Edge of the Empire - (SWE02) Core Rulebook

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IN TR O D U C TIO N "Much to learn, you still have." -Yoda

B o u n ty hunters! Run!" I bolted. I d id n't need to be told again. They weren't taking me back to Logron. Ahead. Sona decided the sun­ drenched alley was too exposed and dove into a shad­ owed archway. "Come...argh!” the Bothan groaned, suddenly reap­ pearing as she bounced off something hard, landing on her back in the sandy street. I slowed to a jog. grabbed her hand, and yanked her back to her feet w ithout stop­ ping. "D idn't see the door. Too dark," she cursed. As we picked up speed, she pressed something into my hand. A blaster pistol. "So. now you trust me?" I asked.. "Barely Just point it at the bounty hunters." She looked behind us. Our twisting path through Mos Sluiuta's alley ways blocked the hunters from view. I m omentarily pan­ icked as a pair of humanoid figures sprinted around the corner, but I quickly realized they were Sona's friends, the Pero brothers. At least. I thought the Twi'leks were her friends. I barely knew any of them. Stun bolts buzzed by the Twi'leks as they turned the cornei The hunters were much too close for comfort.

We all ran harder. At least the stun bolts told us they wanted us alive...for now. "There's no way Logron's hunters could find us that fast!" I yelled at Sona. We had escaped Logron’s des­ ert farmstead hideout less than an hour before, after we smashed his comm gear and took the only speeder. Logron (all-around scum, m inor crime lord, and illegal bounty hunter kingpin) had left unexpectedly, and we seized the o p p ortu nity to break out of our makeshift cell. His otherwise-inept guards managed to blast the landspeeder as we zipped away. Its repulsorlift died five minutes outside Mos Shuuta. crashing us into a conve­ niently-located sand dune. "They're not Logron's." Sona shouted back. ”1 think they're after the Pero brothers. Coson and Reis must owe someone BIG. They always attract bounty hunters." The Twi'leks caught up to us when we slowed to turn down a side street. The older one, Coson. replied, "If they're after us. they're new. Don't recognize them " A barrage of stun bolts announced the hunters' reacquisi tion of their targets. Us.

Sona pointed up toward a tall structure that dwarfed the buildings around us. "There’s the bay! Co left!” A throng of people clogged the cramped outdoor market street ahead. Sona led us down a parallel side street. We emerged near a cliff, face—not unexpected, given that Mos Shuuta covered the top of a small mesa. We turned right, expecting to run between the buildings and the cliff edge, but a towering, teetering stack of crates and junk blocked the way. "Wonderful," groaned Reis. The hunters would be here in moments. I grabbed Reis' wrist. "Come on, we’ll skirt around the outside. Just don’t push me off the cliff!” I turned side­ ways, as there was just enough of a ledge to get around the junk. I tried to touch the pile as little as possible. Predictably, Reis slipped and panicked. He grabbed the nearest stable thing to save himself—me. I seized his hand and his momentum yanked me towards the edge. I clutched the pipe I’d been using to balance myself, but it found-no footing in the pile. The edge under Reis’ feet crumbled and suddenly I was holding us both, dangling by one arm from the pipe. The pipe finally caught on something and held, but both it and my arm threatened to come loose at any moment. Then, Reis went limp. Unconscious. I began to curse him all the way to Ryloth when a stun bolt glanced off the pile nearby. I’d forgotten about the bounty hunters. They had hit Reis. I looked back and saw Sona halfway up the pile, returning fire from behind a smashed crate. Coson scrambled fearlessly across the ledge towards us. He grabbed his brother by the arm and we hauled him up. We slung him over my shoulder and I carried him to safety behind some of'the junk. The pile lurched as- Sona jum ped down to join us, having taken the high road over the top. She jammed some kind of stim into Reis. He began to revive, but not quickly enough. I peeked around the corner and saw the bounty hunt­ ers—Rodians—walking nimbly along the ledge. "Come on, Coson,” I yelled at the strong Twi’lek. "PUSH!" I low­ ered my shoulder and we slammed into the pile. A dozen random containers tumbled down on the Rodians just before the whole pile lurched and slid off the cliff side in an avalanche of junk. I didn’t see whether or not the Rodians went over with it. We ran. Sona defeated the landing bay door's security in m o­ ments. To my surprise, inside stood a very familiar, very worn freighter. It was disk-shaped, with its cockpit offset on the starboard side. Its color scheme of equal parts blue and rust seemed to visibly crack and fade in the bright sunlight that streamed in through the landing bay’s open top. Sona ran up the boarding ramp to the hatch. She punched in a code and the hatch sprung open. She sprinted toward the cockpit, leaving me and Coson to lead the staggering Reis into the ship. I strapped myself into the copilot's seat as the Rodi­ ans (or at least some of them) ran into the bay and we roared into the sky. As we cleared the atmosphere, and

