5 hours ago, masterstrider said:

I'd like to pose a similar question and this seems like the best place to put it.

What is the most appropriate action for a morale, well-meaning, Force user being shaken down by corrupt Imperials who have boarded his ship asking for hundreds of credits before they depart? They are armed and clearly coercing the group. The party has the money to pay. Assume there are no shenanigans available like mind trick and/or you've fail your negotiation check.

Scenario 1: If the Force user declined, the conflict escalated and the shady Imperials were cut down, would conflict be awarded? Or...

Scenario 2: If the party had the money to pay, and the Force user payed it, sending them on their merry way, how do we know the GM won't continue to abuse their good graces?

Well, as far as me and Saw are concerned, killing Imperials is a good thing, especially corrupt ones .

Buuuuuut , Will of the Force and all life is precious and all that mystical crap. So, if it is possible to reason with them, or better yet expose or embarrass them, do so.

But while you would get conflict for cutting them down, keep in mind what would happen if you don't stop them. They'd keep shaking down people, some of whom will be unable to pay. Three possibilities there: These corrupt bullies operating in a fascistic society with a position of authority decide to take mercy on them (I'm laughing too). They get either indentured to the Imperials or straight up sold into slavery to line Imperial pockets. Or, they decide that for the crime of annoying them and wasting their time, they are lined up against the hull of the ship and shot, or, more heinously, just ejected into space, right then and there.

Actions and consequences. . . The curse of being a force sensitive.

Interesting responses so far.

Watching Star Wars Rebels, the main Force users consistently engage the enemy when they are backed into a corner or the situation goes bad. I don't see them slipping towards the darker end of the morality scale. As long as the intent wasn't lust for battle, confrontations in the rough-and-tumble galaxy are inevitable.

I would argue as long as you hold up the tenants of peace and justice, you can do what is necessary .

I think in scenario 1, it would be well within the right of the Force user to decline to pay, especially if they cannot produce documentation on their authority. It's up to the antagonists to decide if it's worth risking their lives over some credits. The party is making it clear they will defend themselves if required. Doesn't Obi-Wan offer Anakin the same option before their epic duel...and they're best friends.

Also, in scenario 2, you've raised a good point. Not acting could be just as harmful as acting. I remember in the Knights of the Old Republic II, there is a similar moral conundrum imposed on the player where you can either aid a group of helpless people against a gang of corrupt ruffians, or allow the gang to dominate the group until they learn how to defend themselves and invoke and uprising. Either action causes a ripple in the Force and significantly alters the fate of both the gang and the helpless.

TL:DR; As long as the player offers their adversary a chance to walk away, what happens next is fair game.