“Between the Light and the Dark”: Tav Fel-Tor – A Jedi Nemesis Character Build

Tav Fel-Tor had found the triangular black device but before he could even touch it, the device began to shift. Floating in mid-air, it unfolded itself elegantly before a small hooded figure emerged flickering blue.

“I am the holocron of Darth Auretus,” it said, but then paused, as if sensing its opener’s hesitation.

“Are you the one who opened this device, boy?” The blue image spoke directly at the small human male.

Tav could only nod, unsure of what he had done. The image cocked its transparent head.

“Are you a Jedi?” it finally asked.

Tav shook his head. “All the Jedi are dead,” he said.

The cloaked figure paused for a moment, before it smiled.

---

His name is Tav Fel-Tor and he is an apprentice Jedi.

Or is he?

Tav’s mother was a Jedi who was excommunicated from the Order because of her pregnancy. After Order 66, she rushed back to try and help whoever was left, not believing the propaganda by the newly minted Empire. She left Tav in the charge of her trusty droid AG-12, and an artifact she had been forced to keep when she was barred from the Jedi Temple – the Sith holocron of Darth Auretus.

After finding the advanced holocron, Darth Auretus, using the boy’s ignorance of the actual Jedi Order, took on the mantle of Master Auretus, and began to teach Tav the ways of the “Jedi.” The programmed Sith Lord ran into some issues however, as he did not expectTav’s will to be so strong. Tav quickly figured out that the teachings of “Master” Auretus do not match the teachings and stories of the Jedi his mother taught him, but was reluctant to rid himself of the artifact because it was his only connection to the teachings of the Force. The two entered into a sort of unspoken deal – Tav would continue to learn the ways of the Force from Darth Auretus which gave Auretus the opportunity to corrupt Tav’s inherent goodness.

By the time of the Galactic Civl War, Tav was in his thirties and sought to remake the Jedi on his own. His strong sense of justice lead him to the planet of Rhen Var, a mostly ice planet a group of pirates had been using as a base to run their slave-trading operation. Tav defeated them, established a base on Rhen Var, and word of the newly risen Jedi began to spread across the galaxy.

Followers began to come by the hundreds, joining with Tav in his quest to bring down the enemy that destroyed the Jedi Order – the Empire. All the while, the holocron of Darth Auretus plans and waits, biding its time…

Tav Fel-Tor [Nemesis]

Brawn 4     Agility 3     Intellect 3     Cunning 2    Willpower 5     Presence 3

Wound Threshold: 24     Strain Threshold: 25     Soak Value: 6     Melee/Ranged Defense: 0|1

Skills:

Combat: Lightsaber 4; Brawl 3; Range (Light) 2

Knowledge: Lore 3; Outer Rim 2; Xenology 2

General: Coercion 2; Discipline 3; Leadership 4; Perception 2; Charm 1; Vigilance 2

Talents: Adversary 3 (Upgrade the difficulty of all combat checks targeting this character three times), Command 2 (Gain two bonus die when making a Leadership check) Intense Focus (Suffer one strain and upgrade ability of next skill check) Parry 4 ( When struck by a melee attack but before applying soak, this character may perform Parry as an out of turn incidental. He suffers 3 strain, then reduces damage by 6), Reflect 4 (When struck by a ranged attack but before applying soak, this character may perform Reflect as an out of turn incidental. He suffers 3 strain, and then reduces damage by 6)

Force Abilities:

Force Rating: 3

Influence; Protect/Unleash

(These abilities can be referenced on Pg.420-421 of F&D Core rulebook, but GM also has the option of using their light side points as well for their positive effects as well)

Equipment: Basic Lightsaber (Damage 6; Critical 2; Range [Engaged]; Breach 1) Armored Robes (Soak +2; Defense 1) Sith Holocron ; Datapad; Stimpack x2

GM Notes: Tav is purposefully at a critical point when your party should meet him in his quest to become a Jedi. There’s very much a Captain Kurtz from Heart of Darkness element about him, but it’s your party that could make him go full Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now or not. He’s basically what Obi-Wan could have been if he had been born in the Dark Times, without the guidance of the Temple.

With your party’s help, Tav could break the teachings of Darth Auretus and come fully into the light, or maybe by your party’s actions, he is plunged into darkness and becomes your enemy.

He is leading a small resistance group, but how that group is armed, trained, and their disposition is up to you. Tav is trying to restart the Jedi Order, so you could have a group of half-trained Force-using zealots to contend with or just a militia-type organization very much like the Rebellion. The people under Tav are loyal to him, but not blindly so.

Tav may have done some dark side things: executed a prisoner, or tortured a pirate to get information, etc, but at this point his Dark Side lapses should be rarities. Darth Auretus has had to be careful with Tav, trying to manipulate him through Tav’s emotions without tipping the Jedi off, and if pushed the right way, Tav could finally give in to his anger and his attempts to fight injustice will turn into a merciless crusade.

Tav is an inherently good person and his willpower has allowed him to sift through some of the lies in Darth Auretus’s teachings. He’s a strong leader and compassionate, which is wonderful, but those feelings could be made to serve the Dark Side. If he feels cornered and has to choose between a horrible act and saving someone he cares about or saving millions, it could be his first classic step towards the Dark Side. Remember: he hasn’t had the emotional training that most Jedi go through. In fact, his emotional responses have been encouraged by Auretus and it should be apparent in him.

Perhaps your party of Force Senstives could go to Rhen Var following the rumors of a Jedi Master? Perhaps your party is a Rebel strike team and they could run into Tav on one of his raids against the Empire? Maybe your party is made up of smugglers and bounty hunters and your actions have caused Tav to hunt down your party in an attempt to stop your lawlessness?

Some suggestions, but I’m sure you’ll get even more creative if you use Tav in your campaign.

Using the Darth Auretus Holocron: Obviously, a holocron can be as versatile as the narrative really needs it to be, but because it’s almost a secondary character with a will and machinations of its own, you can explain to your players that a piece of Auretus lives within the holocron giving it that extra bit of life force. PCs should not know about the holocron immediately, and the GM should take time in revealing that the actual origin of the holocron is Sith for maximum narrative effect. Tav’s knowledge that he is willingly working with a Sith holocron could be a shocking blow to the party members as well.

Design Notes: I am new to GMing and if it isn’t apparent already, I relied heavily on the Inquisitorious chapter in the F&D Core rulebook. I gave Tav the Warlord’s skills, as he could easily become that if he falls to the Dark Side, but substituted Piloting (Space) for a rank in Charm, as he is a heavily social character.

He did not receive the suggested two ranks in Knowledge skills as suggested by the F&D Core Rulebook, as he has not had time for a formal education. Everything he’s learned he’s taught himself or picked up on while on the run.

I also traded an Inquisitors talent for Command 2 to emphasize his leadership qualities, as my original intention was to build him as a Guardian. His Force Powers were also borrowed from the Inquisitors build list, but modified so that they can also utilize their light side counterparts to give him the duality that defines his character.

He is built to be an immensely powerful ally or an extremely capable enemy, but more so the personification of the Morality system.

And there you have it. Thanks for reading and let me know if your party uses Tav. I’d love to hear about what you get up to.