Topic: Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Roleplaying Game

[Chris Brady]

The issue I have most of all, right now, is how to do the die rolling.  If I'm going to be running this as a system game, I'd like to keep the handwaving at a minimum, at least to start.

As for the Jawa...  I'd rather not, but eh, I'll live not a big deal in the end.

[HairyHeretic]

We have a dice bot, but with the weird dice, it might be as easy for the GM to roll everything.

[Kunoichi]

Well, there's a table in the book for using regular dice and mapping the results to the weird dice...  But yeah, it would probably be better to find an alternate solution.

Perhaps we could use this online dice roller and rely on the honor system for the actual results?

As for the Jawa...  I'd rather not, but eh, I'll live not a big deal in the end.

Any particular reason you'd rather not? ^^; I've given some thought as to how this character might fit into various groups and types of campaigns, so I think I could probably give a decent justification for a lot of things.

[Chris Brady]

Any particular reason you'd rather not? ^^; I've given some thought as to how this character might fit into various groups and types of campaigns, so I think I could probably give a decent justification for a lot of things.

NPCs would typically treat the Jawa like a pest, and Impies are known to shoot on sight.  And most Jawas (as depicted) tend not to be all that cunning (smart, yes, but not too wise.)  So as funny as they are, I'll have to dance circles as to why the NPCs would treat a Jawa without treating it like vermin.

[Kunoichi]

Actually, from what I've been able to find, Jawas weren't really treated that badly outside of the more remote areas of Tattooine.  There were plenty of Jawas hanging around Mos Eisley in A New Hope, for example, with the EU even going so far as to say that they were given service at the local cantina, and there were a few of them seen in Jabba's Palace in Return of the Jedi, as well.

Additionally, in the Clone Wars CG cartoon, Jawas have been seen on Ryloth, Florrum, and even some of the lower levels of Coruscant, and the Jawas on Raxus Prime in The Force Unleashed were specifically transplanted there from Tattooine to work the machinery as well.

Admittedly, those who have regular contact with Jawas probably won't have a high opinion of them, since they have well-deserved reputations for being thieves and con-artists, but they're also known for having significant technical skills and being experts at salvaging used machinery, so they tend to carve out a niche for themselves in the local economy.

[Chris Brady]

You're not disputing my point, Kuni.  It's still mental gymnastics I'm going to have to do.  Still, if your dead set on playing the Jawa, I'm not going to stop you, I'll think of something.  My expertise (such as it is) has always been improving on sight.  I'm a reactionary GM, you do something I react to it.

[Kunoichi]

Actually, I am. ^^; Basically, what I'm trying to say is that most of the galaxy would regard a Jawa as a curiosity, rather than a pest, aside from the few corners of it where they've settled for longer periods of time.  People will likely know what sort of reputation Jawas have, but won't have had the experience to know whether or not that reputation is true.

Additionally, my own character will start the game having worked as a technician for a minor underworld figure for five years, so she's going to be a bit more worldly than the typical Tattooinian Jawa.  She also isn't starting the game with training in any social skills, so I'm definitely not expecting her to be handling the negotiations for whatever party she winds up with.

[Chris Brady]

That's the thing, though.  They aren't curiousities, they're considered pests.  Most who know of them consider them thieves.  And those who don't, won't care enough until a Jawa 'causes' trouble, and a Jawa will be dealt with as a problem.  In fact, given how prolific they are in the outer rim, most already know what a Jawa is and have a preconceived notion of what they are.

The other question I have is...  Do Jawas even have a gender?

Like I said, though, I'll make it work.

