This document is intended to provide prospective Master/Student Program (MSP) directors with ideas for starting a MSP. This outline can be used to start a very simple MSP, though I will list add-ons that can make your program more interesting and fun for the participants.

I want to remind everyone that all Master/Student programs are the responsibility of the Clan or House that runs them, NOT the Shadow Academy.

Background

The first true Master/Student Program began after the Sith War. The only surviving Sith, Darth Bane, decided not to openly challenge the powerful Jedi, for the Jedi would crush any attempt to further the Dark Side en masse. Instead, Darth Bane taught the Dark Side in secret. He took on one student, and thus the knowledge of the Dark Side was passed on - one person at a time. For thousands of years, only two in the galaxy trained in the ways of the Dark Side of the Force.

With Palpatine’s ascension to Emperor, the need to train in secrecy ended, and Dark Side training began in earnest. With the Jedi all but abolished, the Dark Jedi grew in number, adding members from all across the galaxy, and from all areas of the Empire. Pilots especially were watched carefully, and those who showed potential were recruited into the ranks of the Dark Jedi. As the ranks of the Dark Jedi grew, new training methods had to be established, as the number of Students far exceeded the number of Masters. Thus, Dark Jedi training academies were erected - not only to train new initiates, but to expand the knowledge base of the Dark Side.

The Brotherhood of Dark Jedi became a home to many Dark Jedi who sought refuge after the unfortunate events at Endor. To train the next generation of Dark Jedi, the Dark Brotherhood’s leaders opted to follow the academy model of training, as they no longer feared retribution from the puny amount of Jedi left in the galaxy. Thus, the Shadow Academy was born. It became a place for studying, teaching, and learning the ways of the Dark Side of the Force. Many students have passed through the doors of the Shadow Academy, each growing stronger in the Force through study of the Dark Side.

However, some Dark Jedi longed for the days of the Master/Student system - not for the secrecy, but for the individual instruction each student received. The Shadow Academy, though it performed a task no other facility could, was not able to provide this individual attention. Obelisk Battlemaster Michael Halcyon, during his time as a Krath Archpriest in House Acclivis Draco of Clan Scholae Palatinae, created a revised version of the Master/Student pairings, and implemented it successfully in his house. This allowed students to learn side-by-side with experienced Dark Jedi, dramatically improving their skills - and giving their masters the opportunity to practice their leadership skills at the same time.

Basics

A Master/Student Program can be as complicated or as simple as you want to make it. You can have long lists of requirements, procedures, tests, etc., or you can have none. However, there are some aspects of a MSP that are found in all programs, large and small. Herein are some common features of all, with suggestions for new programs.
Eligibility

This really depends on whom you want to train. You can specify that only Acolytes and Protectors, anyone lower than Dark Jedi Knight, or anyone at all can join as Students. As for Masters, most programs allow anyone Dark Jedi Knight and higher to be a master.

Suggestion: Students can be anyone lower than Dark Jedi Knight and Masters can be anyone Dark Jedi Knight and higher.

Joining

Some programs require that all new Clan or House members lower than Dark Jedi Knight join their program. Most students that I’ve talked with, however, prefer to have the option of joining. The same goes for Masters: most would rather have the option of joining instead of being forced into the program.

Suggestion: Allow people to choose whether or not to be in the program, though strongly recommend that lower-level members join early.

Pairing

Sometimes random pairing works, sometimes people request a specific Student or Master, and sometimes pairs must be decided in advance before both the Student and Master join the program. As the program director, you can have full, partial, or no say in determination of Master/Student pairings. Be warned, though, as some people may be incompatible.

Suggestion: Pick the pairs yourself, but allow people to request specific Students or Masters.

Activities

Though only a few people said they had specific activities for their MSP, most of them liked the activities - and wanted more. Activities ranged from Master/Student pair competitions, to teaching specific styles of writing, to IRC roleplaying sessions. These can be organized either by you or the individual masters, though having a list of activities for students to do would definitely be useful.

Suggestion: This depends on how much of a control freak you are. If you need to control everything, then you’ll probably want to hand out activities about once a week or so. If you aren’t so needy, let your Masters give out activities, but have a list of activities on hand in case your Masters ask for specific things to do.

Rank Advancement/Awards

Again, this really depends on what you want to do. Some programs have very specific requirements for advancement, while some programs use the house’s promotion guidelines - or even none at all. A point system is a favorite among many Clans and Houses as it provides a clear, numerical basis for promotions and awards Some Houses have tests or tasks that a person must complete in order to be promoted. I am sure you’re more creative than I, so use your imagination.

