The Dark Path
"Both sides of the Force exist simultaneously, but not always in balance. Sometimes the light side has predominance; at other times, the dark side dominates. When the balance tips too far in either direction, conflict usually results. And in conflict, the dark side flourishes.
Force-users of all light side traditions are warned from the very beginning of their training, in whatever terms they can comprehend, to beware the dark side. To give in to fear, to embrace anger, to relish aggression: These are the first steps on the dark path. The dark side dominates the destiny of any who follow it. It's easy to start down that path and exceedingly hard to step off it.
Fear leads to the dark side of the Force. When a person gives into fear, he opens himself to anger. He directs anger at himself for being afraid and then unleashes it at the world around him as a way to mask his fear. The anger leads to hatred as the dark emotions grow more powerful and destructive. Hatred, full of hostility and animosity, sets the stage for suffering - the eventual destination of the dark path.
Any Force-sensitive risks far more than suffering when delving into the dark side. More to the point, a Force-user who draws upon the dark side risks corruption and terrible loss in return for the shortcut to power that the dark path provides. Faster and easier, the dark side is quick to give of itself, but asks a terrible price in return. No matter how well a Force-user is trained, no matter how steeped in the techniques of the light, the temptation to draw on the fast and easy power of the dark side always exists.
And that is only the beginning of the danger."

Quoted directly from P.6 of the Dark Side Sourcebook by Wizards of the Coast, 2001 Lucasfilm, Ltd.

Tainted Characters
"When a character has performed enough dark deeds, or has called upon the dark side too many times, he is in danger of becoming lost to the dark side. The rewards are tempting enough to blind him to the drawbacks, but he still has time to atone for his misdeeds."

Quoted directly from P.11 of the Dark Side Sourcebook by Wizards of the Coast, 2001 Lucasfilm, Ltd.

Dark Side Characters
"As characters slip farther and father into evil, the dark side takes a stronger hold. Once heros cross over, they are effectively lost to the dark side. Only truly epic acts of heroism and atonement can bring them back from the darkness."

Quoted directly from P.11 of the Dark Side Sourcebook by Wizards of the Coast, 2001 Lucasfilm, Ltd.

Dark Side Classes
"Classes allow characters to diverge from the standard path of their classes into something special. With dark side classes, the character follows a path towards darkness and evil. Characters willing to embrace the dark side may become mysticism - bond acolytes or slaughter-mad marauders. They might ally themselves with the Emperor, serving as his personal assassins or as one of his Jedi-hunting inquisitors. They might learn the secrets of the savage dark Force witches, or perhaps even fall into the foul abyss that is the Sith tradition.
A character cannot begin as a member of one of these classes. Abilities granted by a class is inappropriate for beginning characters. They are acquired only by meeting the requirements specific to each example. Additionally, there may be requirements that must be met ingame, such as rigorous initiation rituals or the scrutiny of one's proposed peers. With dark side prestige classes, failure to fulfill these latter requirements can mean a gruesome death."

Quoted directly from P.19 of the Dark Side Sourcebook by Wizards of the Coast, 2001 Lucasfilm, Ltd.

