Actually I'm not really clear when you use the red die at all. The only example given is a challenge against an opponent who also has trained ranks in a skill, like in a negotiation. But for most skill checks and combat rolls I don't see when you would upgrade a purple die to red. Obviously it's supposed to happen since there are lots of possible effects listed for a Despair result in combat.

Out of combat, it's due to the opponent having ranks in skills.

In combat, it's usually due to either the opponent having ranks in the adversary talent, or the GM spending destiny points to upgrade the PC's difficulty.

Thanks, I missed the adversary rules. Dark side destiny is a mechanic I will have to get used to. Most games don't have a destiny/luck/karma pool for the GM. After all, if he needs to make a fight more difficult he can just drop in some more stormtroopers.

Most games don't have a destiny/luck/karma pool for the GM. After all, if he needs to make a fight more difficult he can just drop in some more stormtroopers.

I don't normally use the destiny pool just to make things harder (as you say, the GM can pretty much do that at will anyway).

I tend to use it to indicate that the roll/opponent is either particularly important and/or tainted with the darkside, or more generally to indicate that the tide/force is turning against the group to instill a feeling of dread or hopelessness (everything is harder and more fraught with peril). Alternatively, I'll use it when it seems appropriate for there to be a (increased) chance of a major snafu. You know, those hilarious times when the PCs are calculating a hyperspace jump while under fire, or pushing their luck trying to talk their way past a checkpoint, etc.

This is pretty well covered by previous posters, however I'd like to add the following:

Keep in mind that players will not be able to roll a "despair" unless there is a red die in the pool. This naturally does not by any means guarentee a despair, but there isn't even a chance of it. The only possible negative outcomes are failure and/or threat. So, with that in mind, any check that you, as the GM, wish to include the possibility of a despair, that is probably a good time to upgrade the check with the destiny pool.

For instance, one of the players has the particularly foolhardy idea of flying the Millenium Falcon into the Death Star power conduit tunnels. During one of the especially narrow sections, the GM decides that it is such a tight fit to pass through, he is going to flip a dark side destiny to upgrade one of the difficulty (purple) dice to a challenge (red) die. Lando makes his check, with a boost die from Nien Numb's excellent co-pilot skills, and while Lando suceeds in making the check (re: he shoots the gap) he does get a despair on that challenge die. The GM rules that hey, as a result of that despair, while you make it through the gap, the rectenna dish is knocked off, the ship, complicating all future sensor checks for the rest of the encounter with setback dice, or perhaps upgrading their difficulty.

Despair is the key added element to red/challenge dice, not to mention an increase in threat and fail chances. It's not always about making something harder for the players in an abstract kind of difficulty, so much as it is a reaction to player plans and ideas causing the GM to flip a dark side destiny in response to them, IMO. At least, that is how it has mostly been used in our sessions.

This is pretty well covered by previous%2