the horizon turned from blue to black, I turned to Sona, a question burning in my mind. I kept my hand on the blaster in my lap, but didn’t pick it up. N ot yet, anyway. "N o one could break into a ship that fast. How did you know the code to Logron’s ship?" Sona laughed. “It’s MY ship. I owed him some cash, and Logron decided to alter our deal and take the ship instead. The Pero brothers and I tracked him to the farm but got caught by some of his hunters. We figured out.too late the-ship was in Mos Shuuta." My mind raced with this unexpected turn. "How long have you owned this ship?” "Years.” My blaster came up instantly. Sona’s smile vanished. “ Hey, hold up, I told you to point that thing at bounty hunters." "I think I am. M y cousin disappeared six months ago on Tatooine, and she was last seen being taken aboard a blue freighter. This one. An informant in Mos Eisley told me Logron owned it and used it for bounty hunters. I found his hideout at the farm, but.his guards caught me and threw me in with you and the brothers. I don’t know or care what you’re mixed up in. I’m out here looking for my.cousin. If it's your ship, you know where she is." “I’m a smuggler, not a bounty hunter. Coson and Reis are my crewmates. Your cousin was in trouble with Jabba the Hutt, so I smuggled her offworld." Sona sighed, “You know, I always regret coming to Tatooine.” “ I’m sure you do,” said a voice from behind us. We spun around, and I instinctively aimed my blaster at the in­ truder. "As do I. Regret your coming here, that is. You’re trouble." A tall, well-dressed human with short black hair and a full board stood in the cockpit doorway, his blaster aimed at us. It was Logron. In the rush, we hadn’t checked the ship. He could have been almost anywhere onboard. “You did me no. favors leading my Rodian ex-partners right to me. Now, you will land this thing at Mos Ei.s...” He trailed off, staring out the. cockpit window behind me and Sona, which suddenly glowed. We turned to see the bright white triangular hull of an Imperial Star Destroyer, which had just dropped out of hyperspace. I turned around and shot the scum. Logron fell to the deck, stunned. Unconscious. Sona looked from me, to the blaster, to Logron, to the Imperial ship outside. She smiled broadly and said, “You know, I think you're right. Today I am a bounty hunter. I bet those Rodians knew something we didn't about Logron. Let’s make a few credits, then see to your cousin." Sona grabbed the comlink microphone. “Captain Sona Fey'lya of the Blue Flare to Imperial Star Destroyer. You have great timing. I'd like to claim an Imperial bounty. Shall we deliver, or do you want to pick up?"

WELCOME TO ROLEPLAYING AT THE EDGE OF THE EMPIRE! n the E dge of the E m pir e roleplaying game, you’re part character, part storyteller, and part improvisational ac­ tor. You simultaneously create and play through fantas­ tic Star Wars stories filled with action, suspense, space battles, and more than a few stormtroopers, smugglers, bounty hunters, and Hutt crime lords. In E dge of the E m ­ pire , you play characters at the fringes of civilized space or society—usually both. To play the game, you need your imagination, this book, paper and pencil, some Star Wars E dge of the E mpire dice, and several other players. Before you begin, you need to decide which member of your group will play as the Game Master (GM). While not a permanent decision, the role of GM does not gener­ ally change from one game session to the next, and the Game Master has several responsibilities that the rest of the players do not.

