developed an immunity to Force powers and feed off the blood of Force-sensitives.
Choosing Between Light and Dark
No character can ever have any number of both Light Side Points and Dark Side Points at the same time; the two are mutually exclusive. A character can walk a middle path, sometimes possessing a handful of Light Side Points and sometimes some Dark Side Points, but this is rare. Most Force-users choose to walk one path or the other; and a Sith not exploring the seductive call of the dark side is unheard of.
Gaining Dark and Light
In any situation where a character would gain both Dark Side Points and Light Side Points from the same action (Using a dark side skill to selflessly save someone or calling upon the light side of the Force to augment the use of a dark side skill), single points cancel each other out; subtract the lesser point value from the greater, the character gains the remainder.
The Serene Walking the Shadowy Path
When a character with a Light Side Point total performs an action that earns him a Dark Side Point, he loses his way on the path of serenity:
A character who has not walked far on the path of the light side loses up to 4 Light Side Strength Points when he gains a Dark Side Point. If this cost is too much for the character to pay, he simply has no points left, light or dark. If he gains more than one Dark Side Point, and has lost all of his Light Side Points after the first Dark Side Point is applied, he gains the remaining Dark Side Points as normal.
A serene character who earns a Dark Side Point loses up to 2 Light Side Strength Points.
A light character loses up to 1 Light Side Strength Point if he gains a Dark Side Point.
The Tainted Walking the Illuminated Path
When a character with a Dark Side Point total performs an action that earns him a Light Side Point, he stumbles on the path of corruption:
A character who has not walked far on the path of the dark side loses up to 4 Dark Side Points when he gains a Light Side Point. If this cost is too much for the character to pay, he simply has no points left, light or dark. If he gains more than one Light Side Point, and has lost all of his Dark Side Points after the first Light Side Point is applied, he gains the remaining Light Side Points as normal.
A tainted character who earns a Light Side Point loses up to 2 Dark Side Points.
A dark character loses 1 Dark Side Point if he gains a Light Side Point.
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