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[Liquidprism]

Alright, for those of you who have been wondering why you should choose a side... here you go. These rules are revised and updated for the new system (Im pretty sure I got it all). Enjoy.

Oh FYI, you probably want to skip to the bottom, which has all the merits, and stuff. If these bonuses don't entice you to want to follow a path, then there is nothing I can do for you. After your done finding new ways to tweak your character, then you can start up top with the rules on how to get there. ;P


The Force: A D6 System

In order to represent a character's progress in his or her journey through the Force I have developed what I hope will be an easy, and rewarding system for the two sides. This idea, called the Aspect System, allows a character to choose and follow a path throughout the duration of a story, whether that choice be for good, evil, or the fine line in between.

The Aspect System uses Aspect Points, also called AP, to chart a character’s progress down a path continuum. Think of this as a straight line that starts in the middle, and extends either way toward a pinnacle of either side’s espoused virtues. Each time a character takes action, or makes choices those events can gain that character an Aspect Point of the appropriate type. This AP goes into a pool of similar points that add together to advance that character further down one side of the continuum.
The two sides of the spectrum are of course Dark and Light, each corresponding with the Dark and Light sides of the Force. The type of AP earned through an action or choice depends entirely on which side of the spectrum that action or decision falls. Generally evil actions will net Dark Side AP, while good action will net Light Side AP. It should also be noted that the more rooted in a particular side a character becomes the harder it should be for that character to gain AP of that type, and characters should never gain more than a couple of AP of either kind during any one scene of the story.
While the Light and Dark dichotomy rules the vast majority of the Star Wars universe, there are a few souls that choose a third alternative, that of the Grey Force. This middle spectrum can only exist by actively balancing Light and Dark AP, and never allowing one aspect to overrule the other. Though all of this will be covered in more depth a bit later, it should be noted that these character constantly strive toward balance, at the expense of overall power.

ASPECT LEVELS

The point to attaining AP is of course to grow in power with a chosen aspect of the Force. In order to represent this growth characters begin to gain Aspect Levels as the number of AP in one pool or the other increase. An Aspect Level requires a character to gain a number of corresponding AP equal to the numeric value of the level desired plus 5 plus 1 per level after level 1. So Aspect Level 1 requires a character to gain 6 AP. While Aspect Level 2 requires 8 AP [Level Number (2) + 5 + 1/Level after 1 (1) = 8].
These points stay with a character throughout his or her career, and can only be lost under specific circumstances, which we will discuss a bit later. Needless to say each character should keep a running total of all his or her AP. While this may all seem a bit complicated I have provided a reference chart below to help you quickly find the AP of each Aspect Level all the way to 10.

Aspect Level Reference Chart
Level 1- 6 AP
Level 2- 8 AP
Level 3- 11 AP
Level 4- 15 AP
Level 5- 20 AP
Level 6- 26 AP
Level 7- 33 AP
Level 8- 41 AP
Level 9- 50 AP
Level 10- 60 AP: Aspect Pinnacle

As a character progresses through the Aspect Levels of his or her chosen path, the character begins to receive benefits related to the ideals for that side of the Force. Each Aspect Level allows a character to choose 1 merit from the appropriate list. Once a character gains 3 such merits that character is considered to have fully embraced his or her chosen path, and must choose a flaw. These merits and flaws are listed below in their own section.
Should a character lose an Aspect Level, that character loses the last merit chosen (this merit can be regained should the Aspect Level return). A character with a flaw only loses that flaw, if he or she manages to gain a level from the opposite Aspect Path. Otherwise a flaw stays with a character throughout his or her career. A character never gains more than 1 flaw, no matter how many AP or Aspect Levels he or she may have.

Now that you know how Aspect Levels are gained we should probably talk about how they are lost. While Force Neutral characters don’t care all that much about gaining a few AP of either kind, characters committed to one side or the other do not have that luxury. A character with Aspect Levels loses 3 AP each time he or she would gain AP of the opposite kind. This means a character with 4 Light Side Aspect Levels (11AP) would lose 3 AP if he or she were to do something that earned him or her a Dark Side AP. This would subsequently give that character only 8 AP, which is enough for Aspect Level 3, but not Aspect Level 4. So the character loses an Aspect Level, and its benefits (such as the merit received for attaining that Aspect Level).
It should be noted that as long as a character is considered Force Neutral (having no Aspect Levels of either kind) he or she does not lose AP of one type when gaining AP of the opposite kind.