I

I'M TH E GAME MASTER! W H A T DO I DO? Running a roleplaying game is a lot of fun. The GM runs the game, provides the basic story plot, plays the char­ acters the players meet, describes the surroundings, and adjudicates the rules. A good GM must think on his feet. The GM responds to unexpected actions from the play­ ers and adjusts the story as the players come up with the best way to resolve the situation they have encoun­ tered. Your number one job is to make sure everyone has a good time. Fun first, rules second.

I'M A PLAYER! W H A T DO I DO? As a player, you take on the role of an individual charac­ ter, referred to as the Player Character (PC). You usually create a Player Character for yourself at the beginning of the game, but the Game Master may provide a pre­ generated PC for you. Your Player Character takes part in an adventure, analogous to episodes of a television show or individual movies wherein you play part of the recur­ ring cast. Adventures last for one or more game sessions.

WHERE DO I START? ifferent parts of this Core Rulebook will serve as a good starting point depending on wheth­ er you will be playing E dge of the E m pire as the Game Master or as a Player Character.

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Players should begin by reading Chapter I: Play­ ing the Game and can then dive right into Chap­ te r II: Character Creation. The Game Master should also begin with Chapter I: Playing the Game but can then move on to Chapter IX: The Game M aster

With each adventure, your character gradually becomes better at what he or she does, and the story evolves with and around all the characters. Player Characters in E dge of the E m pire are typically from the rough-and-tumble side of the galaxy, but they don’t have to be. You use the rules to create the kind of character you want to play, and you develop it by playing the role you envision. You might play a character based on someone found in the Star Wars movies and stories, but most players use a combination of abilities and backstory to create a charac­ ter unique to them. For example, the opening story featured a common Player Character type—Sona, a smuggler whose deal with a criminal benefac­ tor turned sour, forcing her and her crew to take dras­ tic action to regain their ship. The Pero brothers and the story’s nar­ rator could be played by oth­ er players.

Your smug­ gler might run con­ traband to Imperial worlds while dodging Star Destroyers and stormtroopers. You could be­ come a Rodian bounty hunter, chasing down the scum of the universe for profit. O r you could be a dis­ graced human noble or politi­ cian on the run from the Empire and fending off accusations of being a rebel sympathizer... accusations which might be true!

When you create your character, you will need to con­ sider your backstory: where did your character come from? What does he do now and why? What does he want to do next? The game includes ways to inspire backstory development through roleplaying motivations and obligations to other individuals. Your PC has a spe­ cific Obligation that influences him regularly—maybe he owes a crime lord thousands of credits, must repay a big favor, or is dedicated to his family or organization. On the seedy side of galactic society, you can’t help but owe someone something. You also create a personality, one which might be very similar to yourself, or very different from anything you’ve known. The heart of a roleplaying game is taking on the role of your Player Character, and acting in a manner be­ fitting the character’s situation, history, and aspirations. Backstories and personalities can be as complex or sim­ ple as you like, so long as you and your fellow players are having a good time. Once you have a Player Character, you play as part of a group, usually comprising four to six players. Your character's backstory might mesh with theirs (perhaps they are related, or all serve aboard the same ship), or they might be allies of the moment, thrown together by circumstances beyond their control. When you play, each member of the group controls his own Player Character. The Came Master plays the part of everyone else the PCs encounter, work with, or fight. (These are called Non-Player Characters, or NPCs.) The CM also embroils the group in the adventure. The CM might create a story or plot, or the group could dictate their own journey. M ost games are a combination of both.

During the adventure, you tell the GM what you want your Player Character to do. You might use accents or unusual voices like an improvisational actor, but it’s per­ fectly fine to simply say what you want to do and let the GM respond. Don’t worry about knowing all of the rules of the game im m ediately—you’ll learn from the GM and other players as you go, although reading the E dge of the E m pir e Core Rulebook is helpful. Having a good time is more im portant than following every rule to the letter.

