I was talking with one of my friends that wanted to do a solo game, the stuff needed to support a solo player I'm already pretty decent at covering since he'll be using the leader role of the NPC group, but he wants to play a character that goes from the dark side to the light. He's a GM as well so I'm pretty confident about him being able to roleplay well since he wants to go with the type of story where his character is struggling to go from dark to light again.

My question to you wonderful people; How would you handle that type of game? Where a PC in your group either starts as a dark-sider or falls to the dark side and realizes that being a space murder-hobo isn't what it's cracked up to be, how would you handle that kind of storyline? since outside of a 1-v-1 session it risks cutting into the time spent with the rest of the group if that character wants to focus on their redemption.

I've received a bit of advice already but I'd love to hear any examples or stories that you guys have about it.

A Player can start Dark Side, if he wants, just as he can start as a Light Side paragon, so that's not a problem there. Now, to actually redeem himself, that's where it gets tricky. First, as a Dark Sider, he can only use Dark Side (black) pips when using the Force, which always garners more Conflict . he can only use Light Side pips (white pips) if he flips a destiny Point and take strain. This alone will make it very difficult to redeem himself. Secondly, in order to redeem himself, he must work his way all the way up to a 71 Morality (Light Side paragon). And as GM, you should work very hard to challenge his conviction by putting moral dilemmas and temptations in his way.

@Tramp Graphics laid out the mechanics. Game-wise I’d treat it like any PC’s individual story focus - they all should have a personal story based on their background and Obligation/Morality/Duty. If circumstances allow it I’m ok with an occasional solo PC session, but these things can usually fit into normal sessions quite easily. Just put the PCs in situations relevant to their back stories, and challenge them accordingly. If this player is interested in a redemption story, he can pick up the cues and run with them. Track Morality properly, it should be a struggle - a winnable one, but not easy. I’d be happy with a progress of 2-3 Morality points towards the Light on average per session, so there should be Conflicts every session too. Do make sure to use the Destiny flips often enough, you want to at least let him try to use Force powers without generating Conflict every now and then.

Not mechanical, but narratively, I think there must always be a cost in returning to the light. A character shouldn't "get off easy" - they need to make a real sacrifice. Vader sacrificed his life; he didn't just say "Oh, woe is me, I've been bad!" and then hand out leaflets saying "Support the Rebellion!"

I would have the climax of the campaign - when the character does get back to 71+ Morality - be them doing so by genuinely risking their life, and having it be tough , with a real chance of character death.

It also depends how far one has fallen; I have had one PC fall to the darkside due to the trials imposed on his spirit but then saw the error's in his own ways in the evil people we were defeating. It took around 12 sessions to make a full redemption and by that point he had turned down an opportunity to seek violent vengeance and learnt to let go of his tragic past; instead joining a quiet conclave of Jedi at the conclusion of the war. This was a great point for him as at this point he was seen as a traitor for the republic for what he had done (he had stolen a Bothian crystal and because of the increasing pressures placed on his master, he had sold his own apprentice out in a moment of true darkness, my character), but chose to not take it personally. After all, Tobin was doing it to eventually expose the bothian spynet and at that point the crime would be put to rest. This is in contrast to his previous mentality who would have taken the perceived betrayal as exceedingly personal.

The short of it is; turning to the light really depends how much the character is willing to repent on his ways that put him to the darkness in the first place. I compare the darkside to having a strong manifestation of a depravity; Dooku was exceedingly prideful and arrogant, Sidious was sadistic, Maul was wraithful and was consumed with revenge, and Vader was consumed with self loathing and had an exceeding low tolerance to failure. The Apprentice I described was apathic to the extreme when he fell to the darkness, but caught himself before he was consumed in it entirely. His master Tobin Stryder is consumed with obcession; he has been conflicted for around 30 sessions + now ever since he resorted to extreme methods to defend a ship building colony, and since then has devoted every inch of his fibre to destroying the inquisition and the Hands of the Emperor. An immense task that threatens to turn him into what he seeks to destroy.

