The Dark Side of the Force offers a quick path to power for those who would embrace it, and it gives a great deal more up front than it seems to take, however once a Jedi has begun down the path to the Dark Side it is difficult to find redemption and a way back to the Light.
Force Users are much more susceptible to the call of the Dark Side than non-Force Users; every choice and every action a Force User makes weighs the balance of their deeds and intentions, bending toward the Light or to the Dark Side. A Jedi’s fall toward Darkness begins with small, seemingly inconsequential decisions, typically when a Jedi is feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, or angry; they choose to take the easy option, the quickest solution. In the moment, it may seem right, it may seem like the best solution that harms the fewest; and from a pragmatic standpoint, maybe it really is. But the Dark Side seduces and lies, and makes it easy to justify choices and deeds which lead down its path.
When a Force User commits an act which goes against the ideals of the Light Side of the Force, they risk gaining a Dark Side Point. Whether or not a certain act justifies a Dark Side Point depends on many factors, and is ultimately the decision of the GM. An action made in anger, or out of selfishness, even when for self-preservation, can easily result in a Dark Side Point. Using the Force to manipulate or harm another being can result in a Dark Side Point, even if the end goal is “good”. The ends rarely justify the means when it comes to matters of the Force.
The Dark Side offers power. At the GM’s discretion, a Force User experiencing anger, frustration, sadness, or stress may be offered a bonus to their Force abilities in order to overcome an opponent, fix a problem, or survive an injury. In these situations, the Jedi must make a Willpower roll at the difficulty set by the GM to resist the pull of the Dark Side; if they resist, the bonus is dismissed with no penalty. If the Willpower roll fails, the Jedi is given the bonus, and an opportunity to resist again at a higher difficulty. If the Jedi succeeds this roll, the bonus is dismissed and the Jedi may act as normal, however they may not perform the action desired by the Dark Side (for which they were offered the bonus) without incurring a Dark Side Point.
If the Jedi fails this second resistance roll, the skill bonus remains active, and the Jedi must perform the action desired by the Dark Side, and gains a Dark Side Point for doing so.
As the Jedi’s Dark Side Points increase, these offers of power become less frequent, relying on greater evils to curry the favour of the Dark Side, however with greater evils come greater rewards and bonuses. For each Dark Side Point a Jedi has, they gain a +1D+0 bonus to Force skills used in the service of the Dark Side, whether they are specifically Dark Side powers or not. The Jedi also suffers a -0D+1 penalty to any Force skill used for good.
Each time a Jedi uses a Force skill for evil, this bonus is applied, and the Jedi gains an additional Dark Side Point, up to six Dark Side Points. The Jedi may attempt to cleanse their Dark Side Points by Atonement.
Once a Jedi has six Dark Side Points, Dark Side Points are only awarded for particularly vile deeds, at the GM’s discretion. However, every time the Jedi uses a Force ability, they must roll Willpower vs the total number of Dark Side Points in dice to prevent being consumed by the Dark Side of the Force.
When a Jedi has been consumed by the Dark Side of the Force, they become little more than slaves to the Dark Side; their actions are no longer their own, but the will of the Dark Side of the Force.
In order to assert their own will against the power of the Dark Side, the consumed Jedi must roll Willpower against twice their total number of Dark Side Points in dice; doing so allows them free will for one round, however the Dark Side will punish the consumed Jedi by permanently reducing a random attribute by 0D+1. This will occur whether the attempt is successful or not, and every time the consumed Jedi attempts to assert their free will. Jedi Characters consumed by the Dark Side are not able to cleanse their Dark Side Points via Atonement. They may be redeemed by a suitably heroic, almost always sacrificial act, allowing them to return to the Light Side before their death.
While we will allow Consumed characters to continue to play, they should be aware that the Dark Side does not care if they live or die, only that they serve; PCs who are consumed by the Dark Side automatically consent to character death, and surrender their free will to the whim of the GM with regard to their actions in a judged scene (save for the above condition of attempting to assert their free will against the Dark Side).