[Kunoichi]

Hmm.  I think there's room for other interpretations, but if that's the way you're going to run it, I won't really mind.  Like I said, the character I'll be playing will generally be more worldly than most Jawas, so she'll have overcome a lot of the little habits Jawas are known for that tend to get them in trouble.  She'll know to look at any shiny new pieces of tech she comes across and not touch, for example.  I'm also not planning to be the party face, so hopefully it shouldn't become too much of an issue. ^^;

As for the issue of Jawa genders, Wookieepedia is a pretty good source for this:

Jawas lived in separate clan families, each with distinct, separate territories for living and scavenging. Each Sandcrawler was led by a Clan-Chief, who was male. However the overall operation of the Jawa clan was overseen by a female Shaman. A female Jawa became a shaman by either possessing some kind of Force ability with which to perform magic, overcoming an illness accompanied by a hallucinatory vision or was chosen and trained as the successor to the current Shaman. The shamans were believed to possess the ability to foretell the future, and performed spells, hexes and blessings to protect the clan and ensure the well being of all clan members. This title gave them a great deal of respect throughout the clan, which was strange in the largely patriarchal Jawa society, and this allowed the shaman to assume a position where they were to be consulted upon, and asked often for their wisdom. With the important position within the society, the shaman did not travel in the sandcrawler and instead remained within the safety of the clan's fortress. Other than shamans, females were shown little respect in Jawa society.

[Chris Brady]

Well, I also have an idea of a starting point so it'll make it easier for a Jawa to pretty much roam without having to worry about others shooting at you for the fun of it, like they would in say, Nar Shadaa.

[Kunoichi]

Considering that my character will be starting the game unarmed and with no ranks in any weapon skills, I don't really plan on roaming anywhere alone, but the effort is appreciated. ^^;

Enough about my own character for the moment, though.  Since this isn't the recruitment thread for the game you're planning to run, I think it might be a little more on-topic to go over some of the basics of character creation instead.  That way, we'd be helping HairyHeretic with his own character, while at the same time staying on topic by going over more of the mechanical details of the system.

For example, did you know that, aside from some rare exceptions, you can only increase your ability scores at character generation, and not during play?  As a result, savvy PCs tend to spend the majority of their starting XP on said ability increases.  Fortunately, the game seems to have been designed with this in mind, as you get a number of free ranks in certain skills related to your career and specialization, as well, and the first couple of ranks in any skill are fairly cheap in terms of XP cost.

[HairyHeretic]

I'd be interested in hearing a bit more about options.

[Kunoichi]

Options?  Hmm.  Well, while the book itself isn't all-inclusive, it does have a rather nice set of options to choose from for creating characters.  To start off with, you get eight races to choose from:

Bothans (who are weaker yet more cunning, which is fitting for a race of spies)
Droids (this particular race starts with low stats, but gets a lot more starting XP and bonus starting skills, allowing for a great deal of customization)
Gands (who have two distinct subspecies that you can choose between, one that breathes methane and one that doesn't need to breathe at all)
Humans (who get the 'jack of all trades' treatment, as usual)
Rodians (who are more agile yet lacking in willpower, and have a cultural background as hunters)
Trandoshans (lizard people who are very tough, have sharp claws, and despise Wookiees)
Twi'leks (who get some innate social skills)
and Wookiees (who are extremely tough and well-suited to melee)

There are also six careers you get to choose from at the start of the game, with three specializations for each career that help characters further distinguish themselves from one another.

Bounty Hunters are pretty much what you'd expect from the career name.  Some fighting ability, some piloting ability, some skills that would help pursue targets, that sort of thing.

Colonists are the sort of people you wouldn't normally expect to see in the Outer Rim.  Social skills, knowledge skills, specializations for medicine or leadership or scholarly pursuits...  More of a support character, mechanically, though there's nothing stopping one from learning how to use a blaster if that's part of the character concept.

Explorers are another fairly broad career, with career skills that cover alien worlds and physiology, old legends and rumors, piloting, and just the basic necessities of survival out in the middle of space.  The three specializations place more of a focus on either social skills and street savvy, seeking out new life and new civilizations, or being a dedicated trader, depending on which one you pick.

