Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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How to write a Sith - Part Three (Sith Disciplines and Pathways)

Alright, now we've looked at crafting your character, I want us to examine the different pathways available to a Sith character. These are all a little cliche, and specific to a particular role - and many characters prefer to find a blend all of their own, which is perfectly natural. It's worth noting, though, that nobody can master everything - I've been writing my Sith Lord character for over a decade, and even that doesn't entitle me to have mastered all that there is. Let's be honest: you yourself may have many varied interests and dabble in lots of things, but you'll only be truly good at one or two. This should be the same for your character!

Now a lot of new arrivals have been drawn here because they want to express their creativity in writing, but many will have read the books and many more will have played SWTOR, which is populated by remarkable characters above and beyond the average - and that's what they expect to play here. Get it right, ladies and gentlemen: there are plenty of ordinary Sith that spend their entire lives striving for power but that ultimately end up in the service of someone stronger than they are. Nothing wrong with that, but I'd implore you to remember this during your character crafting process!

Anyway, let's talk about pathways. I could describe each and every potential 'Sith Something' pathway that exists, but as with the Jedi, you can easily compile a couple of dozen of those, and that's both tedious and limiting, so I'm not going to do it. Instead, I want to talk about the particular disciplines that these 'specialisations' are part of. Yes, they're mine by design, but hopefully you'll see the sense in them.

The Pathway of Shadow

Although I'm going with this one first, this is actually the second-most common (and cliche) pathway that Sith tend to follow: that of the Shadow. The Sith that walk this pathway are the ones who believe in using their power to enforce the will of the Sith with extreme violence but also considerable subtlety. They are manipulators, but also killers. Spies, saboteurs, assassins all fall into this category: these are the ones who operate best when they are left unseen.

It's one of the ironies of this archetype that they tend to be among the most violent of the Sith, and yet one of the most carefully controlled: I like to think of them as the type that builds a slow grudge, and often serves as the zealots of the Order, striking out at specific targets because they have dared to stand against or even betray the Sith. These are the silent enforcers of Sith will: they are the stalkers, the hunters, the ones likely to track a target and instill fear in that target as they know that, at any moment, death might strike out at them from the direction they least expect.

Characters who want to invest themselves in this pathway need to be versatile, but skill-specific. Learning lightning and telekinesis are a low priority for these characters - too showy, and not nearly subtle enough. Although gross violence is part of their mandate (can you imagine sending a 'message' with murder being anything less than extreme?), it is controlled and carefully directed. This Sith will train to infiltrate, bypass security, trick personnel, perhaps pass themselves off as something they are not, but when revealed, will direct their powers towards nothing short of utter annihilation. If one of these guys is tracking you, you're a dead man. This is your Darth Maul archetype - though you certainly don't have to write it as one!

Skills to focus on, ideally, will be slicing and data retrieval skills (decryption would be a plus), acrobatics and lightsaber skills, stealth and cloaking abilities (which includes concealment of your own presence within the Force), mind tricks and mental domination, and of course, assassination techniques. Covert surveillance of a target, whether for spying or murder, is absolutely essential: this role isn't suited to an impatient Sith. These aren't the weapons of mass destruction - they're the surgical scalpel that takes out an individual target locked in a facility guarded by well-trained Mandalorians, and manages to take out the target without being seen, the evidence only the corpse of their victim left behind.

You would also expect this archetype to have a lot of different tools available to them: heavy armour is definitely not required, so robes would be pretty normal attire. A decent ship is always useful (think Maul's stealth-equipped vessel as an example), but you would also expect them to have access to probe droids, sabotage units, computer spikes, throwing knives, etc. Think sneaky. Think deadly.

