What is a Sith Incipient?

A Sith Incipient is an individual who has recently ascended to the rank of Sith, typically after spending several years at a Sith Academy and overcoming the Sith Trials set by an Overseer.

As a newly made Sith, their command of the Dark Side is not yet as strong as that of their more experienced peers, and they still have much to learn. Nevertheless, they are already acknowledged as standing among the elite of the Empire and enjoy many privileges as a result.

How do Incipients fit into Perfidious?

With open war igniting once more between the Empire and the Republic, the need for new Sith to join the conflict is greater than ever. The Dark Lord of Perfidious has therefore reached out to the Sith Academies in search of newly ascended Sith who might prove worthy of joining the ranks of Perfidious.

As the lowest-ranked Sith members of the powerbase, an Incipient will often be given the most dangerous and thankless tasks, all while facing the threat of punishment if they fail. In exchange for their service, however, these young Sith gain opportunities to learn more of the Dark Side and begin building their own powerbase. And if they are very fortunate, they may even be chosen to become the Apprentice of a Sith Lord.

How do I make an Incipient?

First, you need to think of a backstory, name, species, and so on. There are plenty of great guides on how to choose those things, so we won’t attempt to write another here. Instead, we’ll simply say that the main questions you need to answer about their backstory are:

• Who were they before they joined the Sith Academy?
• What was their experience like within the Sith Academy?
• What motivates them, and what are they trying to achieve?

If you can answer those questions, you already have a solid foundation from which to grow your character. Some players like to create elaborate backstories from the outset, which is perfectly fine — but the above would be the minimum you need to get the ball rolling with Perfidious.

There are some species we are unlikely to recruit, so we would generally encourage you to stick to species such as Human, Pureblood, Togruta, Twi’lek, or Zabrak. Although we might consider others, it is very unlikely we would accept more Chiss or Echani.

What abilities and skills can my Incipient have?

As a young Sith, your character ought to have access to some standard Force powers and basic experience wielding a lightsaber. Shii-Cho, Force Sense, and Telekinesis are always good places to start. Depending on the type of character you’re playing, they may have developed further skills in a specific area.

A warrior type might have begun to master a second saber form such as Djem So, along with powers like Force Body. A more Force-oriented Incipient might have learned to use Force Barrier to protect themselves.

You can see a list of the powers we permit at the following link: [click]. Please note that some powers are restricted and may only be accessed with Officer Approval. Typically, a Sith Incipient would not have access to any restricted powers when they first join the guild, so if you wish to request one, please make that clear in your application.

If you plan for your character to become a sorcerer (a restricted path) or an alchemist, be prepared for that not to be available to them — always have another path in mind.

As well as the abilities your Incipient will have learned during their time at the Academy, it’s worth considering what they might have known before beginning their journey to become Sith. Most Incipients are young and therefore lack the life experience to be true experts, but it’s reasonable to imagine they already excel at a few things. For example, they might have grown up on the mean streets of a Hutt-controlled world and learned to slice, or spent their youth studying ancient Alderaanian operas. The sky’s the limit.

When in doubt, keep it simple. It’s far better that your character knows less and learns more through roleplay than to claim abilities you aren’t familiar with or confident in portraying properly.

What equipment and resources can my Incipient have?

A Sith Incipient will typically begin life with a basic set of armour, their lightsaber (red or purple crystal), and a few credits in their pocket — nothing more.

In terms of clothing, your Incipient should dress modestly. They might hail from a powerful pureblood house or a wealthy crime family, but right now they are at the bottom of the Sith hierarchy. Dressing as though they were a Lord of the Sith is likely to attract the wrong sort of attention. That isn’t to say there aren’t occasions to dress more impressively, but for everyday wear they should stick to simple robes or whatever basic armour they can acquire.

As for other assets, as a guild we prefer modest beginnings. It’s fine to have a wealthy or powerful family in your character’s background, but they shouldn’t play an active role in everyday roleplay. Your character starts out with the clothes on their back and whatever equipment they can carry. The rest — ships, mansions, and slaves — will come later, when they have earned them through strength and power.

How will my Incipient advance?

Progression from the rank of Incipient to Sith is not something that happens overnight; it will likely take a few months. During that time, your character will attend lessons, receive tasks, and take part in dangerous missions — all of which will help further their story. Progression should therefore be seen not as a goal, but as a journey.

That said, to rise from Incipient to Sith, your character must complete a series of goals known as the Incipient Challenges. These are designed to test their ability to lead, command the Dark Side, and win victories for both themselves and the powerbase. Once they have completed all of these tasks, a decision will be made as to whether they are worthy of rising through the ranks of the powerbase.

Your Incipient can fail to progress. We’ll always do our best to help guide and develop the character, but if we feel they haven’t demonstrated what it takes to advance, you should be prepared for the possibility that the character may die.

Wait, what... death or serious injury!?

Indeed. As a rule, we do what we can to help a character progress, since most players want their characters to succeed — that’s what they find fun, and we want them to enjoy themselves. But if your character doesn’t demonstrate what it takes to progress during their time as an Incipient, their journey may end rather abruptly. Serious injury is also a distinct possibility.

As always, we’ll do our best to make that experience enjoyable and meaningful. Our hope is that, rather than detracting from the story, the threat of death adds excitement and consequence to your roleplay. And if your character does die, you’re always welcome to join again with a new one.

Okay, I’m sold. How do I apply to join?

Complete the application form!