Sparky McDibben
2020-07-05, 03:40 PM
OK, the title might be kinda misleading, but here are the parameters:
This will be played in a D&D world, using characters inspired by the Star Wars universe
It's a 1 on 1 game, so I'm not at all worried about balancing my PC vs other players
It is a home game, played nightly
My player wants to play an arcana cleric, with the deity flavored to be magic itself as similar to the Force (kind of a consular Jedi, for SWSE fans)
So my first question was, "How the hell does the Dark Side work in a world like this?" Well, actually that was my second question. My first question was, "Do you want to be part of a Jedi Order, a la Anakin and Obi-Wan, or more of a 'new hope' like Luke?" She said "Like Luke, dummy," and here we are.
I remember the old 3.5e Saga Edition ruleset, and I was thinking about a rule similar to their Dark Side score tracker:
You have a Dark Side score up to your Wisdom score
As you commit actions the DM feels are "Dark Sidey" you accrue Dark Side points
Once your Dark Side points equal your Wisdom score, you've fallen to the Dark Side
My problem with this are manifold: 1) it involves little associated player choice (in the form of mechanically reinforcing certain actions), 2) It doesn't let the player get in over her head, 3) I don't want to have to go through the D&D spell list and pick out which spells are "Dark Side spells," and 4) I dislike taking control of a character away from a player.
I thought about adding the following addenda:
You can gain Dark Side Points (DSP) by "taking the quick and easy path," as represented by gaining certain mechanical benefits, once per short rest:
Dark Side Score:
Description:
Gain 1 DSP To:
DSP Redemption Cost:
1 - 5
Tempted
Take an action after another creature's turn
1 year and 4 gp each
6 - 10
Tainted
Gain temp hp equal to double your current Dark Side Points
1 month and 20 gp each
11 - 15
Fallen
Use a reaction to force an adjacent creature to suffer damage that would have been dealt to you
1 week and 100 gp each
16 - 20
Dark
Use an action to regain spell levels equal to your current Dark Side Points
1 day and 500 gp each
Design Intent: To let the player dig themselves into long-term trouble by using the Dark Side to solve short-term problems.
Terms: I'm not in love with the Descriptions - please suggest better ones. "Gain DSP To:" column describes cumulative benefits of taking a Dark Side Point. In other words, if I currently have 3 DSPs, I can gain another DSP and take an action after another creature's turn. If I have 7 DSPs, I can gain another DSP and either take an action after someone else's turn, or transfer damage that would have gone to me to any adjacent creature. DSP Redemption Time is the minimum amount of time you have to spend in quiet contemplation during downtime to remove a single Dark Side Point. So if I have 19 DSPs and want to go completely clean, it'll take me a minimum of five and half years of doing nothing except meditating and cost at least 2,620 gp to make amends for my misdeeds.
Notes: Obviously huge flashy acts of bravery can redeem you in short order, but those tend to be called "heroic sacrifices" for a reason. The reason the time and gold cost are inverted is to reinforce Yoda's words: "Once you start down the Dark Path, forever will it dominate your destiny." In other words, the Dark Side is sticky; it doesn't wash off easy. If it seems like the scaling is screwy here, there's a reason for that. I wanted the first and last bonuses to be hugely impactful, to both lure players onto the Dark Side and keep them there, because that seemed to me to be the Sith's whole schtick.
Once your Dark Side Points equal your Wisdom score, you are considered fully on the Dark Side. You cannot remove DSPs through meditation and atonement, but must adventure to remove them. Adventuring to remove DSPs removes a variable number determined by the DM. However, DSPs continue to accrue for evil actions and drawing on the power of the Dark Side.
I offer this for general critique, and to ask how this will fare specifically in D&D 5e's system. I'm thinking about implementing this with bad guys, too, but just a few of them and only Force-users. My problem now is that this is all upside for the Dark Side. There is no reason to stay on the Light (except for, like, morality and stuff). So what's the catch? Can anyone help me out here?
