So tonight is a session focused on the PCs being subject to torture at the hands of their nemesis, some of them have been asking for this as an opportunity for role play and backstory reveal, and I was wondering how dark is too dark in what happens.

The nemesis is already a sick dude, one step away from insanity. He's going to kill two of their NPC favorites a la Negan from the walking dead (some went out of their way to tell me this would be cool) so I'm catering to that but I don't think they grasp how serious it will get. He'll also chop people's arms off with his lightsabers.

This is going to be a session where the PCs "lose", where they don't necessary come out without scars. But in regards to the actual stuff that happens is there anything I should avoid or keep in mind? I know this is probably a little different than what most of you do in your sessions, but my group likes dark natured content so it isn't coming out of nowhere.

Thanks everyone

Star Wars did go dark with Han being tortured, imprisoned, Luke's hand cut off, people fed to the Rancor. If thats how everyone likes to roll, go for it. Its your table. Make it as dark, or as funny as you want.

There is dark and then there is explicit. Dark need not equal gore or exploitation.

Basically, what the above replies say. If it works with your group's playstyle and level of maturity, then *Palpatine Voice* "Do it."

However, there is no need to get into The Walking Dead levels of gruesome descriptions of injuries/deaths. A simple "he crushes the npc's skull" should suffice or even a classic Star Wars scene transition as you hear the victim scream, (like Han being tortured).

The nemesis is already a sick dude, one step away from insanity. He's going to kill two of their NPC favorites a la Negan from the walking dead (some went out of their way to tell me this would be cool) so I'm catering to that but I don't think they grasp how serious it will get. He'll also chop people's arms off with his lightsabers.

You want them to be surprised? After he kills the first NPC, have him look like he's going to kill the second NPC only to decide at the last moment to spare him/her...and then he kills a PC instead.

You want them to be surprised? After he kills the first NPC, have him look like he's going to kill the second NPC only to decide at the last moment to spare him/her...and then he kills a PC instead.

Or makes the PC kill his favourite NPC.

Probably my best advice would be to keep such scenes short but impact. The inquisitor must have a reason to question the PC's and

In contrast, present this inquisitor as a kindly fellow who seems to only want the PC's cooperate. Is it these players first time meeting this fellow? If so let him ask questions that he knows the answers to, and cut off a limb to the PC who answers incorrectly or just tick him off, vary the response though so sometimes he's really nice and sometimes he cuts the jib short. Give them the promise that their friends will be set free if they answer their questions truthfully; then simply set them free. (Wink wink)

I've had an inquisitor in my campaign do worse. He has access to force dominate that he plants inside NPC's and PC's he captures and sends them out to kill his friends. Forces the choice really.

Keep it short, yes it's cool to let the nemesis have his way with the PC's but nobody would enjoy a whole session of it.

If you have two NPC's to play with have the party's least favourite already have gone through the process. You could start the session with the cell door opening and the nemesis dragging in the mangled NPC (blinded/castrated/amputated/whatever will freak out the party), having him beg for death before being decapitated in front of the party.

It's a quick way to let the party know what will happen to them if they don't play ball.

If the party and remaining NPC are chained up together you could offer an ultimatum "one of you die and one of you will be made to talk, you have 2 minutes to decide" then have the nemesis leave the room and start a timer. Hopefully they'll choose their favourite NPC to die, which means she can be dragged screaming from the room to be abruptly silenced. You can always bring her back in the future to haunt the party.

If players want to reveal backstories then great, especially if it gives the nemesis more control over them. There are 3 ways out of this situation death, escape or release. Giving up the location of your parents/wife/children could lead to your release if the nemesis can guarantee that you will do as he says.

I find that in a setting where a perfect biological looking copy of a limb, that is as good as if not better than the origina exists, then amputation loses some of its impact.

I would definitely go with psychological torture. That has a much deeper and lasting impact and would make the experience much more memorable to the players.

I would have the Inquisitor being very calm and collected, everything that he does being done with forethought and design. Explain that he doesn't enjoy doing this but the PCS actions as 'terrorists' force his had to protect the imperial values and way of life.

Give the characters a choice of who gets tortured and two option of torture to choose from. (Being lowered slowly feet first into a tank of Hutta blood worms, which will quickly and very painfully remove the flesh from the bone OR being exposed to the vacume of space as a handy booth is slowly decompreseed and hard vacume is vented in.)

Keep reminding them that 'all of this unpleasantness can stop if they will just tell him the truth. Keep going until someone dies. You may or may not want to start with an NPC to get the seriousness of the situation across first.

Depending on how dark and mature you and your group are, I have found **** to be a very compelling tool in the past. Male on male **** in a world of darkness setting may be appropriate but I don't know how far down the rabbit hole you want to go in a Star Wars setting. Bear in mind that this is an action nobody will ever forget... just a thought, don't shoot the messenger.

Depending on how dark and mature you and your group are, I have found **** to be a very compelling tool in the past. Male on male **** in a world of darkness setting may be appropriate but I don't know how far down the rabbit hole you want to go in a Star Wars setting.

I’m not sure exactly what word got censored there, but I think I know what it might have been.

If you’re talking about sexual abuse, then no — I definitely wouldn’t go that direction, and I wouldn’t even talk about it or suggest it on a PG-rated forum where we have minors who might read these posts.

Everyone,

Thanks for the advice, the session went very well and I feel like they grasped the evil of the nemesis without the torturing needing to get graphic. They role played very well and got quite shaken as their characters after the encounter. Everyone thought it gave a lot to the narrative and backstory of characters going forward and all in all that was my end goal with this.