Dark Side Devotee
"The dark side devotee is what the Force adept would have been had he turned to the dark side early on. Pursuing a different path from the Jedi or even the Sith tradition, he regards the Force as something supernatural, fostering that image in the minds of others to make himself seem more mysterious and powerful. His belief system may not recognize the Force as the same tool the Jedi or the Sith use. Dark side devotees are even more rare than Force adepts, although a greater proportion of them take up careers as adventurers or wanderers.
If you select the dark side devotee class, you need to determine how your character views the Force and decide what his beliefs encompass. Dark side devotees can be aliens- though humans are far more common while the Emperor is in power- and their specific goals and methods can reflect those of a shaman, occultist, a sorcerer, a priest, or even a scientist grounded in physics and "rational explanations."
Dark side devotees become adventurers because of their quest for power. Often they have exhausted the mystical resources and artifacts of their own world forcing them to look elsewhere for relics and knowledge to further their ambitions. They often forge alliances with other devotees, either to puruse a common goal or simply to exploit their abilities. But every dark side devotee knows that if he falters, if he rejects the power offered to him by the dark side, others will trample him underfoot in their own rush for power. All dark side devotees follow the dark side of the Force, even if they think of it as something else.
A dark side devotee begins his training in the Force by taking what he wants from others and dominating the world around him, as typified by Alter. Many of his skills- including those that are not directly related to the Force- involve manipulating others.
Dark side devotees discover their power early in life. Frequently, they do not care how the Force works, as long as it focuses their hatred and anger against those who have wronged them. What little training they receive is generally bestowed by more powerful darksiders, who may initially think of the dark side devotee as an apprentice or even a slave. There are precious few formal traditions for dark side devotees. Many come from primitive cultures where they are regarded in awe and terror for their ability to manipulate the evironment, and they nurture this belief to exploit the weak. They occasionally find themselves tricked into an ever-escalating race for power or lured into pacts with more powerful dark siders practitioners- in either case, risking a fate worse than death for a lapse in judgment or a show of ambition."

Quoted directly from P.19-21 of the Dark Side Sourcebook by Wizards of the Coast, 2001 Lucasfilm, Ltd.

Dark Side Marauder
"Warriors who discover in themselves an ability to wield the Force can become dark side marauders. Like Jedi guardians, dark side marauders combine physical prowess with training of the Force. Unlike Jedi, they bend it to their own violent purposes. Without the mental disciplines and strict code of conduct the Jedi Order provides, these warriors become brutal, living weapons, delighting in inflicting pain and taking lives. The dark side marauder becomes an extension of the dark side of the Force in the same way that her weapons are an extension of her body. She lives in a world where her destiny is entirely dependent on her mastery of her weapons and her strength in the Force. The dark side makes her survival far more likely.
Dark side marauders are the ultimate mercenaries. Adventure, pillage, slaughter, and violence define them. They often live for the joy of battle, the test of arms, and the tempering that only bloody conflict can provide, but they are hardly above taking pleasure in the spoils that victory provides. While the adrenaline rush of combat is a heady drug to them, the thrill of the dark side flowing through their veins is far more intoxicating. To feel that thrill again and again, the dark side marauder seeks out any activity that lets her wield the Force against an opponent. Many can be found acting as bodyguards, gladiators, mob enforcers, mercenaries, street thugs, professional soldiers, or simply adventurers.
Dark side marauders combine the best aspect of the soldier and Jedi guardian, mixing a well-rounded complement of fighting tools with the ability to wield the Force. The weapons they choose are many and varied. Without a regular tradition, their techniques are just as diverse. As dark side marauders gain experience, they find that the dark side of the Force offers them far more in the way of destructive potential than any conventional weapon ever could.
When violence touches the life of someone strong in the Force, it can change her forever, especially if she lacks a Jedi mentor to guide her development. If her life is volence - such as is the case with warriors- it is almost a foregone conclusion that she will succumb to the temptation of the dark side. A dark side marauder may have turned to the dark side to overcome the horrors of war or the brutality of crime. She may have been trained as a living weapon by a twisted taskmaster, or initiated into an exclusive company of Force-strong soldiers-of-fortune. Few have formal training in the Force, however; they learn by doing."

Quoted directly from P.22-23 of the Dark Side Sourcebook by Wizards of the Coast, 2001 Lucasfilm, Ltd.

