I've got my new F&D campaign (my first, after 4 EotE campaigns) pretty much written and ready to go (and am hoping to post some content here for community review), but I'm getting really hung up on the Conflict and Morality systems. I know many people don't like them, and have developed workarounds or alternate systems.
I think my biggest problem is that players are too compelled to metagame their decisions around Morality and Conflict -- and the GM becomes a very nitpicky presence in judging their actions (nickel-and-diming Conflict points, especially). Beyond the narrative desire to be a "paragon" of Light or Dark, there's little reason to explore either side of the Force -- beyond the fact that the system is clearly set up for the players to aim for the Light.
Strain and Wound bonuses are, frankly, dumb and not at all interesting.
I did hear while listening to a Dice for Brains episode that they grant XP for experiencing or overcoming Conflict. Does anyone know how this works?
I originally had intended on coming up with a quick and dirty house rule for Conflict and Morality -- something like:
- Keeping the Threshold bonuses/penalties (Bonus Wounds/Strain Loss for Dark Side; Bonus Strain for Light Side)
-
The Power of Experience:
At the end of a session, for every point of Morality "decrease" (swing towards the Dark Side), the character takes the points accumulated and divides by 2, rounding down, and the resulting number is the amount of XP generated. (Minimum result of 1, regardless of conflict.) So if Artho the Jedi's Morality decreases by 3, he will gain 1 bonus XP for that session. Maximum XP gainable per session: 5.
- Rationale: in some senses, the Dark Side is largely about the power of accumulating sensations, experiences, and power. If the Jedi are largely about denying themselves, the Sith were about the opposite. As such, it seems conceivable that a Dark Side user might have had more experiences than someone else of their "campaign age". (I tend to associate this with Slaanesh from 40K). At lower levels, this gives some positive effect and even temptation besides getting more Wounds. This would conceivably make the prospective slide towards the Dark Side more also about becoming more powerful in a range of areas -- "knowing more" as its own end.
- Possible problems: Encourages murderhoboing. Proposed XP amounts are also quite small. On the other hand, another negative outcome should a player start murderhoboing is that they will outpace the other characters by generating substantially more XP. (This will be a problem over time, rather than at the start.)
-
Trust in the Force:
At the end of a session, for every point of Morality "increase" (swing towards the Light Side), the character takes the points accumulated and divides by 2, rounding down, and the resulting number generates a "free" Light Side point usage on a Force check. (Minimum result of 1, regardless of conflict.) So if Artho the Jedi's Morality increases by 5, he will gain 2 bonus "free" Light Side points. NOTE: Bonus Light Side points MUST be used in the following session, or they will be lost. Only ONE of these points may be used at a time. Maximum Light Side points gainable per session: 5.
- Rationale: Unlike Dark Side users, Light Side users tend to be more preoccupied with balance and trusting in the Force, rather than themselves. Their attunement with the Force makes them a vessel for its usage, and their trust in it allows them to overcome the temptations of the Dark Side. This bonus would allow a player with bonus points to overcome the temptation of the Dark Side with greater ease. I liken this to a kind of "absolution of the self" -- where the player entrusts themselves totally to the Force.
- Possible problems: Encourages highly conservative gameplay or do-gooding. Is not TOTALLY loreful, in that many Dark Side users also surrendered themselves to the Dark Side as a means of becoming more powerful -- and that they "trusted" the Dark Side just as much as a Jedi. (Thinking especially of Darth Bane.)
What do people think? The reason I like doing something like this is that it gives a little incentive to act in certain moral directions -- and it's a dynamic system, in that one does not think of the swing towards the Dark exclusively as a penalty, nor the Light as a pure reward.
Feedback appreciated!