The Pathway of the Saber

The conquest of known space and the rise of the Sith to sit atop the galactic pinnacle requires fleets and armies to enforce their will and push opposition aside, and thus requires warriors, individuals that have mastered the ways of combat and are capable of inflicting heavy damage upon any adversary that steps across their path. This is the way of the Marauder, the Juggernaut, the Darth Vaders of the Galaxy. They are a weapon, pure and simple, designed to be directed at an enemy and left to do what they do best with clinical efficiency and maximum levels of force.

Yes, this is the main cliche often adopted by new arrivals to the Sith ranks: these are the ones who wish to master the lightsaber and slaughter Jedi by the hundred, because they can. Impulsive, reckless, utterly destructive, or so the cliche goes. The truth is actually far from it: although these individuals will house considerable emotional power, they learn to contain it and unleash it at the right moment. Think of Palpatine as we observed him during Episode III: up until that moment Mace Windu walked up into his office with a few other Jedi Councillors, we'd seen little more than a cool, collected, controlled individual. At that moment, he revealed the inner rage that seethed within, and unleashed it all upon the Jedi. I don't count him as part of this pathway: he's just an exemplar of this particular point!

These Sith are the ones you expect to find in the field more often than the others: they are the type to confront and dominate, their will bent entirely to the submission of their enemy. This does not require death, for reference: these are the type who understand that their superiority is unquestionable, and seek to see it demonstrated at every point. They wish to instill fear in those around them, and to their enemies, they wish to force them to submit to their powers, whether by killing them with a lightsaber or pushing them into formal submission and converting them. For that latter reason, I've often felt that this variety of Sith must have more subtlety than they are often portrayed: you don't see a Jedi and want them dead. You see a target, but how that target ends up when you're finished with them is up to you.

Training is fairly obvious: we're looking at mastery of at least one form of Lightsaber Combat, though it's not uncommon to go for two or three. The less experienced writers will aim for all seven, although you hope you eventually realise how dumb that is: it can take a decade or more to become an expert in a single martial art. Imagine having to master seven of them! You'd never find time to do anything else.

Beyond that, an Acolyte of this pathway should focus on the skills which will aid them in combat: Telekinesis, Tutaminis, certainly Dun Moch (which I would say is even more critical than lightsaber arts), crushing the will of their adversary in any way they can. Some of the more subtle ones might direct their focus at the mentalist powers: Memory Walk/Torture by Chagrin, Alter Mind, even more esoteric skills like Corruption. They should learn battlefield tactics, spend a considerable amount of time in the armoury, develop leadership skills to command troops into battle, and so on.

You might see this character in heavy armour, or none at all: it's an incredibly varied sphere that allows for a lot of different archetypes to emerge. The Dark Paladin, the Berserker, the Juggernaut, and so on: it has a ton of scope for a lot of different play. Be subtle and patient, be strong and deadly, be volatile and destructive: whatever you wish. Just remember that you live by Sith ideals!
It's also worth noting that your character does not need to be the one embroiled in combat themselves: plenty of battle commanders have been crafted through this pathway

The Pathway of the Inquisitor

This one is the pathway that is focused on those more esoteric roles within the Sith ranks: not merely that of the eponymous Sith Inquisitor, but also to those roles which move away from utility and focus on the 'big picture'. These are the planners among the Sith: the strategists, the tacticians, the 'politicians', the teachers: these are the Sith that look beyond the more immediate needs of the moment, and spend their time focusing on the faction as a whole. The other two roles serve vital function within the Order, but these are the ones that enable those to do their duties.

The role of the Inquisitor archetype is to be a Sith who spends considerable time in study. They are philosophical, contemplative, likely possessed of a strong mind that they wish to use above and beyond their powers and abilities: for them, the Force is a mystery to be pieced together, and the Sith something to be raised to an art form, not merely a path to follow. The Inquisitor role is therefore one of the hardest to write well: they can function both as a support, but also as leaders, depending how you choose to write them.