Emperor's Hand
"The Emperor's Hand is an assassin recruited, trained, and employed by the Emperor Palpatine himself. To rule the galaxy effectively, Emperor Palpatine sometimes needs certain persons removed from it. These might be ambitious planetary governors, greedy crime lords, highly placed Rebel sympathizers, or disloyal Imperial officers. But too often for the Emperor's taste, these individuals refuse to come to him, instead making themselves inaccessible. They frequently occupy heavily fortified structures, employ numerous guards, and fill every chamber, corridor, and entrance with security devices. They are determined to survive the Emperor's will. The Emperor is then forced to charge one of his Hands with reaching out and crushing these defiant fools.
The Emperor's Hands operate out of devotion to the Emperor. Though they rightly fear his wrath, they also feel gratitude or even affection for him, for he rewards their service lavishly. They enjoy a freedom shared by precious few in the Empire. The fact that they are murdering people to please the Emperor hardly enters into their thinking; after all, these people are often tyrants and killers themselves. Because their targets are usually a threat to the general public- even if that means the Imperial public- the Hands, in a way, protect the public, and thus are doing good. (Of course, the Emperor is not above embellishing the misdeeds of a target to forment a sense of duty in his minions.)
Each Emperor's Hand operates alone, often with the false idea that he or she is the Emperor's only assassin. The Hands are given a great deal of support and authority, with special clearances designed to allow them access to whatever resrouces they need. They rarely identify themselves as Hands, however, the Emperor prefers that they exist as rumors- mystic figures whose powers grow with each whispered story. The words "the Emperor has set his personal assassin on your trail" are often far more effective in controlling the unruly than actually dispatching one of the Hands.
Because he or she operates alone, each Hand has a distinctly different method of achieving the Emperor's goals. Some prefer a surgical strike, leaving a corpse in the midst of a crowd; others would just as soon destroy a fortress full of innocents to reach their target. Some refuse to use lethal force except against their actual target. As long as they achieve their goals and leave no witnesses who can properly identify them, the Emperor allows them to work in their own ways. The violence and killing eventually turns every Hand to the dark side. For the Emperor, this is simply an added bonus."

Quoted directly from P.24-25 of the Dark Side Sourcebook by Wizards of the Coast, 2001 Lucasfilm, Ltd.

Dark Force Witch
"On all-but-forgotten primitive worlds, where the strong survive by preying upon the weak, those gifted with the Force are the strongest of all. Isolated from the formalized training of the Jedi and the Sith, Force-users on these worlds have developed traditions that depend upon the dark side. Of all of the primitive cultures of dark side Force-users, the Nightsisters of Dathomir are among the most infamous. Priding themselves on their cruelty and barbarism, these dark Force witches and others like them can become remarkably powerful. Fortunately for the rest of the galaxy, their low level of technology prevents most of them from escaping their homeworlds and spreading their evil elsewhere.
To become a dark Force witch, a character must immerse herself not only in the dark side of the Force, but in the traditions and rituals of her primitive culture. If the character can survive those savage customs long enough, she might glean the knowledge necessary to join the ranks of the dark Force witches. The GM should devise some suitably barbaric ritual that the prospective witch must pass, bearing in mind that the consequence of failure should be severe. Under no circumstances should the GM allow a character to "join" the sect if she has never actually encountered a witch.
The path of the dark Force witch is fraught with brutality. She is encouraged to dominate her environment, imposing her will on everything weaker while constantly testing the power and resolve of everything stronger. A witch advances in prestige by exerting her influence and defending her territory. She earns the respect of her sisters by being at least as powerful as they are. She earns their fear by being twice as ruthless. On Dathomir, regular challeneges to personal combat are a way of continually testing each other's might and the will to use it. The number of male slaves owned by a Dathomiri Nightsister is merely an outward display of her ability to keep what she has taken.
Dark Force witches who are born into the culture begin their training in some other class, but they are encouraged to develop their Force powers as soon as they can. Violence and cruelty distinguish their early training. By teaching a Force-strong novice fear and hate, they prepare her for the embrace of the dark side. Those who fail to learn as equivalent ruthlessness can at best hope to be cast out. More commonly, they don't survive. Dark force witches treat all prospective recruits the same way, regardless of their age or experience. To them, only the strong should survive; the weak are meant to serve. By becoming full-fledged witches, they prove themselves strong."

Quoted directly from P.26-27 of the Dark Side Sourcebook by Wizards of the Coast, 2001 Lucasfilm, Ltd.

