Star Wars; The Mandalorian Wars (Gauging Interest)

[Inerrant Lust]

Opening Crawl

So here's the starting plot, a Jedi Knight, played by yours truly, announces to her padawan(s) that she wants to have a discussion with them. Namely, whether or not to go to war.

The game will start at this point, and would lead invariably to them getting drawn into the conflict.

Other players are welcome, as I would imagine if they join the Republic than that means the Jedi will be assigned a 'handler' of sorts to help them accommodate to the radically different life style. Presumably some badass normal lieutenant or whatnot.

I have a few ideas on the tone and themes of the story, and where I might like to go, but at the moment I'm undecided... And also, whether or not to make it a system game or freeform. I honestly very much prefer system, especially for something like this in which I don't want things to be easy for the Jedi. After all, war is tough... and you don't always win every battle. Moreover, you might win- but at what cost? These are some of the things I'd like to explore.

At the moment, I'm considering the FATE system. It seems simple enough and having tried Saga there are a few things that really irk me about it...

In any event, this is just a post to gauge some interest before I go to work! So let me know if you're intrigued or if you have any questions.

Laters!

[The Jackal]

I'm definitely intrigued :)

Are you planning on including canon characters such as Revan/Malak/Outcast?

[Inerrant Lust]

If I do, they will have limited appearances. But if the players end up in the same place where those canon characters were, or had the opportunity to be in, during the canon time-line... of course I'll have to oblige.

I plan on showing a little more light on perhaps Cassus Fett, as I think he would make an excellent antagonist..

[ShadowFox89]

 Interested as a Falleen Jedi.

[Marie Reynolds]

So if i understand this right will become Revanites and I would honestly like to be a bit farther away from Revan and Malak and Not be sacrficed to the dark side to destroy the Mandalorians.

[Tydorei]

Shadow, I wouldn't think you could start as a fallen jedi... and it would take a while in game for you to fall... just my two cents.

[Marie Reynolds]

I think he meant the race falleen

[ShadowFox89]

 Falleen are reptilian humanoids. They love to screw with humans and can give off mood altering pheromones.

[Inerrant Lust]

Well... while there are some foregone conclusions with the end-result of the Mandalorian Wars, it does not necessarily predestine every character who might participate in it...

And while I would like to explore some deep analytic themes about the Force and its interactions with morality, there's no reason we can't enjoy these adventures while they last in the same way that one would say, enjoy Ashoka Tano's adventures in the Clone Wars.... knowing how they ended up working out for the Jedi. 

[Marie Reynolds]

So would you be alright with maybe a military officer that works with the Jedi Knight.

[Inerrant Lust]

I would, that would be perfectly fine with me.

I'm also torn between the way I go about this story... I see two ways it could go;

The players are involved in long campaigns where the plot is mostly 'Us vs. Them' (at least initially) where most of the story is intensely narrow in focus, character-driven and based on how teh war effects the characters and their interactions with one another. For the Jedi, it's about how you take them out of the sequestered environment of their regimented lifestyle and put them in a place where they've quite literally disobeyed the highest echelons of the Order.

Or...

Something like the current running Clone Wars series, a little bit of the above... but also the Jedi are put to work doing 'wetworks' Black-Ops style missions. They could be on a mission to influence a Republic senator who is a Mandalorian sympathizer one day, and on a mission to rescue an imprisoned intelligence officer the next. Among these, they might also participate in battles, perhaps not always leading them and being in the thick of them but also possibly 'infiltrating' a battlefield for some objective that is otherwise overlooked/unobtainable by both sides.

I generally prefer the first, though it could easily be done poorly if I am a shitty storyteller.

Although I suppose I can't accept all the blame, as the first would require character growth on the part of all the players.

(Even then, it is my job to provide the impetus for that growth!)

[Triggvi]

You can have a lot of character growth. Doing a clone wars style story. I would vote that direction. I would want to for a Cathar Jedi Padawan.

[Muse]

  Hey guys, I'm interested. 

  I still think you're selling Saga short, I.L., but I'd be interested to give something else a try. 

[kckolbe]

If there isn't too much interest in male characters already, I would be interested in taking another shot at this.

EDIT:  Never played FATE, but have never been afraid of new systems.

[Marie Reynolds]

I kinda of like the first idea reminds me of the Wing Commander Video Games plot style.

[The Jackal]

Stopping by to say I'm still interested, but I'm in the same boat as kc regarding the FATE system. 

I would, that would be perfectly fine with me.

I'm also torn between the way I go about this story... I see two ways it could go;

The players are involved in long campaigns where the plot is mostly 'Us vs. Them' (at least initially) where most of the story is intensely narrow in focus, character-driven and based on how teh war effects the characters and their interactions with one another. For the Jedi, it's about how you take them out of the sequestered environment of their regimented lifestyle and put them in a place where they've quite literally disobeyed the highest echelons of the Order.

