Star Wars Saga Edition d20 question

[Trinak]

If you use any [dark side] power you will eventually turn to the dark side in a number of battles equal to your wisdom score (assuming you use a power in each battle). Now the question, is there any simple way to use dark side powers, yet stay light side, without a significant loss of force points (since you only have so many of those, even with Force Point recovery)?

[Zincorium]

Er, no. Nor should there be. If you are a light-side jedi, you can't use dark side force powers without tapping into your anger and hate. By doing so, you lose touch with the light side of the force.

If you want to use dark side powers, be a dark jedi. That's the only way to do so on a regular basis.

[Farmer42]

Not really. This is one area most people house rule in some way or another. I run it so that they cancel out dark side points by doing genuinely good deeds. Slipping once or twice, or using something because it saves time shouldn't penalize players as much as the RAW has it.

Edit: The problem, Zincorium, is that by RAW, the PC then becomes an NPC.

[Caewil]

Grab Force Point Recovery alot. With 10 levels of jedi knight, you can transgress 5 times per battle and still be golden.

[Zincorium]

The problem, Zincorium, is that by RAW, the PC then becomes an NPC.

I'm aware, but that's kind of the point. The dark side is supposed to be bad. It's not a blaster or a lightsaber, it is the incarnate darkness in the souls of sentient life. Using it is an inherently damning act in all the star wars canon. Given the nature of the powers, it's difficult to make a case for your character having to use it for the greater good.

There's nothing wrong, in terms of the game itself, with letting someone play a dark side character, it worked fairly well in the non-SAGA d20. Except that dark side characters are more than slightly prone to being psychotic rage machines.

I just have a problem with the 'using dark side powers but still being a light side jedi' thing.

Edit:

It's too bad the mechanics don't support a more neutral aligned Jedi a la Kyle Katarn in Jedi Knight II (who was able to use all the typically Light and Dark powers).

Kyle Katarn wasn't a normal jedi, his powers came almost entirely from the valley of the jedi. That allowed him to use dark side powers without repercussion because, unlike every other jedi, he didn't have to lose his cool and fuel those powers with his emotions. Dark side powers don't make you bad, you have to make yourself dark and angsty to use them.

He was a really cool character to play, though.

[KillianHawkeye]

It's too bad the mechanics don't support a more neutral aligned Jedi a la Kyle Katarn in Jedi Knight II (who was able to use all the typically Light and Dark powers).

[Jerthanis]

Conversely, I've found that people tend to have enough Force Points to do pretty much whatever they want with them, particularly if they have Force Boon. A character with Force Boon can probably augment every force power they use and half of their actions between level ups. One of my players in my current SWSE game is playing a very "all consuming anger towards sith" type of protagonist, and her actions have already given her a darkside point, but she's probably going to level in another session or two, and still has all five of her Force points. I almost want to not tell her about the option for removing DSP, since it's a more interesting character when it's not realizing it's falling to the Dark Side while attempting to murder Sith.

If you get Force Boon, go for Jedi Knight/Master as fast as you can, and get several copies of Force Point Recovery (two, maybe three copies is all you need.) on the way. You won't be able to use dark powers with impunity, but you will be able to occassionally throw a Force Lightning without even having a single Dark Side Point sitting in your pool... as GM discretion permits.

[clockwork warrior]

well, there is the force adept, people with the force who are neither jedi nor sith. i dont have the book, but im in a game so i know a decent amount, but i belive the people who have the force and train them selfs in it while not being a part of either actuall order can use both light and dark force powers as they wish, but im not sure. i can ask the gm who has the book and get his info

[Kizara]

If it's anything like revised core, force adepts still have to deal with dark side points, they just get to skip the hippy jedi code.

[Trinak]

I think I was just trying to reconcile a Mace Windu type jedi who draws on there emotions for battle (like dark rage I suppose).

[Mando Knight]

Well, Battle Strike has a lower Attack Roll bonus and only lasts for one attack, but it can deal far more damage in one shot if you get a nice roll... also, Force Grip is not a Dark Side attack, unless they've got that changed in the errata (which I don't feel like digging around for right now).

That's right: Darth Vader's signature Force Power is totally fine for Luke or Obi-Wan wannabes. Not having to make a check against a defense for the damage helps, too. (The UTF roll will still be checked against the Fortitude Defense to see if the opponent is struggling for breath...)

Also, Mace Windu's signature saber style, Vaapad, is the only way to get the Keen modifier on an attack roll in SAGA...