On 4/30/2018 at 10:43 PM, ZephyrTheDragon said:

I was talking with one of my friends that wanted to do a solo game, the stuff needed to support a solo player I'm already pretty decent at covering since he'll be using the leader role of the NPC group, but he wants to play a character that goes from the dark side to the light. He's a GM as well so I'm pretty confident about him being able to roleplay well since he wants to go with the type of story where his character is struggling to go from dark to light again.

My question to you wonderful people; How would you handle that type of game? Where a PC in your group either starts as a dark-sider or falls to the dark side and realizes that being a space murder-hobo isn't what it's cracked up to be, how would you handle that kind of storyline? since outside of a 1-v-1 session it risks cutting into the time spent with the rest of the group if that character wants to focus on their redemption.

I've received a bit of advice already but I'd love to hear any examples or stories that you guys have about it.

It depends on where in the arc he wants to start. If he's wanting to roleplay out his "hit rock bottom" moment, the Heel/Face turn moment to use a tvtrope, then you need to be prepared for him to do some initially bad stuff while he's making his decision to turn.

If he's wanting to have already made that choice in his background story, and you are coming in basically in media rez for his redemption, then just flesh out what turned him and why. What event/person that he encountered, made him rethink his worldview so profoundly, to abandon his previous path and actions, and try and make himself into a new person. Because that will be the crux of his narrative arc. It should be the thread that weaves through his story, coming back again and again to try and lure him back, or conversely, to further reinforce his new path. Ideally it should have the potential to do either.

For example, if his turning point had to due with slavery, and how he can't stand to see people subjugated, you should make an effort to present similar situations going forward. In subtle ways, and blatant. When he's on a populated world that is run by the badguys, describe the background scene, and make a point to mention a group of people clearly in a position of servant to others. Describe how he now sees just how prevalent it is. A rich family with a servant from a commonly enslaved race. Work gangs of the same species doing hard jobs while people within line of sight are laughing on a balcony, oblivious to their plight, etc. Those are the sort of just broad tapestry kind of things that I would do, to try and make sure his past and future are always fresh in his mind, as a PC and a player.

It also wouldn't hurt to give him a specific person he has attached his new redemption to, if it makes sense with the narrative that is. I'm writing these comments using the above mentioned slavery angle, but that's just for consistency in my examples. Tailor it for what his actual turning point is as needed of course.

But there are plenty examples of this, The Professional (hitman turned surrogate father), Enemy Mine (2 soldiers from warring factions have to live together, and overcome their hatred and become friends, and one ends up having to care for the other's child as his own), etc etc. Having a named NPC that is important to the PC will give him something tangible to work with, beyond just the nebulous "I want to be good." He can do things to try and help the NPC, that can help him with the classic "well, at least I did something good for this person." It will also give you a handy macguffin to have him react to, if that NPC is threatened.

Then just be sure to have some scenes that focus on his old life, either in the form of actual people from that life following him to "bring him home", or perhaps an old rival that still wants revenge, and the PC knows it's almost impossible to get him to stop without killing him, which he would feel is a backslide to his old ways. You get the idea. But give him scenes where it would be REALLY easy for him to solve them in his old manner, the Dark Side manner, and see if he resists. That he tries to find another way (and be sure to include some for him if he thinks of them). And then let him start to climb up the Morality chart. If he does really well roleplaying wise, and/or makes really good choices to resist the Dark Side, give him a +1/+2 on his Conflict roll at the end (or more if you feel it's warranted), to help reflect his conscious effort to be good again.

Those would be the things I would use

In not a fan of actually having people automatically assume being dark side means you are "murder hobo" and I know here the term is used loosely.

I'm playing a fall to the dark side character who ultimately feels justified in what he does. He would even go out of his way to avoid killing an enemy never mind anything else. He claims the moral high ground against the light spiders in the group, we even have one with morality of 100 in the game, she has killed more NPCs than I have as this far I've killed 2 genetic engineered creatures developed as essentially attack dogs, some possessed animals, and beyond that I've ripped the arm off a guard (only because he had caused me to lose an arm first), this is in over a year of play but because I use fear very actively im under 10 morality , I do try and do the right thing but self preservation kicks in and I use every fear tactic in the game

51 minutes ago, syrath said:

In not a fan of actually having people automatically assume being dark side means you are "murder hobo" and I know here the term is used loosely.