You may have noticed that there are only 10 Aspect Levels available to either side. You may also be wondering what happens when a character reaches level 10 of his or her chosen Aspect Path. Such characters are considered to be avatars of their chosen side, and have reached the Pinnacle of their journey through the Force.
Considering the amount of AP required to reach the pinnacle of a path it should be many sessions before any character ever comes close. Not only are AP given few and far between, storytellers should make gaining these points harder as a character ascends through more and more Aspect Levels. A character with 5 Aspect Levels from the Dark Side probably shouldn’t be receiving Dark Side AP for killing another creature, even in cold blood, a room full of hostages… now that’s another story. Yet, once that character reaches Aspect Level 8 or 9 that room full of hostages isn’t going be enough. Such depraved creatures require more devious acts of malicious intent to further their walk along the dark path.
Once a character does reach a paths pinnacle however, that character receives an added benefit in the form of a Pinnacle Merit chosen from the appropriate list. These merits are powerful bonuses that greatly increase a character’s ability with the Force. Characters at their Aspect Pinnacle suffer negative effects when gaining opposing AP, this is different depending on whether the character is Light aligned or a servant of the Dark.
A Light Side Pinnacle who gains a Dark Side Point not only loses Pinnacle status (due to normal AP loss), but is reduced to Aspect Level 9 (with only 50 AP), and must start the climb toward Light Side Pinnacle all over again.
Adversely, it is extremely difficult for a Dark Side Pinnacle to gain Light Side AP. In order to do so a character must sacrifice his or herself completely (in an act of total altruism). If a Dark Side Pinnacle manages to do this, then that character not only loses his Dark Side Pinnacle status, but all his Dark Side Points, and Aspect Levels as well. The character is considered to have Aspect Level 1 of the Light Side Path, and thus 6 Light Side Points. This is a true redemption, and is usually only attainable through death.

Now that we’ve covered the basics of Aspect Levels, and AP lets discuss those characters wishing to remain Force Neutral. As mentioned earlier such a character may never gain more than 5 AP of either type. However, such a character does gain AP of both types which accumulate separately, and most importantly are never taken away by gaining points of the opposite type. While this also means a Grey Aspect character never gains Aspect Levels, and thus merits, such characters have other abilities instead.
These characters have two abilities: Force Advantage, and Force Aid, either of which can be used as long as a character is considered Force Neutral. A character must use AP of the side, which would most oppose the action being performed. So a character wishing to gain a benefit when helping someone would need to spend Dark Side AP, while a character wanting to perpetrate violence would need to spend Light Side AP. While this may seem counter intuitive, characters do not normally get to spend AP at all. This rule is meant to represent a character letting go of one aspect while moving closer to the other.

-(FORCE ADVANTAGE)- This ability allows a character to spend 1 AP, of either type, to add a D6 to one roll. Once the AP is spent it disappears without any further benefit.

-(FORCE AID)- This ability allows a character to call upon the Force, and gain a flat bonus equal to his or her number of AP in the opposite pool to the type of point spent, to a skill for the duration of a round. So a character wishing to use Force Aid to increase his or her First Aid skill for a round would spend 1 Dark Side AP, and gain a flat bonus equal to the number of Light Side AP he or she possessed for a round.

There are several reasons for the costs with these abilities: 1) The Force is in fact a living part of the universe, and it doesn’t like to be manhandled. Characters that use The Force as nothing more than a tool find that it is resistant to such use, and doing so becomes harder over time, and 2) mechanically this gives characters a chance to expend AP and thus remain Force Neutral over time. However, these are the only benefits such characters ever get, and it has probably occurred to you by now that the merits granted by gaining Aspect Levels greatly exceed these abilities in the long run.

ASPECT MERITS

Without further ado, I give you the merits and flaws for gaining Aspect Levels. Each merit can only be taken once unless stated otherwise under its description.

Light Side Aspect Merits
-(RAPID HEALING)- Each time this character attempts a natural healing roll, make two rolls and take the highest.
-(SENSE FOCUS)- Add +2 to any rolls made using the Sense skill. This merit may be selected multiple times.
-(CONTROL FOCUS)- Add +2 to any rolls made using the Control skill. This merit may be selected multiple times.
-(MINOR ALTER FOCUS)- Add +1 to any rolls made using the Alter skill. This merit may be selected multiple times.
-(ENDURING SPIRIT)- Add 100 years to this character’s natural lifespan. This merit may be selected multiple times.
-(VITALITY)- Add +1D to any rolls made using Stamina, and when rolling to stave off the effects of toxins, poison, and disease.
-(ALTRUISM)- Add +1D to any skill roll(s) made when attempting to help another living creature(s).
-(BOLSTERED WILL)- Add +2 to any rolls made using Willpower. This merit may be selected multiple times.
-(FORCE RESONANT)- Add +1 pip to this character’s Force attribute. This does not increase the attribute’s rating for determining the cost to raise that attribute. This merit may be taken up to 3 times.
-(SERENITY)- Add +1 to skill and attribute rolls when resisting the effects of hostile Force powers. This merit may be selected multiple times.