Hired Guns are your dedicated combat career, with lots of combat skills and piloting for ground vehicles.  The Bodyguard specialization for it is pretty self-explanatory, while the Marauder is more about melee combat, and the Mercenary Soldier is a better fit for a more military-style character.

Smugglers are, of course, a noted archetype in Star Wars history.  They get career skills focused around piloting and criminal endeavors, with specializations that reinforce either the piloting or the criminal side, or that add on a little con-artistry.

Finally, Technicians will generally have the mechanical and computer side of things down.  One specialization is specifically based around repairing damaged machinery (and whacking people in the head with a wrench), another is all about getting tricked out, customized gear, and the third is more of a dedicated computer expert, built for hacking into systems or defending them from outside attempts to hack in. 

You're not locked in to just the career and specialization you've chosen for the rest of the game, either.  As you get experience, you can spend it to gain additional specializations, even from outside your chosen career, which can make for some interesting combinations overall.  Buying specializations with experience is also the only way you can access the Force Sensitive Exile specialization, which is where the system's mechanics for using the Force come into play.

How's that for options? ^^

[Chris Brady]

Actually, there are plenty of Colonist types in the Outer Rim.  Like dispossessed politicians and exiled nobles, outreach project medical specialists, archeologists.  Not to mention that the Outer Rim has it's own groupings of well established planets, desperately trying to stay neutral or rejoin the republic, not knowing why they were suddenly cut off.  Not sure why the book says otherwise.  As part of a group of Star Wars adventurers?  Yeah, I can see that.  But there are a lot less of the other classes than actual Colonist types, from what I remember.

I can actually break down the Original Trilogy characters into the Various classes available.

For example, Princess Leia would be a Colonist Politico, who buys more action oriented skills later on.  Mostly Blaster Pistol.

Luke is an Explorer Fringer, with a healthy order of Force Exile tossed in.

Han Solo is actually a Smuggler Pilot, although he does dip liberally in the Scoundrel path.

Chewbacca is one character that stays in his Hired Gun, Bodyguard class.

R2-D2 is a Technician Slicer, who also rummages around the misnamed Outlaw Tech tree.

C-3PO is a Colonist Scholar, another character that tends to stick to his little niche.

The only one not represented by the Heroes is the Bounty Hunter, but Boba Fett is almost pure Bounty Hunter Gadgeteer, if you're willing to wait for the second movie.

[Kunoichi]

I'd argue that Han is probably equal parts Scoundrel and Pilot, and definitely not a starting character by the time A New Hope rolls around, but given his overall past as an Imperial Academy dropout, starting off as a Pilot certainly makes sense.  Also, Chewie definitely spent some of his experience buying a few ranks in the Mechanic skill.

Hmm.  Actually, as far as the specific specializations go, each one also has a set of Talents attached to it, groupings of extra abilities that modify skill uses or grant new actions, which are what really help the different specializations differentiate themselves from one another.  It's recommended in the book that players photocopy them for other members of their group to use, and there's even a thread on the official Edge of the Empire forums where people have posted up printable pdf files containing all the specializations in the core rulebook.

Edit: Direct link to one of the pdf files in question removed.

[Chris Brady]

That's a fair point about Chewbacca, so Hired Gun-Bodyguard who dips into Tech-Outlaw Tech.  None of them are actually starting Characters I'd say, either that, or the GM gave them some extra XP with some guidelines on how to spend it.

And as long as Fantasy Flight Games allows it, I don't think posting links would be an issue.  Thanks Kuni.

[Avis habilis]

Is that one of the files that's posted publicly on their site? I'm not finding it on the support page. If not, it's best to err on the side of caution & not share it around.

[Kunoichi]

It's fan-made, but it's been posted on the official forums for the game for a couple of weeks without having been taken down.  Still, since it's better to be safe than sorry, I'll edit out the direct link to the document and just leave the link to the thread I found it in. ^^;

[HairyHeretic]

Well, the last character I had was the smooth talking noble, who also doubled as the partys pilot. What would fit that sort of concept best?

