Battle Zone Guidelines: Dark Side Points

The Dark Side is "easier, quicker, more seductive," according to Yoda.

For those who have not been consumed by the Dark Side, it is very tempting. Whether Force sensitive or not, a character may still feel the power of the Dark Side. The Dark Side is hungry for evil to be committed, and remains ever vigilant to "reward" those who do wrong.

That reward is the Dark Side Point.

The Dark Side Point is not useful for the character; it is merely a gauge to determine how heavily influenced by the Dark Side your character is.
If a character earns too many Dark Side Points then they are consumed by the Dark Side, destined to become like Lord Darth Vader or even Emperor Palpatine.
If the number of Dark Side Points exceeds the character's Willpower rank, Knowledge attribute, or Sense Attribute (whichever is highest for the character), then that character is consumed by the Dark Side and prone to commit acts of evil.
If the character is Force sensitive, he will gain 25 rank levels to each Force attribute.
If the character is not Force sensitive, he will gain 25 rank levels for his Knowledge attribute (and all skills under the Knowledge attribute will be raised if they are then lower than the attribute).
In either case, the newly consumed character will also receive 25 more Dark Side Points.

EARNING A DARK SIDE POINT

For the Force sensitive characters, earning Dark Side Points is very easy. All they must do is do anything that is against the Jedi code. If you are unfamiliar with the Jedi code, here it is:

This is one of the first things a Jedi should learn since it lays the foundation for the Jedi's mastery of the Force. The Jedi must carefully observe these rules of the Light Side to maintain harmony with him and the rest of the universe.
The Jedi code can become merely words to some, so here is a breakdown of what the code means:

So, for Force sensitive characters, if they commit an infraction against the Jedi code, they will receive five Dark Side Points. NO ARGUMENTS WILL BE HEARD! My decision will be fair, but it will also be final.

It is more difficult for non-Force sensitive characters to earn Dark Side Points, but it is possible.
As a matter of fact, there is a short and simple list of what will get a Dark Side Point for a non-Force sensitive character:

If the non-Force sensitive character never commits these actions, she will never receive a Dark Side Point.
If she does commit any of these actions, she will receive five Dark Side Points for each infraction. Once again, NO ARGUMENTS WILL BE HEARD!

ATONEMENT FOR EVIL

Once the Dark Side Points have been earned, the character will no doubt be anxious to rid their spirits of that which taints them. While the Dark Side Points are attributed to them, they are not at peace as they once were. They find that their actions may even lead them toward actually crossing over to the Dark Side.

Atonement is a long process, and fairly grueling.
During atonement the character must spend a certain amount of time meditating and reflecting on the evil of their actions. They must consciously renew their commitment to live according to the light. This can be difficult for the non-Force sensitive who does not even recognize that the Force exists.
When a character wishes to atone, he must strictly abide by the tenets of the Jedi code (even if he isn't Force sensitive). The character must not only be good in action, but he must actively work to prevent evil from occurring. The character must make a point of being clearly good in all actions.
If the character spends an entire month atoning for their Dark Side Points, then the player may spend points to remove the Dark Side points. Ten points will remove one Dark Side Point, and the player may pay for all Dark Side Points to be removed.

RETURNING TO THE LIGHT

A character that has been consumed by the Dark Side can no longer atone for their evil. They have become evil. They must be completely redeemed instead. This is not easy, however, because the Dark Side is never eager to release those it has enslaved.
When a Light Side character confronts a Dark Side character, there is a brief moment when the Light Side character can attempt to redeem them. Simply mentioning that the Light Side is as powerful as the Dark Side will cause a "moment of doubt" for the Dark Side character.
The doubt will be symbolized by the character losing a number of Dark Side Points. The exact number will be 10% of the Light Side character's Knowledge attribute or Sense Attribute (whichever one is higher).
If the Dark Side character is reduced to zero Dark Side Points, they are redeemed.

If a Dark Side character makes a heroic sacrifice (risking certain death in defense of innocent and good) in the presence of a Jedi of the Light Side, the character is immediately redeemed to the Light Side.
In either case, when a character is redeemed, the Dark Side will exact a final toll; the character will lose half of their Force attribute ranks and all of their points earned for the month.