WELCOME TO THE GALAXY! It is a tim e of civil war...and much more. Every day, the growing Rebellion threatens the Galactic Empire on new battlefields and political arenas, fighting for hearts and minds throughout the galaxy in th eir bid for free­ dom. Beyond the Rebellion, the rest of the galaxy goes about its business. Some hope to stay out of the line of fire, but others p ro fit from the conflict. The m ost un­ lucky beings are caught in tyrannical Imperial policies th a t repress freedom and enslave entire species. The desperate and the opportunistic seek the edges of the Empire, finding refuge in social, eco­ nomic, and legal grey areas in the remote parts of the galaxy.

EXAMPLE OF PLAY rank, George, Harper, Isabelle, and Jackie have gathered together to play E dge of the E mpire around Frank's dining room table. Frank and George are playing Twi’leks: Coson the Hired Gun and Reis the Technician. Harper is playing Mills, a human Col­ onist. Isabelle is playing Sona, a Bothan Smuggler. Jackie is acting as the Game Master (GM).

F

We join the group mid-session as they arrive in Mos Shuuta... Jackie (GM): It takes five minutes to walk from your crashed speeder to the foot of the great stone bridge leading up to the Mos Shuuta mesa. It takes another ten to climb all the way up to the town itself. Fifteen minutes hiking in the Tatooine sun is enough to tire everyone; you all suffer two strain (Everyone marks that they’ve suffered two strain on their char­ acter sheet.) Frank (Coson): I hate this planet. Let’s get out of here. Isabelle (Sona): We should try to find a ship. M ay­ be we can book passage off-world at the cantina— this town must have a cantina, right?

Jackie (GM): Okay, this will be a Streetwise check. What do you do? W hat do you say? Isabelle (Sona): I start with the bartender, I guess. “ Hey, you handsome devil. I like your cantina; it must be the first port-of-call for every spacer in town." George (Reis): I’ll sit with my brother at a table near the middle of the room where we can see and hear as many people as possible. Maybe someone’ll let something interesting slip while Sona’s doing her gladhanding. Jackie (GM): Okay, that’s a pretty good icebreaker. This will be an Average difficulty Streetwise check. Reis and Coson’s extra eyes and ears are worth a Boost die, and take another for good roleplaying. (Isabelle gathers dice based on various factors into a dice pool and rolls it.) Isabelle (Sona): Success, no Advantage or Threat Jackie (GM): Well, good news! The Blue Flare is in dock at Bay Aurek. Isabelle (Sona): The Blue Flare? I know that ship!

Jackie (GM): Sure. The first Jawa you ask on the street points you towards the cantina.

Jackie (GM): Meanwhile outside, Mills, make me a Vigilance check.

H arper (Mills): We should be cautious about this. I’ll hang back from the group and keep an eye out. Logron’s thugs could be right behind us.

H arper (Mills): N ot exactly my strong suit. (Harper collects dice based on M ills’ Vigilance skill and chal­ lenge and difficulty dice provided by Jackie, then rolls.) Failure, but two Advantage.

Jackie (GM): Good idea. The cantina is a low pourstone building, like m ost of the rest of the town. It’s sunken a b it into the rock of the mesa and is much cooler than the hot streets. There is a collection of aliens of all types scattered around the main room, and the Devaronian bartender sneers at you as you approach. Isabelle (Sona): Okay, I guess we work the room and see who might know where we can get a ride off of this rock. Somebody must be a pilot for hire. Frank (Coson): Hire? With what money? We’re broke, remember? Isabelle (Sona): Details. We’ll figure that out later.

THE EMPEROR RULES The fearsome Empire dominates the galaxy politically, socially, and militarily. The Emperor maintains absolute control; he skillfully plays political games, using both the m ilitary and the dreaded Darth Vader to keep his chokehold on the galaxy. The Imperial m ilitary is unmatched when deployed en masse. Imperial agencies m onitor the actions of opponents and allies alike. The feared Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) digs into any suspected corruption or rebel activity. Government-sanctioned political groups like the Commission for the Preservation of the New O r­ der (COMPNOR) promote Imperial ideals and harshly counter rebel propaganda and anti-imperial sentiment.