One of the most overt things you'll often notice about this pathway is that practitioners of it tend not to care much about the war between Jedi or Sith, or even give a damn about the wars that the Sith are engaging in: their focus is on advancing the knowledge of the Sith, and ensuring that the Sith survive. These are the ones who will be looking at the long-term: the battles themselves are the providence of others, but the consequences of those battles are the realm of the Inquisitor. They are the ones best suited to govern, to rule, to developing a broader game plan for the Sith to apply thereafter. Field duty is for the other archetypes: if they take to the field, it is to make sure that everything is going to plan.

You'll find these within the Temples, conducting dark experiments with Sith Alchemy or Sith Sorcery, teaching students and inflicting pain and suffering upon them in a coldly objective fashion to see which ones snap and which ones should be passed onto more advanced tutors. You'll find them in the Senate, manipulating individuals and entire planetary governments to advance the Sith. You'll find them subverting enemies of the Sith through patient, subtle pressures. These are the Palpatine, the [member="Silencia"], even the [member="Darth Carnifex"] (though he's what I tend to think of as the 'Monster' archetype).

Patience is foremost among the skills of the Inquisitor: their duty is to dissemble, to teach, to experiment and study, to manipulate and to undermine. They are often the glue that keeps the Sith together, though not always the one on top: more often can they be found beneath whoever rules, offering patient guidance and advice, planning and plotting, undermining and paving the way for Sith domination to go forth.

Skills are varied, but it is expected that they won't often have time for lightsaber arts: these Sith focus primarily on experimenting with their powers within the Force. They are the ones who cast lightning at their foes, wield the magical energies of Sith Sorcery or create terrifying monsters to protect themselves with Sith Alchemy. They are subtle and cunning, master planners who will focus their time on the long game, rather than the short-term advantages they might obtain. They don't care about converting one Jedi: they plan the conversion or destruction of the entire Order. They may focus on the mentalist powers, or be masters of Telekinesis. They must be skilled in conversation and persuasion, they must know how to push and pressure without forcing someone to snap.
 
Another good one, following the traditional three.

Though, if we're to put examples, put [member="Darth Ophidia"] up there for Shadow. She's the best written Assassin I've seen so far in this site.

[member="Tirdarius"]
 
[member="Phar'ra"] I didn't include too many examples, because I haven't been keeping up with who's here and who isn't, so I know a lot of the examples I would have put in a year ago probably aren't relevant anymore, unfortunately. Feel free to add more of your own, though :)
 
[member="Tirdarius"]

Thats the only one I got.

But hey! What do you think about doing a guide on Sith abilities specifically? Talking about how Sith use eaxh ability normally, how hard they are to learn. A force using guide for Sith. These ladt three have been pretty well done, and I think a guide on space powers and realism for some new folks will help.
 
[member="Phar'ra"]

I'll add that to my list, but it's gonna have to wait a week or two. Seems like a pretty broad undertaking - particularly since I've always been wary of talking about Force Abilities. They can be used in a lot of weird and wacky ways - leaving things vague-ish allows for a lot of creativity in writing. Wookieepedia's always struck me as a pretty fair guide for people wishing to dip into the different abilities, but I don't necessarily mind writing something more site-specific.
 
[member="Tirdarius"]

This series is brilliant.

Wolf would fall within the second category, though he is a Knight of Ren of course, they bear their similarities. He is also more thoughtful and philosophical, he likes to robustly defend and justify the "greater good" he serves, that of the order and peace established by an iron rule, and how this end justifies the means. (Perhaps this intellectual hunger to justify his actions is an indication of his own insecurity, I don't know. :p)
 
[member="Wolf"] I think Wolf brushes quite a few different archetypes, which is perfect, of course - that's the beauty of them! You don't have to write it one way. The guide's there to help new Sith writers come up with a few ideas, but you're absolutely expected to evolve and alter them as time goes by. Most of us end up with some sort of amalgamation of several different archetypes and writing styles. They work because you build them around a fundamentally-stable foundation, and go from there.
 

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