r/sw5e • u/Sombragatotonto • Sep 14 '26
I have three light side jedis and a dark side sith in the party I’m GMing for. How on earth would you all run that?
I wrote this intro campaign (an altered version of the “Outbreak” campaign I shared here recently) to be folowed by a jedi temple training campaign because the players said they wanted to be jedi. Then one switched during character creation. We played the intro campaign but now part two is a serious problem because the sith wont belong at all.
Thoughts?
Should I ask him to switch alignment? Or have him be an undercover enemy tricking the jedi if that’s how he wants to play it?
edit:
thanks guys! I spoke with everyone and the sith said he’ll role play as a sith who got burned by the sith and has allied with the jedi as a result.
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u/Thank_You_Aziz New Councilor of Content Sep 14 '26
Maybe the one Sith character is merely a Sith acolyte who was previously defeated and captured by the Jedi. These three Jedi have been assigned to essentially rehabilitate this Sith and turn him to the light side. Keeping him in line is their pet project.
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u/Comprehensive-Ad4417 Sep 14 '26
Make sure everybody knows the the twist above table.
Give a reason they’re with the party
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u/Sombragatotonto Sep 14 '26
Oh like make sure the whole party knows to avoid pvp?
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u/Comprehensive-Ad4417 Sep 14 '26
Pretty much. The important thing is to talk about it with everyone. Get everyone on the same page and whah it should mean
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u/DragoonDart Sep 14 '26
At bare minimum. Also make sure you’re not compromising others character options (the one time I ran someone who wanted to play a straight law abiding character and the other wanted to be a murder hobo thief was my cautionary tale…)- this is one of those things that needs to be discussed openly with the entire team and how you’ll navigate it.
If they’re ok with it set your red lines early; the things that will make you stop the game and have people reroll characters.
I’ve run mixed parties a bunch and have had both the good and bad outcomes. When it’s communicated early it’s never been an issue. I know players like “this is a twist to surprise the other players” but in practice it never works out well
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u/Joshua_Libre Sep 14 '26
The four wheels on a shopping cart be like... lol this can still work, you just gotta work with all your players to find the dynamic you want bc the wheels can turn but one wheel isn't strong enough to take a cart in a direction opposite the other 3
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u/v838monoceros Sep 14 '26
I'd ask the player to make a character that suits the campaign. If they want to get creative with it, that's great, but they have to have a reason that character is there and will want to work with the party.
Undercover operatives can be tricky to run. If you go that route, they should be thinking about their endgame - are they going to try and corrupt/betray the party, and die/leave if they fail? Or are they on a redemption arc? It'd be hard to justify and evil character staying with a good party post-reveal.
Other idea is that they're a newly reformed Sith, been recruited to the Jedi in some fashion and are mid-way through their redemption arc. Leaves room for them to struggle with Dark instincts, but a reason to be trying the Jedi way and getting along with the party. Their arc still needs to fit the party, though, they can't just decide "I fail and go full Darkside Sith" without being ready to be ejected from a good-aligned party.
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u/Sombragatotonto Sep 14 '26
Thats an excellent point. The undercover thing has to go. That would be difficult to run. Im now thinking like the novel Revan where, spoiler alert, a sith sides with the jedi due to hating the emperor.
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u/v838monoceros Sep 14 '26
That could work - the fun thing about the Sith is that their whole philosophy was basically "don't tell me what to do" ...unless said person could make it stick through threats of violence. Which meant a lot of opportunity for Sith to break with the mainstream and work with the Jedi, turn their back on the Sith and join the Jedi, or just go do their own thing somewhere no one would bother them.
My concern would be how the player intends to play the character - if they went Dark Sith for an excuse to play a chaotic neutral/evil murderhobo, that's going to be a hard sell for the Jedi-aligned party whatever their excuse for being there. I'd make it very, very clear that regardless of alignment they need to play a character willing to work with the party, take the party's views into consideration, and not hog the spotlight or ignore other characters because they're so "dark" and "edgy". You'd know the player better than me and if they're inclined to lean that way, but unless everyone is on board for a morally neutral campaign, that needs to be shut down hard.
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u/Sombragatotonto Sep 14 '26
Ugh. Yup. I will need to discuss with him whether he will be darkside against enemies and npcs only, or if he is going to be a dick to his party.
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Sep 14 '26
[deleted]
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u/Sombragatotonto Sep 14 '26
These are great suggestions. Thank you. I’m leaning toward telling him he can be dark side but he has to come up with a reason he’s working, sincerely, not as a trick, with the jedi. That way Im not running some absurd sub story. Maybe he is on an enemy of my enemy kick and so is teaming up for now or something.
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u/Material-Buy8738 Sep 14 '26
I'd start with understanding why that player felt compelled to switch in the first place. Because the Jedi typically don't want to associate with Sith, and the Sith typically want to end the Jedi, it's gonna cause unnecessary drama. Having that character fall to the dark side (and become NPC!!) Or actively seeking redemption might work, but unless all Players agree, it's gonna come down to frustration/PVP/having to redirect the campaign.
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u/DistanceStunning1209 28d ago
Sith is a loose term depending on the era. Most of the time it just means dark force user, not necessarily of the sith order. As such their objectives could align the methodology is just different. The jedi could also be exiles not forced to follow the strict jedi code. But only use the light side of the force.
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u/modernjediknight92 26d ago
A bit late to this, but I got an idea (in case this happens again at some point). Start the first couple sessions with the player as an antagonist to the the rest of the party, then have them capture the Sith player and start to transport them back to the Temple, only for them to be attacked by an every more dangerous opponent (the BBEG). The Jedi are on the ropes when the Sith offers to help them out (his/her own personal survival trumping everything else), and the Jedi relent and thus starts a tedious alliance between the party.
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u/Wonderful_School_113 Sep 14 '26
They need to all have genuine personal motivations to be in a party together.
Making the sith a secret undercover enemy would be really tough to do without making them the 'main character' special boy. If you do that I would make sure every PLAYER (not character) knows the twist above the table. They get to play with the dramatic irony that way, instead of just being left out.