Jackie (GM): Alright, Mills. You don’t see the Rodian bounty hunters until you literally walk into them when you turn to step into the cantina. You and the Rodians go flying in opposite directions, tumbling to the ground as they shout out in recognition. Be­ cause of your Advantage, I’ll give you a free maneu­ ver before they can respond. H arper (Mills): Uh...uh... I duck into the cantina and shout for help! Frank (Coson): Oh, great A firefight in the cantina is the perfect cap to our terrible day. Jackie (GM): Roll for initiative! Dominant though the Empire is, it is hardly monolithic or omnipresent, and the rebels, criminal organizations, corporations, and many others exploit that fact.

THE GALACTIC CIVIL W A R RAGES ON! The rebels destroyed the Empire’s ultimate weapon, the Death Star! The loudest shot of the Galactic Civil War still reverberates throughout the galaxy. Viewed as a le­ gitimate new hope for the repressed and the persecuted, the Rebel Alliance battles Imperial forces every day. The rebels are locked in a desperate, winner-take-all battle with the Empire, with only a fraction of the m ilitary might they need. With each new success, the Rebellion spreads

Sun deliveries and operations. Black Sun reaches from Coruscant, the capital world of Imperial Center, to the backwater planets and isolated worlds beyond Known Space.

SHADY SHADOW PORTS A N D BLACK MARKETS

in the galaxy. The Empire relentlessly seeks out rebels and their sympathizers, pursuing the main rebel leader­ ship across the galaxy. A fter the destruction of the Death Star, to be labeled a rebel is to be a hated and hunted enemy of the Empire.

BEW ARE TH E POW ERFUL HUTTS The Hutts are immense, slug-like creatures who wield great influence in the galaxy; they have done so since the ancient days of the Republic. They nominally fall un­ der the control of the Empire, but the Hutts long usurped Imperial power in H utt Space through corrupt and mon­ etary means. Many, like the legendary Jabba the Hutt, are criminal overlords, with the type of power and un­ derworld connections that make them difficult for the Empire to counter effectively or eliminate completely. The Hutts' efforts—criminal or otherwise—heavily influ­ ence the economies, governments, and illegal activities in large areas of the sprawling O uter Rim Territories. It’s hard to operate at the fringes of society w ithout encoun­ tering a H utt scheme. Worse, failing or crossing a Hutt tends to be expensive (and occasionally violent). Bounty hunters make a good living enforcing H utt revenge.

THE H ID D EN BLACK SUN Black Sun is a secret interstellar crime syndicate, op­ erating at every level of galactic society. Powerful crime lords called Vigos protect Black Sun’s underworld su­ premacy while simultaneously vying for more power and territory within the organization. Each Vigo organizes, coordinates, and controls massive illegal operations in his own region in the galaxy. Secrecy is paramount to Black Sun’s centuries-long operations. Smaller criminal groups often unknowingly work for the sprawling crime syndicate. Black Sun is sometimes an ally (but more of­ ten an adversary) of the Imperial government. Smugglers and black marketeers are duped into carrying out Black

Beneath the surface of legitimate com­ merce. Imperial bureaucracy, and regiment­ ed Imperial rule lies a teeming underworld of smugglers, con artists, black marketeers, and other criminals. Though officially condemned as hives of scum and villainy, the truth is that much of the galaxy engages with or even relies upon these grey market economies to survive. Isolated worlds sometimes have no other option, further blurring the line between legitimate enter­ prise and illegal trade. As stifling Imperial law and persecution increase throughout the galaxy, more people escape to the fringes just to survive or evade arrest. Shadowports provide trading ports, ship's servic­ es, and other key support for otherwise illegal activities. Shadowports are usually isolated and secret, but some foster illegal activities in larger, legitimate spaceports. Black markets offer virtually any legal or illegal item, so long as one can afford it. Smugglers sneak contraband past the ubiquitous Imperial customs inspectors, bringing banned items into Imperial worlds, or even sneaking fugi­ tives and rebel agents away from the Imperials.

