Force Balance
“Ultimately, the Force is an ability that can be used selflessly or selfishly and how one chooses to wield it determines whether you stand on the dark side or light. The dark side of the Force is manifested in our greed, desire for power, and fears; and the light side of the Force is propagated by selfless action, by living in balance, by overcoming our fears. The Force naturally exists in balance; that balance is thrown out when someone chooses to give in to their fears and then spirals out of control making selfish choices after selfish choice. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.”
-Dave Filoni
Force Balance Benefits
Though Jedi and other Force-users must remain the most sensitive and mindful of their Force Balance, characters of all types gain many benefits from these effects.
Skill Bonuses
Characters with a Light side rating may add their Balance Rating as a bonus to all Persuasion, Streetwise, and Investigation checks. Characters with a Dark side rating may add their Balance Rating as a bonus to all Con, Intimidate, and Sneak checks.
Resist Force Manipulation
Further, the Difficulty Number of all Force Manipulate checks with the Dark Side tag targeting a character with a Light Side rating is increased by that character’s Balance Rating, and the Difficulty Number of all Force Manipulate checks with the Light Side tag targeting a character with a Dark Side rating is increased by that character’s Balance Rating. If a check has no set Difficulty Number, the character may instead add his Balance Rating to any saving throws or opposed checks to resist oppositely-aligned Force Manipulation checks.
Table 2.1: Force Balance Benefits
| Rating | Skills Affected | Resist/Saving Throws vs. Force Manipulation |
| Light | Persuasion, Streetwise, and Investigation | +BR vs. Darkside Powers |
| Dark | Con, Intimidate, and Sneak | +BR vs. Lightside Powers |
Example: Jay’s character, Jin-Jin, has worked to develop on the Light path and has a Balance Rating of Light 2. Further, she gains a +2 synergy bonus to all Bargain, Persuasion, Streetwise, and Investigation checks, and the Difficulty Number of all Force Manipulation/ Darkside Power checks targeting her is increased by 2.
Force Manipulation Checks
Finally, a character may only make Force Manipulation checks with the Light or Dark Side tag if their current Balance Rating is equal to or greater than the rating noted on the check.
Example: Jin-Jin also possesses the focuses Force Manipulation/Courage (which has the Light Side 1+ tag) and Force Manipulation/Healing (which has the Light Side 2+ tag). Jin-Jin may make Force Manipulation/Courage checks without restriction, but may not make Force Manipulation/Heal checks until he increases his Balance Rating to Light 2 or higher.
Changing your Force Balance
The balance of the Force within individuals is a fickle thing, and rarely is a simple line from point A to B. A character’s path is determined by their actions, for good or ill, and stepping from the path is quite easy, making pure alignment to the Light or Dark Sides of the Force a rare situation.
There are a number of events that can trigger a change of a character’s Force Balance, including:
Conduct an appropriate act
The most common situation that may change a character’s Force Balance is an appropriately selfless or heinous act. Once per session, the GM may spend an action die to raise or lower a character’s Balance Rating by 1. Only the GM may spend an action die in this fashion per event (though the GM may each do so once per session)
Tables 2.2: Light Side Event Triggers and 2.3: Dark Side Triggers each contain sample events or acts that would merit a change in the character’s Force Balance. Generally, GM may only increase a character’s Balance Rating if the character commits an appropriate act, as listed in the tables. If a character’s Force Balance is either Light or Dark, and he conducts an act that appears on the opposite aligned table, the GM is free to spend an action die to lower the character’s Balance Rating instead.
Table 2.2: Light Side Event Triggers
| Rating | Act |
| 1 | Risking one’s life to help an innocent; sparing the life of a helpless opponent; turning a bystander away from the Dark Side of the Force. |
| 2 | Saving a person’s life; sparing the life of an opponent who poses a threat to you; turning an ally away from the Dark Side of the Force |
| 3 | Saving the lives of hundreds; turning a teammate away from the Dark Side of the Force |
| 4 | Saving the lives of thousands; turning a Force-user away from the Dark Side of the Force |
| 5 | Saving the lives of millions; turning millions away from the Dark Side of the Force |
Table 2.3: Dark Side Event Triggers
| Rating | Act |
| 1 | Deliberately attacking an innocent; drawing on the Dark Side of the Force; killing a helpless opponent; turning a bystander to the Dark Side of the Force |
| 2 | Murdering an innocent; turning an ally to the Dark Side of the Force |
| 3 | Murdering hundreds of innocents; turning an teammate to the Dark Side of the Force |
| 4 | Murdering thousands of innocents; turning a Force-user to the Dark Side of the Force |
| 5 | Destroying a planet or entire culture; murdering millions of innocents; turning millions to the Dark Side of the Force |
Example 1: Jin-Jin is attempting to increase his Balance Rating of Light 2 to Light 3. During the course of the session, he breaks up a fight between a civilian and a gang of thugs, and helps turn a fallen Jedi from the Dark Side of the Force. The GM can’t spend an action die to increase Jin-Jin’s Balance Rating for helping stop the fight, because it is only an act appropriate for a Light 1 rating. However, the GM may spend an action die to increase Jin-Jin’s Balance Rating for helping save the fallen Jedi (a Light 4 act).
Example 2: Later in the session, Jin-Jin (now with a Balance Rating of Light 3) reduces a bounty hunter to -1 Wounds, and in the heat of the moment performs a coup de grace, killing him (a Dark 1 act according to Table 2.3: Dark Side Event Triggers). The GM decides this act is against Jin-Jin’s aspirations to remain on the path of Light, and spends an action die to lower her Balance Rating from Light 3 to Light 2.
Drawing upon the Dark Side
In times of desperation, a character may harness his fear, anger, and aggression and call upon the Dark Side of the Force. Though this is a tempting option for characters in need, it is also an assured road to the Dark Side.
Once per session as a free action, a character may request to draw upon the Dark Side. The character immediately receives +5D6 to one roll and 2D6 action die. The character gains no XP for action dice gained in this manner. If these dice are not used by the end of the session, they are lost.
Drawing on the Dark Side of the Force is a Dark 1 act which allows the GM to alter a character's Balance Rating appropriately without spending an action die.
Example 3: In the next session, Jin-Jin (whose Balance Rating is Light 2) is locked in mortal combat with an overwhelming number of Battle Droids, and has exhausted the last of her action dice. Fearing that she may die without assistance, Jin-Jin chooses to call on the Dark Side. The GM gives Jay 2D6 action die which must be spent by the end of the session. The GM then lowers Jin-Jin’s Balance Rating from Light 2 to Light 1, without spending an action die.