In my long-running D6 Star Wars campaign I realized that lightsaber duels were quite tedious when played straight. They usually involved two characters with big dice pools hacking away until one of them got hit and died. Not very exciting stuff.

So I came up with this house rule that seems to work very well with EotE rules. Now, keep in mind that WEG's ruleset had something called Dark Side points where characters accumulated points for doing evil and/or drawing on the Dark side of the Force. A player could have at most 6 of these before falling to the Dark side and becoming an NPC, although it could also happen sooner. There is no comparable rule (yet) in EotE, but most GMs can probably come up with a rule for this if they feel the need. It's much the same as when a character using a Force power decides to use Dark side force points to fuel it instead of Light side points.

The actions below are called Taunts. They are all Actions that a character can make on his turn during a lightsaber duel. They are made against the target character's appropriate resistance skill as outlined in table 3-3 on page 113.

The only limitation on these taunts is that a character cannot use them (any of them) two rounds in a row. This is to keep the action flowing and prevent the duel from turning into a debate.

WEG also had a table for relationship modifiers - characters who were related to each other or close friends were easier to affect with (mental) Force powers than complete strangers. I've made a simplified version of the table below; all boost and setback dice are given to the character using the taunt when the text calls for it.

Close relatives: 3 Boost dice

Good friends or close allies: 2 Boost dice

Have met and talked a few times: 1 Boost die

Have met casually once or twice: No modifiers

Know each other by reputation only: 1 Setback die

Complete strangers: 2 Setback dice

Complete strangers and of different species: 3 Setback dice

Goad.

Skill used: Coercion or Deception (based on whether it's true or not).

Example: “So… you have a twin sister. If you will not be turned to the Dark Side, perhaps she will.”

This taunt is meant to cause the target to fly into a rage. This can be accomplished by threatening him or those he hold dear, mocking him or any other way that seems pertinent. If successful, the target must launch his most powerful attack (usually by engaging in melee, if possible) the next round. A character that has delved into the Dark Side suffers 1-4 Setback dice to resist at the GM's discretion.

If the target of this taunt uses a Destiny point in the same round or the round after having failed to resist he is considered to be drawing on the Dark side.

Jedi and other Lightsiders can use Goad, but must be very careful of how they phrase it. Threatening the lives of others, for example, is considered a Dark Side action, but mocking or defying the Darksider is perfectly acceptable.

Frighten.

Skill used: Coercion .

Example: “My powers have doubled since last we met, Count.”

While Darksiders usually use threats of death or violence to effect this taunt, those of the Light side prefer to emphasise the strength of the Light side and inherent fickleness of the Dark. In either case, a frightened character can take no offensive action and use no Force powers to affect anything but his own person for the next two rounds, including using taunts, and will be forced backwards if attacked in melee. A frightened character receives 2 Setback dice to any attempts to resist Goad.

Deceive.

Skill used: Deception.

The deceive taunt is all about lying to your adversary to cause them to become unbalanced and insecure in themselves, their power and their allies, leaving them unfocused and off balance. A deceived character suffers a Setback die to all actions for the next three rounds.

Seduce.

Skill used: Charm .

Example: “Join me, and together we shall rule the galaxy as father and son.”

This taunt is used by Darksiders to seduce others to the Dark Side of the Force. The active character receives a bonus to his Charm roll equal to the relationship modifier; Seduction works better when it comes from someone you know.

This taunt is directly related to how far into the Dark Side the target has ventured. The GM should assign the active character additional Boost dice in proportion to how often the target character has tapped into the Dark side. If the character has never done so, the taunt automatically fails. If the Seduce check succeeds, the GM and player should work out a way for the character to become more deeply ensnared by the Dark side.

Redeem.

Skill used: Charm .

Example: “I can sense the good in you, father – the conflict.”

The purpose of this taunt is a noble one: to convince someone who has fallen to the Dark side to turn away and return to the Light. This is done by reminding the Darksider of the strength and harmony of the Light side and appealing to his better character. When using this taunt, apply the Relationship modifier to the active character's roll.