SURVIVING AT THE EDGE OF THE EM PIRE Life at the fringes of society and civilized space is tough. The edge of society can be found almost anywhere in the galaxy—from the most isolated backwater Imperial planet in the O uter Rim to the dank depths of the seedy lower levels of the Imperial capital city-world. The edge of society often corresponds to the edge of the Empire it­ self: outliers where people run to escape Imperial agents, where rebels plot and strike against the Imperial military, and where the explorers and colonists establish new lives. Living here is a gamble: a loss of societal law and pro­ tections also brings freedom from Imperial interference and repression. Naturally, the fringes are home to crimi­ nals. scoundrels, and outlaws. Given that Imperial rules regularly outlaw dissent and resistance, it isn't hard for otherwise honest and upstanding citizens to run afoul of Imperial edicts—and find themselves on the run. Life at the edge requires hard work and risk-taking just to survive. People are often caught in events beyond their control—Imperial security sweeps, mistaken identities, con games, fraud, accusations of rebel sympathy, theft, and more. The adventurous can turn their misfortunes into new opportunities for freedom, credits, and even starships. They learn the ways of the edge, and thrive de­ spite its challenges. Some even manipulate the situation to their own advantage while maintaining their own moral code. Life is a dangerous adventure.

CREDITS STAR WARS: EDGE OF THE EMPIRE

COVER ART

DESIGNED BY

Scott Schomburg

Jay Little with Sam Stewart, Andrew Fischer, and Tim Flanders

INTERIOR ART

LEAD PRODUCER Sam Stewart

WRITING AND DEVELOPMENT Dave Allen, Max Brooke, Eric Cagle, Shawn Carmen, Daniel Lovat Clark, John Dunn, Sean Patrick Fannon, Nat Feipel, Andrew Fischer, Shane Hensley, Sterling Hershey, Tim Huckelbery, Michael Kogge, Jay Little, Jason Marker, Sam Stewart, and Ross Watson

EDITING AND PROOFREADING Owen Barnes, Patrick Brennan, Alex Davy, Molly Clover, Dave Johnson, Mark Pollard, Thaadd Powell, Julian Smith, and Rex Vogen

Even Mehl Amundsen, Jacob Atienza, Cristi Balanescu, Tiziano Baracchi, Ryan Barger, Chris Beck, Matt Bradbury, Christopher Burdett, Sam Burley, Adam Burn, Stacey Diana Clark, Alexandre Dainche, Christina Davis, Emile Denis, Sacha Diener, Allen Douglas, Tony Foti, Mariusz Gandzel, Zach Graves, Blake Henricksen, Johannes Holm, Clark Huggins, Joel Hustak, Hendry Iwanaga, Lukasz Jaskolski, Jeff Lee Johnson, Jason Juta, David Kegg, Adam Lane, Diego Gisbert Llorens, Henning Ludvigsen, Jorge Fares > Maese, Michat Mitkowski, Alejandro Mirabal, Mark Molnar, Jake Murray, David Auden Nash, Mike Nash, Andrew Olson, Hector Ortiz, R J Palmer, Anthony Palumbo, Aaron Panagos, Scott Purdy, Michael Rasmussen, Francisco Rico Torres, Emilio Rodriguez, Chynthia Sheppard, Jonas Springborg, Matthew Starbuck, Matt Stawicki, Nicholas Stohlman, Chase Toole, Alexander Tooth, Magali Villeneuve, Wibben, Ben Zweifel and the Lucasfilm art archives

PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT Eric Knight

MANAGING RPG PRODUCER Chris Gerber

LICENSING & DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

GAME LINE GRAPHIC DESIGN

Deb Beck

EDGE Studio, David Ardila, and Chris Beck

EXECUTIVE GAME DESIGNER

CORE BOOK GRAPHIC DESIGN

Corey Konieczka

Chris Beck, Shaun Boyke, Taylor Ingvarsson, Dallas Mehlhoff, and Michael Silsby

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Michael Hurley

GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGER PUBLISHER

Brian Schomburg

Christian T. Petersen

MANAGING ART DIRECTOR Andrew Navaro

PLAYTESTERS

ART DIRECTION

For a complete list of playtesters, please see page 457,

Zoe Robinson

LUCAS LICENSING DIRECTOR OF PUBLISHING

SENIOR EDITOR

Carol Roeder

Jennifer Heddle

CONTINUITY DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR Leland Chee

Fantasy Flight Games 1975 West County Road B2 Roseville, MN 5511 3 USA Copyright 2015 Lucasfilm Ltd & ® or TM where indicated. All rights reserved. Used under authorization. Fantasy Flight Games and the FFG Logo are registered trademarks of Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc.