Masters, though, should be rewarded for their efforts, as they are volunteering their time for the benefit of another and the Clan or House as a whole. Some programs give medals for each rank. Others base rewarding Masters on the performance of the Student in competitions. Just like advancing the Student, there are many ways to reward the Master.

Suggestion: Pick a method of promotion and reimbursement, make it public, and stick with it.

Dark Jedi Knight Trials

The rank of Dark Jedi Knight is perhaps the most anticipated of any rank in the entire EH for obvious reasons. Some programs just make sure students meet the basic criteria and move. Others, however, have specific tasks their students must perform in order to be promoted to Dark Jedi Knight. Following what we know from the actual movies, these tasks are combined and called the Dark Jedi Knight trials. Some Dark Jedi Knight trials include writing multiple pieces of fiction in various styles, flying in all forms, fighting a series of progressively more difficult fights, and the like Other Dark Jedi Knight trials are not as rigidly set, but rather take into account the Student’s strengths and weaknesses. This type of trial might have a student who is good at poetry but not so great at prose focus on stories rather than poems. Also, some programs use exams to test a Dark Jedi Knight candidate’s worthiness. These exams can be on something specific (the Dark Side Compendium), broad (the EH and DB as a whole), or even multiple exams.

Suggestion: Pick a procedure for promoting to Dark Jedi Knight and make it known. Whether it be some sort of trial, or nothing at all. As the program director, you can change the promotion procedures at any time, so if something doesn’t work, you can try something else.

Other Considerations

There’s no particular order to these, so I’ll just list them as I remember them. Most of these are comments I received from people in a Master/Student Program. You can use them or not. If you want to keep your program simple and with as few rules as possible, you may want to skip this section entirely. Reasons are given for each consideration, but this does not mean the reasons work in every situation.

asters should not hold positions within the House/Clan. Although the Masters who held such positions had no objections, Students didn’t like it. The main argument here is that Masters who hold positions already look after several members, so their time is not solely devoted to their student(s). This is especially true for House and Clan Summits, whose duties often take up all their allotted DB time.

Only one Student per Master. Following the tradition laid down by Darth Bane, Masters should only have one Student at a time. This allows Masters to focus on their charge, and devote as much time as the Student needs. Plus, with more than one Student, favoritism comes into the equation, which is rarely a good thing.

Students must be lower than Dark Jedi Knight and Masters must be Dark Jedi Knight or higher. The rank of Dark Jedi Knight signifies that a member has proven himself or herself in battle, knows the intricacies of the DB, and is ready for the challenges of leadership. Lower level members do not have this sort of knowledge, which is why they are in the program in the first place. Also, members Dark Jedi Knight and higher should possess all necessary skills, and should they lack any, they should be capable of learning on their own at this point.

All members of a Master/Student Program must sign a contract, stating that they will remain active in the program until they reach Dark Jedi Knight/their student reaches Dark Jedi Knight (provided nothing in real life suddenly arises). Being assigned a DOA Student is bad, but worse is being assigned to an AWOL Master. Penalties can be assessed to violators ranging from no promotions for one month for each week of inactivity to expulsion from the program and possible AWOL from the House.

All Master/Student pairs must be within the same House. Since each House specializes in one area of practice, Masters should only take on Students from within their own House. A Krath Master, for example, may know less than a Sith Student when it comes to flying. This doesn’t mean a Krath cannot help a Sith with written assignments, but since most Sith assignments involve flying, a Sith Student is better off with a Sith Master.

Have a website for your Master/Student Program. Although this may seem obvious, most Clan or House programs do not have a website devoted to their Master/Student Program. Some have a page linked off of their main site with some basic information, but not much more than what the program is. A good Master/Student Program website should list exactly what is expected of the Student and Master, promotion procedures for the Students and the rewards schedule for the Master, the program’s rules, and the current and past pairings. This would take no more than a day or two to code and very little time to maintain, but would be a huge benefit to the House.

Conclusion

Always remember that all Master/Student Programs are designed to help the student adapt and adjust to life as a Dark Brotherhood member. As well, they are designed to give masters a chance to impart their wisdom. Obtaining the rank of Dark Jedi Knight or higher is only a side benefit. Programs should be fun, but should not interfere with normal House or Clan duties. Be flexible: if your Master/Student Program members want a highly structured program, then create one. If they want a more relaxed and easy-going program, then create one. Experiment with different approaches, rules, activities, etc., as you may find that your members prefer certain things over others.

Have fun!

This outline was compiled by Krath Epis Troutrooper. Any questions, comments, or other inquries should be sent to him and the Headmaster.