Imperial Inquisitor
"The Imperial inquisitor is a Force-trained hunter charged with seeking out other Force-users and either turning them to the service of the Emperor or eliminating them. Given tools and resources, they range the boundaries of the Empire and beyond, searching for rumors of hidden enclaves of Jedi who might have escaped the great purge of their Order - and clues where to find them. Employing draconian tactics and ruthless violence, an Imperial inquisitor gradually homes in on his quarry, then brings the might of the Empire to bear until his target is broken or dead. An Imperial inquisitor has little time for subtlety. He is a hammer designed to pound the galaxy into a shape the Emperor finds pleasing.
The Emperor created the office of Imperial inquisitor after the purge that destroyed most of the Jedi. He then enlisted inquisitors to help seek out and destroy the last vestiges of the Jedi Order. Armed with the weapons of their fallen enemies, the inquisitors began tracking down every rumor of every Jedi that had somehow escaped the Emperor's notice. As the targets became fewer and fewer, inquisitors drifted into other roles in the Empire, or disappeared altogether. Some fall in battle, while others earn the displeasure of their master and pay the price.
Inquisitors who survive their service to the Emperor receive greater honors, greater resources, and greater assignments to test them even further. Their master places ships, troops, weapons and money at their disposal, along with sophisticated instruments of torture no living being should ever have to see, let alone suffer.
An Imperial inquisitor's greatest fear is that he will one day incur the Emperor's displeasure and find himself hunted by his erstwhile colleagues. Each inquisitor is intimately acquainted with this possibility from the moment he chooses to seek the position. To prove one's skill, one must convince the Emperor himself of one's ability with the Force, without seeming either too powerful or too critical of the Emperor's cause. Otherwise, the applicant is no different from the quarry he seeks - and thus may prove unreliable.
The potential inquisitor must be carefully tested and examined, first by Imperial Intelligence, then by the Grand Inquisitor, and finally by the Emperor himself. If the inquisitor does not pass, he is executed as a traitor. And this scrutiny does not end with the application process. Each Imperial inquisitor is constantly observed by the watchful eye of the Grand Inquisitor, and frequently tested by Lord Vader as well. An unfortunate few are sometimes called to make reports to the Emperor himself - with potentially fatal repercussions."

Quoted directly from P.29-30 of the Dark Side Sourcebook by Wizards of the Coast, 2001 Lucasfilm, Ltd.

Sith Acolyte
"The Sith acolyte is a Force-using adherent of the Sith tradition. Descended from a rouge Jedi faction, the Sith tradition dominated a corner of the galaxy for millennia before being discovered - and ultimately decimated - by Old Republic forces and the Jedi Knights. Their survivors eventually succumbed to internal conflict, leaving only one Sith: Darth Bane, who established the rules by which the Sith tradition managed to survive another thousand years. Although Sith acolytes came and went in fits and spurts during this time, they were far more commom when the Sith were strong, before Bane.
Every Sith acolyte delves deep into the mysteries of the Sith, learning how to wield the Force in ways that draw upon the dark side. They are dark sorcerers and fell priests, practitioners of living sacrifices and base deception. They come to the Sith tradition from the ranks of the Force adepts, the dark side devotees, and in ancient times, from the Sith species itself. During the past thousand years, others sensitive to the Force discovered the Sith tradition and were seduced by it, resulting in warriors, merchants, smugglers, explorers, ambassadors, rogues, and even famous political figures becoming Sith acolytes.
People who become Sith acolytes often do so simply out of naked ambition. The Sith path teaches the power of the dark side of the Force, and such a weapon is often irresistible to those without power of their own. Victims and subordinates make excellent Sith acolytes. Those with more authority and control and even better ones.
The Sith acolyte proceeds from a position of weakness, even within the ranks of the Sith. Sith warriors are far more physically capable, and Sith Lords combine the best aspects of both the cultist and the warrior. Therefore, the Sith acolyte comes to rely on cunning and subterfuge, advancing more through assassination and betrayal than conquest and domination. For those who perform well, the role of acolyte is only the beginning. For those who perform poorly, the dark side is a yawning abyss of madness. The path of the Sith acolyte should never be traveled lightly."