ISBN: 978-1-61661-657-1 Product Code: SWE02 Print ID: 1595MAR1 3 For more information about the Star Wars: Edge of the E mpire line, free downloads, answers to rule queries, or just to pass on greetings, visit us online at www.FantasyFlightGames.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I: Playing the Game The Core Mechanic.................................................. The Dice.................................................................. Lights, Camera, Action!............................................ The Basic Dice Pool................................................. Building a Basic Dice Pool....................................... Interpreting the Pool................................................ Other Types of Checks............................................. Other Key Elements................................................ Obligations............................................................. Experience & Development..................................... Derived Attributes................................................... Chapter II: Character Creation Step 1: Character Backgrounds............................... Step 2: Obligation.................................................. Step 3: Selecting a Species..................................... Step 4 and 5: Choosing a Career and Specializations Step 6: Invest Experience Points............................. Step 7: Determining Derived Attributes................... Step 8: Determine Motivations............................... Step 9: Gear and Appearance................................. Step 10: Selecting a Ship....................................... Chapter III: Skills Choosing Skills....................................................... General Skills......................................................... Combat Skills......................................................... Knowledge Skills..................................................... Chapter IV: Talents............................................... Talent Descriptions................................................. Chapter V: Gear and Equipment Galactic Economics................................................. Rarity..................................................................... Encumbrance......................................................... Combat Skills......................................................... Weapon Characteristics.......................................... Weapon Maintenance............................................. Weapon Descriptions.............................................. Armor.................................................................... Gear...................................................................... Black Market Items................................................. Customization and Modifications............................ Weapon Attachments............................................. Chapter VI: Conflict and Combat Narrative and Structured Gameplay....................... Maneuvers............................................................. Actions................................................................... Defense.................................................................. Soak...................................................................... Range Bands.......................................................... Additional Combat Modifiers.................................. Environmental Effects............................................. Wounds, Strain, and States of Health...................... Recovery and Healing.............................................

6

C hapter VII: Starships and Vehicles

.222

.... 9

Starship and Vehicle Weapons............................................ 226

.. 10

Starship and Vehicle Combat.............................................. 230

.. 14

Stellar Phenomena or Terrain............................................. 240

..15

Taking Damage.....................................................................242

.1 8

Interstellar Travel.................................................................. 246

.23

Vehicle Profiles.....................................................................247

. 24

Starship Profiles.................................................................... 253

.. 26

Starship and Vehicle Modifications.....................................269

.29 29

C hapter VIII: The Force ...................................................272 The Force in Edge of

the

Empire.........................................275

.. 31

C hapter IX: The Game M a s te r

... 32

How to Run an Edce of the Empire G am e......................... 288

36

Creating an Edge

of the

............................ 286

Empire Adventure....................... 302

. 38

Using O bligation....................................................................307

...43

Player Motivations and How to Use T hem ........................311

53

The Base of Operations....................................................... 312

92

Adjudicating Destiny Points................................................ 31 5

. 94

Running a Full Campaign......................................................317

.94

Alternate and Optional Rules..............................................322

97

C hapter X: The G alaxy...................................................... 324

. 99

The Great Hyperlanes...........................................................326

.100

The Deep Core.......................................................................330

103

The Core W orlds...................................................................333

104

The Colonies......................................................................... 335

.120

The Inner Rim ........................................................................337

.122

The Expansion Region....................................................... .-.339

.126

The Mid Rim .......................................................................... 341

128

The Outer Rim Territories.................................................... 343

. 146

Wild Space and the UnknownRegions................................ 347

147

Hutt Space............................................................................. 349

. 149

The Corporate Sector...........................................................352

. 152

Other Notable Locations..................................................... 354

.153

Bespin..................................................................................... 356

.158

Corellia....................................................................................357