Sure you can always have exceptions to the rule, but the rule is "the rule" for a reason, and in Star Wars, the reason is that 99% of Dark Siders, are portrayed as murderous bastards. It's just how it is. They even go into the "steepled fingers, cackling madman" level of murder hobo. does that mean that all of them are? No, like everything there's always a variation to the norm, but the norm is the norm because it's what normally comes up.

2 hours ago, KungFuFerret said:

Sure you can always have exceptions to the rule, but the rule is "the rule" for a reason, and in Star Wars, the reason is that 99% of Dark Siders, are portrayed as murderous bastards. It's just how it is. They even go into the "steepled fingers, cackling madman" level of murder hobo. does that mean that all of them are? No, like everything there's always a variation to the norm, but the norm is the norm because it's what normally comes up.

Oh I'm with you , but the majority of bad guys think they are the good guys

6 minutes ago, syrath said:

Oh I'm with you , but the majority of bad guys think they are the good guys

Yes, but that doesn't exclude them from being "murder hobos", which was the phrase you were having issue with. Just need to look at Infinity War to see a good example of a "Heroic Murder Hobo", though he's got too many resources to technically qualify as a hobo

Just now, KungFuFerret said:

Yes, but that doesn't exclude them from being "murder hobos", which was the phrase you were having issue with. Just need to look at Infinity War to see a good example of a "Heroic Murder Hobo", though he's got too many resources to technically qualify as a hobo

Oh I'm cool with murder hobo, just not the auto assumption that dark side is.

3 minutes ago, syrath said:

Oh I'm cool with murder hobo, just not the auto assumption that dark side is.

*shrugs* I'll forgo getting into that debate, based on material provided, as that's a debate that's been going on for...well basically as long as I've been alive.

I was simply using murder hobo to showcase the stereotypical PC who wants to kick in the door, gun down everything that moves and chop up anything that doesn't and then make off with the loot.

My friend playing the 1 on 1 game is wonderful at the roleplay aspect and has taken his character to some pretty dark places simply because he was raised on a world outside of the cultural norms of the galaxy and Force Powers were considered to be occult powers granted by some malevolent deity, so the justiciar had chopped his arm off after "sealing" the demon in one arm to help purify the young man.

It was quite the shock to his character when this one-armed force sensitive actually started exploring the wider galaxy, and his choices haven't exactly been all that moral because his time on his home world mentally messed with him and now he sees things that may or may not be there [great way to surprise a character and have resources used if your player roleplays what it's like to be a wee bit touched in the head.]

10 hours ago, ZephyrTheDragon said:

My friend playing the 1 on 1 game is wonderful at the roleplay aspect and has taken his character to some pretty dark places simply because he was raised on a world outside of the cultural norms of the galaxy and Force Powers were considered to be occult powers granted by some malevolent deity, so the justiciar had chopped his arm off after "sealing" the demon in one arm to help purify the young man.

Fun plot twist that you germinated in my head with this. Could be on his planet, there actually IS a malevolent deity that calls to people with Force sensitivity (read: ancient sith spirit that lures victims to their destruction, and the culture's lore about this mutated into "Evil Bad God Thing"), and perhaps the PC has to go back to his roots, and face/purge the being as part of his redemption arc. To remove it's taint from his homeworld once and for all.

On 5/3/2018 at 9:59 AM, KungFuFerret said:

Fun plot twist that you germinated in my head with this. Could be on his planet, there actually IS a malevolent deity that calls to people with Force sensitivity (read: ancient sith spirit that lures victims to their destruction, and the culture's lore about this mutated into "Evil Bad God Thing"), and perhaps the PC has to go back to his roots, and face/purge the being as part of his redemption arc. To remove it's taint from his homeworld once and for all.

yeah, basically the idea he had for his character was based a bit on bloodborne and the one inquisitor from Vermintide. Though that does make a good idea for his redemption ark