So, been a while since I touched this. As I was just considering getting back into it, I joined a Facebook group for Savage Star Wars, and discovered the MASSIVE amount of work put into it by Christopher Leiby, which more or less removes the need for me to continue on it. No need to reinvent the wheel, especially when it looks to work so well.
However, I'm not a particular fan of his Force system; it has 3 arcane backgrounds of Lightsider, Darksider, and Force Adept, but you switch between them and just feels a bit messy to me. However, my old force rules were as clumsy and random as a blaster, so I spent a bit of time reworking them. I like this version a lot better; it makes Dark Siders very difficult opponents, but limits their flexibility. You can flirt with the Dark Side, and people who are touched by the Force (Lucky) can go a bit further... but once you go too far into the Dark, it becomes even more seductive to stay there.
Arcane Background: Force Sensitive
Arcane Skill: Force
Beginning Powers: 3
Power Points: No Power Points Rule
The Force skill can also be used to perform minor Telekinesis; it has a strength of d4, and a duration of only 1, but otherwise functions like the Telekinesis power.
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Rules Summary:
*Instead of using Power Points, characters with the Force Sensitive Arcane Background simply choose the power they want to activate and make a Force skill roll. The penalty to the roll is the power’s total cost in Power Points (base cost plus all Modifiers), divided by 2, then rounded up. Casting protection (1 point) with More Armor (+1) and the Hurry modifier (+1), for example, has a cost of 3 Power Points. Half rounded up is 2.
*Success means the power activates as usual. A raise grants any additional bonuses stated in its description.
*Critical Failure results in Backlash (SWADE, page 151).
*Maintaining Powers: Characters can maintain those powers that allow it as long as desired, but each one maintained inflicts a −1 to all further arcane skill rolls.
*Power Preparation: A caster may prepare powers by concentrating for an entire round (no movement or other actions and must not be Shaken or Stunned). If successful, he ignores 2 points of penalties on all powers cast on his next turn. If he does not enact any powers on his next turn, the preparation is lost.
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The Lure of the Dark Side
In addition to the regular Bennies (called “Force Points”) available to all characters (even those who are not force sensitive), each character in Savage Star Wars may claim, at will, a Dark Side Benny. By calling on their anger and their hatred, they may access the Dark Side and use that Benny. Only one Dark Side benny may be used for a given trigger; you cannot call on Dark Side bennies to continue soaking a wound indefinitely, but you could call upon the Dark Side to soak a wound, reroll your attack, then call upon it again to reroll your damage, and soak damage from a new attack. Dark Side Bennies spent in pursuit of Dark Side aligned emotional hindrances (qv Arrogant, Bloodthirsty, Mean, Ruthless) receive a +2 bonus on the roll.
However, Dark Side Bennies are not spent, they are gained; at the end of a session, the number of Dark Side Bennies a character has accumulated should be noted on their character sheet as Dark Side Points. When a character has more Dark Side Points than bennies with which they begin a session (more than 3 for most characters, 2 for the unlucky, 4 for the lucky, etc.), they must make a Spirit roll. Success on that roll means they have resisted the lure of the Dark Side, and do not have to roll again until they gain more Dark Side Points. Failure on that roll results in the removal of all Dark Side points, and the Dark Sider (minor) hindrance. Failure by someone with the minor hindrance results in the removal of all Dark Side Points and the Dark Sider (major hindrance); if they have the major hindrance, they gain the Lost to the Dark Side hindrance. A raise on the Spirit roll results in the removal of a Dark Side Point, though subsequent raises on that roll will not remove more points. A strong enough spirit can stay on the edge of a long time, but when they fail, they begin to lose connection to the Light.
Characters who use the Dark Side can be very difficult to face, as they will reroll MANY rolls. If they don’t care about their Dark Side Point total, practically any roll can be rerolled once. They lose, however, the ability to reroll a reroll; to spend multiple bennies on a single Soak roll. Someone with a very high Spirit might flirt with the Dark Side, trusting in the strength of their will to resist the lure; but failure always happens.
After each advance, reduce the number of Dark Side Points by 1. Alternatively, an advance can be used to remove all Dark Side Points.
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Note to the GM: I find it effective to give players receiving a Dark Side Point a physical token of their Dark Side point; I use red poker chips, with normal bennies being blue poker chips. An additional advantage of this is the ability to provide the lure of the Dark Side; play with a Dark Side Point token during tense moments. Remind the players, particularly after a Critical Failure, that they can spend a Dark Side Benny, if they want.
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New Hindrances
Dark Sider (Minor, Major)
Those with the Dark Sider hindrance have begun to succumb to the lure of the Dark Side. As a minor Hindrance, they begin one less benny per session, making it easier to fall to the Dark Side. A major hindrance, they have two less bennies per session, with a minimum of one benny per session.
You may have the Dark Sider hindrance and Lucky, or other effects that boost the number of bennies (such as being Young), at the same time. You may not have Dark Sider (minor) and Dark Sider (major) at the same time; gaining the major replaces the minor.