Quoted directly from P.31-32 of the Dark Side Sourcebook by Wizards of the Coast, 2001 Lucasfilm, Ltd.

Sith Lord
"The Sith Lord is the pinnacle of the Sith tradition. His most sacred tasks include preserving the lore and glory of the Sith and plotting their eventual ascendance to their place as rulers of the galaxy. The Sith Lord must allow nothing to stand in the way of this goal: not all the forces of the Republic military, nor the entirety of the Jedi Order. When the time comes, the Sith Lord must be prepared to ruthlessly crush all opposition, leaving no traces behind. This has been the way of the Sith for a thousand years.
Most Sith Lords begin as Sith acolytes or Sith warriors. The Sith Lord cultivates individuals with potential for both great power and great evil, training them from childhood, when possible, to be every bit as ruthless as he is himself. The training can be better described as physical and mental torture, but it is designed to create someone strong, fast, cunning, and deadly. The Sith Lord passes on his knowledge of the dark side of the Force, instilling in his apprentice both a lust for power and a fear of failure.
Arguably, only the truly ambitious or deeply twisted ever seek to become Sith Lords. Following the path of the Sith dominates one's destiny, requiring a constant devotion to engineering the reascendance of the Sith. A Sith Lord cannot afford the luxury of friends, mercy, or even rest. The dark side sustains him through decades of scheming and planning, of masterminding plots subtle and grandiose. Even then, a Sith Lord may meet his end without ever seeing his contributions to the Sith grand scheme come to fruition. Each must content himself with knowing that his apprentice, or a descendant of his apprentice a hundred generations down the line, will one day honor his sacrifice by destroying the Jedi Order and replacing it with the dark empire of the Sith."

Quoted directly from P.33-34 of the Dark Side Sourcebook by Wizards of the Coast, 2001 Lucasfilm, Ltd.

Sith Warrior
"The Sith warrior combines combat mastery with the power of the dark side to create a living embodiment of rage and savagery. Physical conditioning and punishing discipline make the Sith warrior into a formidable opponent, and facility with the powers of the dark side add a wicked barb to an otherwise deadly weapon. The Sith warrior is dedicated to the conquest and subjugation of any obstacle to the Sith tradition. Throughout history, a single Sith warrior has usually been more than a match for most Jedi. When Sith warriors gathered in numbers, as they did four thousand years before the days of Darth Maul and Darth Sidious, the galaxy trembled.
But those times are gone, and the few Sith warriors to appear since the rule of Darth Bane have worked in secrecy to preserve the Sith tradition and prepare for their ultimate conquest of the galaxy. The way of the Sith warrior is a constant, unforgiving test of will and ability, honing each into a blade fearsome enough to cut through the heart of the hated Jedi Order. Every Sith warrior dreams of being the one who will destroy this ancient enemy of the Sith.
Where other Sith focus on plots and deceptions, the Sith warrior devotes himself to the art of violence. The two complement each other perfectly, with the Sith warrior often delivering the final blow to a foe laid low by the machinations of a Sith acolyte or Sith Lord. When the plans of the Sith hinge on a crime boss or a senator or a millitary officer dying a vicious death, the Sith warrior is in his element. His is the last face the enemies of the Sith ever see - if they see him at all.
The training of a Sith warrior is always one of deprivation and hardship. Mercy and forbearance create a weak weapon, and such a weapon is useless. The Sith warrior is subjected to endless conditioning and drilling. Displays of fear or uncertainty are rewarded with painful and educational punishment. Displays of strength and ruthlessness are rewarded with another day's survival. The Sith warrior learns to live for the precious few words of encouragement his master gives, and the dream that he will one day stand atop a pile of slain Jedi. For the Sith warrior, battle is its own reward."

Quoted directly from P.36-37 of the Dark Side Sourcebook by Wizards of the Coast, 2001 Lucasfilm, Ltd.


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