Dark Side Degradation = Power?

To what extent (if at all) does dark side degradation determine ones power? Or is it a sign of weakness/lack of control?

This question comes about after flicking through the Dark Side Sourcebook, on Page 39 part of a paragraph reads:

"As a character reaches higher levels, the long-term effects of dark side use begin to show. The character grows weaker in body, all the while growing stronger and stronger in the dark side of the force."

This is clearly in reference to the roleplaying game, but it left me curious nonetheless.

Eh, Palptine is ravaged by it and could still whoop close to anyone's ass with a lightsaber. As long as you're strong enough to augment your decaying body, it doesn't really matter.

Dooku was, objectively speaking, a fairly powerful sith yet had enough discipline to limit his submersion in the dark-side. Some might point out that Dooku had only been a sith lord for roughly a decade which means he wouldn't have been practicing long enough to degrade, but I would point to Darth Sion who, from what I can tell, was degrading the moment he embraced the sith.

Also, if sith eyes are a minor example of dark side degradation, we can look at how each individual sith displayed them and if it correlates with power. Sidious and Dooku were masters of the Quey'tek meditation technique and hence were able to conceal their dark-side connection (in the form of sith eyes) when needed.

Other sith like Maul and Malgus were simply roid-rage monsters who had little discipline in controlling their connection to the darkness.

I forgot who said it, but it went something like "the dark-side brings great power but it ultimately consumes those who can't wield/control it."

Maul was an assassin and Malgus was well, living in a time where the Sith were known and open to the galaxy, they had no need of hiding their eyes.

I think Kreia said that ... maybe.

It depends on the length of time one spends subsumed in the dark side, and also how deep they plunge. Palpatine is the most extreme example: his body was literally devouring itself inside out, and this happened to anyone he possessed as a spirit as well.

It seems to depend on the power of the individual and the age of their body. The more powerful and less fresh the body, the harder it is to fight off degradation. It also seems to be based on power how well one can stave it off.

Not sure if it's really a good way to measure anything though.

Dooku had to conceal his identity as a Sith Lord because he regularly presided over the Separatist Parliament and was just as much of a public figure as Palpatine was. + Sometimes in TCWs his eyes do appear to be yellow.

Originally posted by Pessimystic
To what extent (if at all) does dark side degradation determine ones power? Or is it a sign of weakness/lack of control?

This question comes about after flicking through the Dark Side Sourcebook, on Page 39 part of a paragraph reads:

"As a character reaches higher levels, the long-term effects of dark side use begin to show. The character grows weaker in body, all the while growing stronger and stronger in the dark side of the force."

This is clearly in reference to the roleplaying game, but it left me curious nonetheless.

From this quote I get that the more a Force-user gives themselves to the dark side; their abilities become more and more destructive. Observe that it plainly says:

all the while growing stronger and stronger in the dark side of the force."

It doesn't say that their own Force strength increases; it merely states that they become 'stronger' in the dark side of the Force. Simply put: they begin to develop and multiply their dark side powers.

Besides that; Malgus and Kaan were assumed to be dark side embodiments; but they are not on Palpatine's level.

Even King Ommin had dark side effects ravaging his body; but he is not in Sidious' league.

I don't think it's consistent. Kind Ommin's body had completely melted and he wasn't as powerful as certain other force users who had a better physique. And Palpatine's clones degraded very quickly because of his power in Dark Empire, but Vitiate seemed fine in Valkorion's body.

Palpatine was a living dark nexus of energy. It's normal that his spirit would corrupt potential bodies; because the dark side kind of eats you from within.
As about Valkorion; we just have to wait and see how the dark side effects ravage his host's body. Alternatively, it's possible that Valkorion keeps healing his (current) host body.

Originally posted by Azronger
It depends on the length of time one spends subsumed in the dark side, and also how deep they plunge. Palpatine is the most extreme example: his body was literally devouring itself inside out, and this happened to anyone he possessed as a spirit as well.

Yeah King Ommin was horrifically maligned. Yet, he is inferior to Kun whom had a young, strong, virile body.

Its very simple, lol. It is simply how much dark side power the dark sider has actualized and channelizes relative to his potential.

Which is why scrubs like Ommin who would get stomped by any relatively known and powerful Jedi Master have degraded so much, and the most powerful Sith Lord in Sidious didnt degrade till he was fired on by his own lightning in ROTS in his mid sixties and only shows any sign of fraility in ROTJ.

Which is why Kun didnt degrade yet and neither did Revan(before Reborn) despite both being in their forties(I presume this for Kun of course). Which is why Bane only begins to degrade in his mid forties ( he doesnt have even a fraction of the potential of the PT powerhouses).

I'd imagine this applies to any general case in the EU.

Sidious' own lightning didn't deform Palpatine, though. It revealed his true dark side nature.
And anyone who slips so much into the dark side like Palpatine will eventually look like him. It has nothing to do with one's personal power in the Force.

Depends.

How much time a Sith invested in Dark Side practices. Heavy investment is likely to accelerate aging process. And there comes a time when a Sith becomes a mere shadow of his former-self and looses his strength.

Look at the example of Darth Xedrix in Revan. TOR Encyclopedia also offers some insight.

Valkorion utilized Sith Sorcery to freeze aging of his true body. He did the same to his Hands.