Lost to the Dark Side (Major)
Prerequisite: Dark Sider Major Hindrance
Those Lost to the Dark Side have perverted the Force for selfish ends. As such, they no longer receive bennies at the beginning of a session. They may continue to call upon the Dark Side as normal.
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Design Note:
Bad Luck in SWADE is a Major Hindrance; Minor Dark Sider has much the same effect, but is only a minor hindrance. This is for several reasons; first of all, Dark Sider can be taken with Lucky, making it a less severe consequence. However, this is also to provide a path back to the Light; someone with Dark Sider (minor) can return with a single advance, someone with Dark Sider (major) can return with two, with the minor hindrance remaining after the first one. Those lost to the Dark Side will take four advances to return; a significant amount of effort.)
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***
The Lure of the Dark Side
In addition to the regular Bennies (called “Force Points”) available to all characters (even those who are not force sensitive), each character in Savage Star Wars may claim, at will, a Dark Side Benny. By calling on their anger and their hatred, they may access the Dark Side and use that Benny. Only one Dark Side benny may be used for a given trigger; you cannot call on Dark Side bennies to continue soaking a wound indefinitely, but you could call upon the Dark Side to soak a wound, reroll your attack, then call upon it again to reroll your damage, and soak damage from a new attack. Dark Side Bennies spent in pursuit of Dark Side aligned emotional hindrances (qv Arrogant, Bloodthirsty, Mean, Ruthless) receive a +2 bonus on the roll.
However, Dark Side Bennies are not spent, they are gained; at the end of a session, the number of Dark Side Bennies a character has accumulated should be noted on their character sheet as Dark Side Points. When a character has more Dark Side Points than bennies with which they begin a session (more than 3 for most characters, 2 for the unlucky, 4 for the lucky, etc.), they must make a Spirit roll. Success on that roll means they have resisted the lure of the Dark Side, and do not have to roll again until they gain more Dark Side Points. Failure on that roll results in the removal of all Dark Side points, and the Dark Sider (minor) hindrance. Failure by someone with the minor hindrance results in the removal of all Dark Side Points and the Dark Sider (major hindrance); if they have the major hindrance, they gain the Lost to the Dark Side hindrance. A raise on the Spirit roll results in the removal of a Dark Side Point, though subsequent raises on that roll will not remove more points. A strong enough spirit can stay on the edge of a long time, but when they fail, they begin to lose connection to the Light.
Characters who use the Dark Side can be very difficult to face, as they will reroll MANY rolls. If they don’t care about their Dark Side Point total, practically any roll can be rerolled once. They lose, however, the ability to reroll a reroll; to spend multiple bennies on a single Soak roll. Someone with a very high Spirit might flirt with the Dark Side, trusting in the strength of their will to resist the lure; but failure always happens.
After each advance, reduce the number of Dark Side Points by 1. Alternatively, an advance can be used to remove all Dark Side Points.
***
Note to the GM: I find it effective to give players receiving a Dark Side Point a physical token of their Dark Side point; I use red poker chips, with normal bennies being blue poker chips. An additional advantage of this is the ability to provide the lure of the Dark Side; play with a Dark Side Point token during tense moments. Remind the players, particularly after a Critical Failure, that they can spend a Dark Side Benny, if they want.
***
New Hindrances
Dark Sider (Minor, Major)
Those with the Dark Sider hindrance have begun to succumb to the lure of the Dark Side. As a minor Hindrance, they begin one less benny per session, making it easier to fall to the Dark Side. A major hindrance, they have two less bennies per session, with a minimum of one benny per session.
You may have the Dark Sider hindrance and Lucky, or other effects that boost the number of bennies (such as being Young), at the same time. You may not have Dark Sider (minor) and Dark Sider (major) at the same time; gaining the major replaces the minor.
Lost to the Dark Side (Major)
Prerequisite: Dark Sider Major Hindrance
Those Lost to the Dark Side have perverted the Force for selfish ends. As such, they no longer receive bennies at the beginning of a session. They may continue to call upon the Dark Side as normal.
***
Design Note:
Bad Luck in SWADE is a Major Hindrance; Minor Dark Sider has much the same effect, but is only a minor hindrance. This is for several reasons; first of all, Dark Sider can be taken with Lucky, making it a less severe consequence. However, this is also to provide a path back to the Light; someone with Dark Sider (minor) can return with a single advance, someone with Dark Sider (major) can return with two, with the minor hindrance remaining after the first one. Those lost to the Dark Side will take four advances to return; a significant amount of effort.)
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And, while I don't want to go TOO far down the rabbit hole of redoing Christopher's work, I also like my Wookiee (corrected, at his observation) a bit better.
Pros: Strength and Vigor start at d6 (4), Claws (Str+d4 Damage) (1), Environmental Resistance: Cold (1), Size +1 (1)
Cons: Big -2, Cannot Speak -1, Code of Honor -2 (Wookiee Code of Honor includes the prohibition on using claws as weapons, as well as the idea of the Life Debt)