Or...

Something like the current running Clone Wars series, a little bit of the above... but also the Jedi are put to work doing 'wetworks' Black-Ops style missions. They could be on a mission to influence a Republic senator who is a Mandalorian sympathizer one day, and on a mission to rescue an imprisoned intelligence officer the next. Among these, they might also participate in battles, perhaps not always leading them and being in the thick of them but also possibly 'infiltrating' a battlefield for some objective that is otherwise overlooked/unobtainable by both sides.

I generally prefer the first, though it could easily be done poorly if I am a shitty storyteller.

Although I suppose I can't accept all the blame, as the first would require character growth on the part of all the players.

(Even then, it is my job to provide the impetus for that growth!)

I like the first one too, and if the story doesn't go the way you want it to you could always just switch it to option 2 by having Revan make the orders.  Blah sorry about the run-on.

[Inerrant Lust]

Okay then, sounds like it's tentatively the first story idea then.

As kckolbe and Muse can attest to, this particular plot has been attempted once before. I'm going to do things a little differently this time. Namely, I asked whether or not if we should do an In Medias Res style opening (much in the spirit of the movies, I'd hoped) but because I was still grappling with the SAGA system and it was supposed to be a very... tactical game, I fear it ended up as a slugfest between character sheets without any real gravitas associated with the success or failure of our protagonists... The dice-rolling also ended up slowing that down.

I at least hope that was the reason. I'll admit a very personal frustration with all the effort I put into trying to run that and the scant one or two-line replies I got (if I got replies at all, which was really annoying because I had to turn down some other very enthusiastic people in order to keep the group sufficiently small...), but perhaps that was my fault for running it that way.

I still think it had a rather epic start, if I do say so myself. 

In any event, that's part of the reason I'm considering FATE instead of SAGA or any other system. I still want to give the impression of great difficulty (which I think having the chance of failure can contribute to) so I'm leaning away from Freeform for that reason.

If you need a frame of reference for character creation (or you want to start early), everyone will probably be at power level novice at the start of the campaign. If a Jedi, this pretty much means a plucky padawan. If a soldier or some other sort of character, a gifted up-and-comer.

My character, Merynn, actually ended up waaaay more detailed than I expected her to be at first. When I have more time I'll go in depth, since I figure it gives you guys more to work with in the context of how your little padawans grew up... but in short, she is a Twi'lek that subconsciously adopts the feelings and thoughts of those around her through the force. She is very aware of this, and so is very emotionally guarded.

This was her sheet before. The crunch is mostly meaningless, but the fluff paragraphs would all be knowledge that your characters have readily available to them, whether through rumor or discussion with Merynn herself.

There are a few details that a mystery though.

And as I read over it, I may be inclined to change some things...

[kckolbe]

So, would you mind telling us which books apply for this setting?  I have FreeFate, but that's it.  Definitely willing to buy other books.  I am considering a reboot of Ced, but maybe going all technician since it looks like we aren't limited to playing padawans this time.

[Triggvi]

I think you will enjoy it being a fate game. Saga is so limiting as a system. I will never play saga again. It simply is not star wars for me.

Fate is more rp based and less numbers based.

[AribethAmkiir]

I've never played FATE and I'd have to ask Muse if I've done SAGA, but I'd be interested in learning and playing if there was room for another.

[Inerrant Lust]

So, would you mind telling us which books apply for this setting?  I have FreeFate, but that's it.  Definitely willing to buy other books.  I am considering a reboot of Ced, but maybe going all technician since it looks like we aren't limited to playing padawans this time.

The book's called Fate of the Galaxy, and it's fanmade so you don't need to spend any money. I have a copy of the PDF from ShadowFox89 but it seems to be unusually difficult to find on the interwebs.

[ShadowFox89]

 No Inerrant, you just have fail google-fu.

http://spiritoftheblank.blogspot.com/2011/07/luke-martinez-and-fate-of-galaxy.html

Big bold link that says "FATE OF THE GALAXY".

[kckolbe]

I'm sure I will.  FATE definitely has some interesting concepts, though I happen to like numbers as I am a huge nerd.  Aribeth, I would love for you to join and I want us plotting so that our chars know each other from the beginning.  Merryn was a very interesting and fun character.  I enjoyed RPing with her and Ced.  All the last game needed was just one or two active posters to give us more to go off of, and I think we have that now.

[Triggvi]

I can see a cathar Jedi Padawan having trouble dealing with mandalorian slaughter of her people.

[ShadowFox89]

 A Cathar and a Falleen in the same group?