Light Side Aspect Flaws
-(THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED)- Each Light Side Aspect Level requires 1 more Aspect Point than normal before it may be attained by this character.
-(A BENEVOLENT PATH)- This character receives a -10 penalty to any skill rolls made when hurting another creature. This includes attacks, and even some reactions during combat.
-(NAIVE)- This character gains 1 additional Dark Side point each time he gains one or more Dark Side points.

Dark Side Aspect Merits
-(ALTER FOCUS)- Add +2 to any rolls made using the Alter skill. This merit may be selected multiple times.
-(CONTROL FOCUS)- Add +2 to any rolls made using the Control skill. This merit may be selected multiple times.
-(MINOR SENSE FOCUS)- Add +1 to any rolls made using the Sense skill. This merit may be selected multiple times.
-(POWERFUL)- Add +1 pip to this character’s Physique attribute. This does not increase the attribute’s rating for determining the cost to raise that attribute. This merit may be taken up to 3 times.
-(VOID SPAWN)- Add +1D to skill rolls made when activating Force powers with the Dark Side tag.
-(REGENERATE)- At the start of each round, before his first action, this character automatically heals the highest level of injury he has sustained.
-(DARK HEART)- Add +1D to any skill(s) rolls made when actively attempting to hurt another living creature(s).
-(Unnatural Life)- Add 50 years to this character’s natural lifespan. This merit may be selected multiple times.
-(UNDEATH)- Anytime this character would die, he is instead incapacitated. A character surviving in this way reduces his Physique by -1D permanently. If the character’s strength falls to less than 1D, he dies permanently.
-(LIGHT SIDE HUNTER)- Add +1 to any skill rolls made when activating Force powers to hurt a character with at least 1 Light Side Aspect Level. This merit may be selected multiple times.

Dark Side Aspect Flaws
-(TAINTED)- This character receives a penalty to all rolls involving social interactions with other living creatures (except Intimidate). This penalty is a -2 for each Dark Side Aspect Level the character has or does obtain. The character also gains physical symptoms of the Dark Side energy infusing his body. These may be described as the character wishes, but they get harder to hide the larger this flaw’s penalty becomes.
-(DECAY)- This character loses -1 pip from both his Physique, and Coordination attributes for each Dark Side Aspect Level he has or does obtain. If either of these attributes drops below 1D in this way, the character dies, and his body crumbles into dust.
-(MADNESS)- This character loses -1 pip from his Savvy attribute for every Dark Side Aspect Level he has or does obtain. For each pip lost in this way the character grows more unstable, and that much closer to pure madness. If this attribute drops below 1D in this way, his psyche is consumed, and the character must be retired from play. Players choosing this flaw must role-play the slide into insanity, and players not doing so appropriately may have such characters retired prematurely.

Pinnacle Merits
-(FORCE MASTERY)- This character gains +1D to any skill roll(s) made when activating or resisting Force powers.
-(FORCE INTUITION)- This character no longer requires ‘specialties’ in Force powers in order to activate and use them. He only need meet the Tier requirements for powers on either tier as he chooses.
-(FORCE SAVANT)- This character may permanently increase his Force attribute by +1D. This does not increase the attribute’s rating for determining the cost to raise that attribute.
-(DARK SIDE AVATAR)- This character gains +2D to any skill roll(s) made when activating Force powers with the Dark Side tag, or resisting powers without the Dark Side tag.
-(LIGHT SIDE AVATAR)- This character gains +2D to any roll(s) made when activating Force powers without the Dark Side tag, or resisting powers with the Dark Side tag.

[rydi]

Do the pinnacle merits stack with similar, lesser merits (so, +3D to using Dark powers, for example, after taking appropriate merits)?

There should be a mirror for the "Light Side Hunter" (which could have a more dramatic name) called "Light against the Darkness" that adds to defense against the dark side users.

Control bonus should be the same for both sides, while sense is reduced for the dark, and alter for the light.

That's all I've got.

[Liquidprism]

Yes, the bonus from Merits of all types stack.

There is a mirror for Light Side Hunter, its called Serenity. The difference between the two is that while the Dark Side merit grants a larger bonus faster, the Light Side merit can grant a higher bonus over all. In fact thats a common theme among the merits from each side. Dark side gives big bonuses fast, but Light Side has a higher effect over all. I actually like this as in some ways it helps encourage characters to go Light, as Star Wars is largely a 'good guys' universe.

I suppose I can change the Focus merit for Control...