[Kunoichi]

Probably the Smuggler career with the Scoundrel specialization, though you might also find it worth your time to look at Explorer with the Trader specialization, as well.  Both of those specializations give you a good combination of piloting and social skills as career skills.

The Trader actually gets access to a talent called 'Smooth Talker', among other socially-oriented talents, so it might wind up being a better fit for your character concept.  The Scoundrel has some talents for fast-talking, but it also has talents focused around being a quick shot with a blaster pistol.

Edit: Also, there's nothing stopping you from starting off in one specialization, and then picking up the other later, so you could easily start off as a Scoundrel and add on the Trader specialization later, or start off as a Trader and pick up Scoundrel later.  Both options are perfectly viable in play, so which of the two you choose to start out with should probably be influenced by the character's backstory, in addition to just straight mechanical concerns.

Edit2: Actually, come to think of it, if you'd like to do a quick run through the character creation process and figure out how well the system would model your last Star Wars character, step 1 is to come up with a general character concept and background.  Said background doesn't have to be too detailed, since you might wind up coming up with more details during the rest of character creation, or even during the course of play.

Step 2 is to select an Obligation, which you can either roll randomly, or you can just select one that you think fits your character.  The link provided goes to a pdf file hosted on the official website, which was originally posted up in this article that gives a better explanation of the obligation mechanic than I ever could. ^^;

After that, step 3 is to select your species.

[Chris Brady]

Well, the last character I had was the smooth talking noble, who also doubled as the partys pilot. What would fit that sort of concept best?

What did the character start off as?  And where did the skill points go to primarily?

[HairyHeretic]

If I remember correctly he was an Arkanian offshoot (Saga edition, KOTOR sourcebook), with the skill focus in pilot. The background was that he had been created as part of a slave labor consignment, and shipped off to a corporation in the Outer Rim. The corporation had gone bankrupt just before the slaves reached their new home, and a corrupt factor saw this as a way to make a lot of personal profit. Some creative book-keeping caused the consignment to vanish, and he now had about 400 slaves to sell for his own profit. One of the pleasure line models the factor had been enjoying himself with found this out, and they managed to revolt and take over the corporation. As he was one of the revolt leaders, I went with the noble class.

I'd need to dig out my old character sheet to have an idea of where all the points went. I'm fairly sure I was using the Lineage talent tree, representing him drawing on the corporation resources. For the skills, I'd say most of my points went towards Deception, Gather Info, Knowledge, Perception, Persuasion and Pilot.

For an Obligation, I'd probably go with Responsibility to the rest of the slaves he was created with and led in revolt. For the available species, I'd probably go with human. It's close enough to what I had, and can still work with the clone / slave background.

The smuggler pilot / con artist sounds like it might be the best fit from what I see, though you know the rules better than I do.

[Kunoichi]

The Unofficial Species Menagerie that I linked to back on page 2 has fan-made stats for Arkanian Offshoots, if you don't mind using some fan-made material.  Otherwise, Human certainly isn't a bad fit for the character, since the character was a near-human species to begin with.

Unfortunately, there's not much in character generation that would mechanically fit having the resources of a small corporation to draw on.  You could start off with a higher level of Obligation than normal in exchange for getting more starting credits to buy gear with, and the starting ship the group gets would probably be supplied by the corporation, but attempts to draw on corporate resources after that would be reflected in-play, rather than in your starting character.

Edit: I think I'll avoid going into too much specifics on the differences between the  Explorer Trader and Smuggler Scoundrel careers and specializations for now.  Better safe than sorry, and so on. ^^;

[HairyHeretic]

I'm thinking probably Scoundrel then. They technically don't exist now to begin with, and slaves before that, so legimate business opportunities would be few and far between.

[Kunoichi]

Alright. ^^ I'll PM you a text-based character sheet that I came up with when I get home from work later this evening, and we can handle some of the more mechanically-specific aspects of character creation then.