Noob is fine now

[Reddsentinel]

I'm looking to make a Dark Side force character, I've read a lot into force user rules and tips but really I just need some RPer advice. So I decided where else to put this but the dark side hub itself? I don't want to make the clichéd "His family died" or "Jedi wronged him" or the overly dark or depressing type of character, and I feel like I just need some advice from people who have made this kind of character before. Sorry in advance if this isn't the right place to post this.

 

[Gamov]

Hey there! Your question, just for future reference, would be best suited for the Roleplaying Help board. Faction OOC boards are really meant more for the discussion of faction related business.

But since I don't want this to just be an obligatory redirection, I'll offer what advice I can.

Firstly, as with any character, you need a solid motivation. What has driven your character into the (not so) loving arms of the Sith Brotherhood? Why are they here and where are they going from day one? Any character who exists simply to exist - be it the "cool factor" or an impulse character drawn up on a whim out of boredom - won't be very compelling or interesting for you to write. It's likely you will lose interest in them sooner rather than later and wind up tossing 'em on a dusty ole shelf somewhere at the back end of the character archives. And that's never fun.

What I usually do when writing a character is to begin with a basic set of questions asking myself what kind of environment could create the kind of character I'm looking for. Environmental factors are key to the development of any person as they inform our view of the world, and give us the means through which we interact with it and others. The same holds true for a fictional character. Try to ask yourself what his parents were like. Were they mean and abusive? Overbearing? Absent and/or distant? What were their careers and/or roles in life and how did that shape how they went about raising their child? No child is born with the values they hold as an adult, they must be instilled in them by others. Figuring out who those people are, and why they exist(ed) in your character's life will help you begin painting the big picture.

Next, take what you've learned about how your character was raised and do a little creative extrapolation to see how he/she would apply the values they were raised on into their own life as an adult.

Did their experience turn them into a die-hard zealot willing to die in order to uphold the values they were taught? Or did those experiences have the opposite effect? Did it sour their view and cause them to develop another code of morals and conducts to follow? Be wary of falling into the "apathetic Sith" trap though. Speaking of no one in particular here, and purely as a broad, generalized statement, Sith who are Sith that don't believe in the Sith are a dime a dozen. I'm sure you've seen one or two before: that otherwise lackluster Sith who claims the Sith in general are foolish and misguided, but who are still all too happy to traipse about the faction making sure everyone knows how "progressive" they are being by being "2 cool4 Sith school". In my opinion, that idea has been done to death. Not to mention it is slightly unbelievable given the context it is often applied in.

Remember, by signing a character up for a specific faction you are, in essence, agreeing to align some part of their personal beliefs with the ideals of that faction. Otherwise, you might as well just make them an Indie ex-Jedi/Sith/whatever who has decided to strike out on their own, far away from the "blundering fools of the Order".

Those are just some starter points though, and I hope they were helpful. I could go on and on about my own personal process for character creation, but we'd be here for a while. Haha

If you need any more help, or just want to bounce some ideas off someone, feel free to message me.

 

[Reddsentinel]

Thanks! This'll help a lot when I start to make the character, and for future reference I'll post on that thread. I was thinking along the lines of how he was inspired by the teaching of Darth Revan when he found a holocron on a mission as a Padawan. I was also hoping for advice on force powers, I've read the threads about it but I didn't know what to do about it without making him too overpowered or just useless.

@Gamov

 

[Gamov]

Unfortunately, I don't think you can use Revan in your backstory as he is no longer considered canon. Unless there was something said elsewhere stating you could and I'm just unaware of it (which is entirely likely). You could, however, substitute him for a long dead Sith Lord who is "Revan-like", and that should be fine. But I would avoid any direct references just to be safe.

As for the Force. It seems a bit tricky, but it's really as easy as explaining what your character is good at, versus what he isn't so good at. While we don't necessarily ascribe to the laundry list of specific Force powers made popular in EU and Legends material, most people still use those as a basis for what kinds of abilities to grant their characters. For example, people who still want to make use of a power like Tutaminis, but can't really list it as a power because it isn't canon, might say that their character is skilled with energy manipulation and knows how to use the Force to bolster their body against such harmful effects.

It would still take an immense amount of training and concentration before you would be able deflect blaster bolts or catch a lightsaber with your bare hands, mind you. But the reality does exist. I believe it is even stated in the write up on Force powers that individuals can even learn to conjure weapons out of thin air given enough practice.

Overall though, the Force is far more open to interpretation and experimentation than it ever has been. For the most part, if you can imagine it, chances are you can accomplish it in one form or another. Obviously that doesn't mean you suddenly become Neo and can fly and dodge blaster bolts in slow motion. But the Force is really a sandbox this time around with no real "limits" other than common sense and plain ol' good sportsmanship.

 

[Reddsentinel]

Damn I thought Revan survived the canon wipe. Thanks for the help, hopefully my Sith won't be moody or angsty like people make them these days.