If the active character succeeds, the Dark side character experiences a moment of doubt. He sheds some of the influence of the Dark side proportional to the number of successes. This taunt can be repeated multiple times to generate as many successes as the GM deems is required.

Revelation.

Skill used: Charm.

Example: “No, Luke. I am your father.”

A Revelation taunt can only be performed by dropping a major piece of hitherto unknown information on the target character. The Revelation must be true. The sort of truth required for a Revelation must usually be set up well in advance.

Anyone subjected to a Revelation is deeply and profoundly shocked. He automatically loses the initiative for the next 4 rounds. He also suffers 3 Setback dice to resist all taunts for the same length of time. Also, with a successful use of Revelation the taunting character can use another taunt in the next round.

I like.

I think I remember some of these from WEG or something like them. Fair warning: Redeem can utterly undermine the drama of a final battle with a Darksider if it's not tightly controlled.

Here's my issue with it... why limit it to lightsabers? I don't find it thematically appropriate when what you're going at is trying to apply mechanical stats to roleplaying a contest of wills to limit it to energy blades. Heck, I'm already imagining two guys trying to have it out verbally in between ducking in and out of cover on opposite sides of a firefight...

Here's my issue with it... why limit it to lightsabers? I don't find it thematically appropriate when what you're going at is trying to apply mechanical stats to roleplaying a contest of wills to limit it to energy blades. Heck, I'm already imagining two guys trying to have it out verbally in between ducking in and out of cover on opposite sides of a firefight...

Sure, but what makes it extra tense (or at least did in the D6 system, where Dark Side points were an issue) is that you could win the duel but lose the fight. Even if you killed the other guy you risked walking away halfway consumed by the Dark side. A character didn't just have to look out for his physical health; every time he entered into a duel with a darksider he risked losing his soul as well. Close encounters with the Dark side should be scary, not just something you could hit repeatedly until it was dead. Without the added element of danger of being consumed by the Dark side, two guys with blasters using these rules would just be two guys trash-talking each other in between shots.

Here's the thing: I really, really do not see that as something intrisically tied into lightsabers. Like, at all . A nitpick though on what I admittedly find an otherwise interesting house rule... though I admit that that's due to my own tendency towards simply allowing existing social skill use during combat.

Mind you, that's because my view of "the dark side" and the perilous temptations thereof I imagine to be a bit more expansive than that, certainly a view of the dark side as corrosive... but not something limited to lightsaber duels, or even melee combat.

This pleases me. My biggest issue is that there is alot of potential mountains of boost and setbacks. I would adjust it so at most you could only get a couple. 3 at most. Too many of boost die or setbacks can completely overbalance your chances.

For the close friend/family chart. I would replace that with a lowered strain threshold for that encounter.

Similarly, many of the duel maneuvers could grant strain recovery/penalty instead.

Here's the thing: I really, really do not see that as something intrisically tied into lightsabers. Like, at all . A nitpick though on what I admittedly find an otherwise interesting house rule... though I admit that that's due to my own tendency towards simply allowing existing social skill use during combat.

Mind you, that's because my view of "the dark side" and the perilous temptations thereof I imagine to be a bit more expansive than that, certainly a view of the dark side as corrosive... but not something limited to lightsaber duels, or even melee combat.

Maybe I should clarify a little; we may be speaking at cross purposes here. I never meant this to be exclusively applied to lightsaber combat - the rules are meant to be applied to confrontations between Force users. I just refer to them as lightsaber duels because that's what one mostly associates with two Force users clashing. But certainly you're right, as long as the combatants are Force users they don't by any means have to use lightsabers.

This pleases me. My biggest issue is that there is alot of potential mountains of boost and setbacks. I would adjust it so at most you could only get a couple. 3 at most. Too many of boost die or setbacks can completely overbalance your chances.

For the close friend/family chart. I would replace that with a lowered strain threshold for that encounter.

Similarly, many of the duel maneuvers could grant strain recovery/penalty instead.

The thought of using Strain occurred to me (remember, this was written for a rule system that has no equivalent of Strain) but I rejected the idea. There are so many other things that cause and alleviate Strain. I wrote these rules specifically to deal with Dark side vs. Light side mechanics.