Thanks in advance!
This will be played in a D&D world, using characters inspired by the Star Wars universe
It's a 1 on 1 game, so I'm not at all worried about balancing my PC vs other players
It is a home game, played nightly
My player wants to play an arcana cleric, with the deity flavored to be magic itself as similar to the Force (kind of a consular Jedi, for SWSE fans)
So my first question was, "How the hell does the Dark Side work in a world like this?" Well, actually that was my second question. My first question was, "Do you want to be part of a Jedi Order, a la Anakin and Obi-Wan, or more of a 'new hope' like Luke?" She said "Like Luke, dummy," and here we are.
I remember the old 3.5e Saga Edition ruleset, and I was thinking about a rule similar to their Dark Side score tracker:
You have a Dark Side score up to your Wisdom score
As you commit actions the DM feels are "Dark Sidey" you accrue Dark Side points
Once your Dark Side points equal your Wisdom score, you've fallen to the Dark Side
My problem with this are manifold: 1) it involves little associated player choice (in the form of mechanically reinforcing certain actions), 2) It doesn't let the player get in over her head, 3) I don't want to have to go through the D&D spell list and pick out which spells are "Dark Side spells," and 4) I dislike taking control of a character away from a player.
I thought about adding the following addenda:
You can gain Dark Side Points (DSP) by "taking the quick and easy path," as represented by gaining certain mechanical benefits, once per short rest:
Dark Side Score:
Description:
Gain 1 DSP To:
DSP Redemption Cost:
1 - 5
Tempted
Take an action after another creature's turn
1 year and 4 gp each
6 - 10
Tainted
Gain temp hp equal to double your current Dark Side Points
1 month and 20 gp each
11 - 15
Fallen
Use a reaction to force an adjacent creature to suffer damage that would have been dealt to you
1 week and 100 gp each
16 - 20
Dark
Use an action to regain spell levels equal to your current Dark Side Points
1 day and 500 gp each
Design Intent: To let the player dig themselves into long-term trouble by using the Dark Side to solve short-term problems.
Terms: I'm not in love with the Descriptions - please suggest better ones. "Gain DSP To:" column describes cumulative benefits of taking a Dark Side Point. In other words, if I currently have 3 DSPs, I can gain another DSP and take an action after another creature's turn. If I have 7 DSPs, I can gain another DSP and either take an action after someone else's turn, or transfer damage that would have gone to me to any adjacent creature. DSP Redemption Time is the minimum amount of time you have to spend in quiet contemplation during downtime to remove a single Dark Side Point. So if I have 19 DSPs and want to go completely clean, it'll take me a minimum of five and half years of doing nothing except meditating and cost at least 2,620 gp to make amends for my misdeeds.
Notes: Obviously huge flashy acts of bravery can redeem you in short order, but those tend to be called "heroic sacrifices" for a reason. The reason the time and gold cost are inverted is to reinforce Yoda's words: "Once you start down the Dark Path, forever will it dominate your destiny." In other words, the Dark Side is sticky; it doesn't wash off easy. If it seems like the scaling is screwy here, there's a reason for that. I wanted the first and last bonuses to be hugely impactful, to both lure players onto the Dark Side and keep them there, because that seemed to me to be the Sith's whole schtick.
Once your Dark Side Points equal your Wisdom score, you are considered fully on the Dark Side. You cannot remove DSPs through meditation and atonement, but must adventure to remove them. Adventuring to remove DSPs removes a variable number determined by the DM. However, DSPs continue to accrue for evil actions and drawing on the power of the Dark Side.
I offer this for general critique, and to ask how this will fare specifically in D&D 5e's system. I'm thinking about implementing this with bad guys, too, but just a few of them and only Force-users. My problem now is that this is all upside for the Dark Side. There is no reason to stay on the Light (except for, like, morality and stuff). So what's the catch? Can anyone help me out here?
Thanks in advance!