.158

Fondor.................................................................................... 358

.159

Kessel..................................................................................... 359

.168

Nal H u tta ................................................................................360

.171

Ord M antell............................................................................361

.183

R yloth..................................................................................... 362

.187

Tatooine..................................................................................363

. 188

C hapter XI: Law and Society ..........................................364

.196

The Galactic Empire.............................................................. 365

. i 97

The Alliance to Restore the Republic................................. 371

.200

Black Sun................................................................................ 374

.203

The H utts................................................................................377

.206

Other Organizations............................................................. 379

.207

Law and Order in the Galaxy............................................... 382

.208

C hapter XII: Adversaries

.210

Adversary List........................................................................ 391

212

............................................... 388

C hapter XIII: Trouble Brewing

416

.215

Becoming Em broiled............................................................ 422

.219

Index....................................................................................... 438

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,...

E D G E O F T H E E M P IR E I t is a d a r k tim e fo r th e g a la x y . S trik in g from th e ir h id d e n b a s e , th e R e b el A llia n c e h as d e s tro y e d th e e v il G A L A C T IC E M P IR E ’S p o w erfu l D e a th S ta r. N o w , Im p e r ia l fo r c e s s tr ik e b a c k , th r o w in g th e g a la x y in t o w a r.

In t h e m i d s t o f c o n f lic t , c o u n tle s s p la n e t s s u ffe r u n d e r I m p e r i a l ty ranny. M a n y f le e o p p r e s s io n t o b u il d n e w li ve s b e y o n d t h e b o u n d s o f c iv i li z a t io n .

On the edge of th e E m p ire , th e s e re n e g a d e s stru g g le to s u rv iv e an d re m a in fr e e in th e m id s t of ongoing tu rm o il . . . .

PLAYING THE GAME "Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view." •

he E dge of the Empire Roleplaying Game focuses on the grim and gritty portions of the Star Wars uni­ verse. Characters exist in places where morality is gray and nothing is certain, highlighting those who live on the fringes of both the galaxy and its society. In an Edge of the Empire campaign, bounty hunters,-smugglers, mercenaries, and explorers not only rub elbows with doctors, politicians, and scholars, but also find them­ selves thrust into adventures together with them.

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During these adventures, the characters will often find themselves facing any number of challenges, from repairing their damaged starship or slicing their way past a security panel to exchanging blaster fire with hired guns out to collect a bounty. The characters must rely on their innate abilities, trained skills, and special talents to survive. This chapter provides a broad overview of the ba­ sics of E dge of the E m pire . First, the section discusses what a roleplaying game is and what players need when preparing to play this game. The section then explores the various elements of the game’s core me­ chanic and special dice, The section continues with

-O b i-W a n K enobi

additional rules that govern the core of E dce of the E mpire ’s gameplay. The section ends with a discussion of the general makeup of characters found in E dge of the Empire Overall, this chapter covers the.core rules of Edge of the Em pir e , and other chapters cover rules dealing with specific situations in the game.

WHAT IS A ROLEPLAYING GAME? A roleplaying game is a collaborative storytelling game. Each player takes on the role of a character in a fic­ tional universe—in this case, Star Wars. Players work together to tell a story in which those characters work together to overcome challenges, do battle with dan­ gerous enemies, and even make a profit doing so. Cus­ tom dice are used to add an element of randomness to the game, so the outcome of the story isn’t known beforehand. Each character has unique characteristics and rules dictating his strengths and weaknesses. He follows rules for developing as the game progresses and uses the custom dice to determine his chances of success or failure at any given task.

in the Star Wars universe—tough, savvy, resourceful, and powerful people who are destined to make an impact on the galaxy. However, the PCs are also distinct from the common masses. In general, the PCs have special qualities or abilities that set them apart and make them unique. PCs are generally well trained in their field, highly capable, and often have acess to a variety of resources. This distinction is what allows the PCs to face the dangers that abound in an E dge of the Em pire campaign.

THE BASICS: WHAT PLAYERS NEED TO PLAY Beginning an E dge of the Empire game requires very few materials. Besides at least one copy of this rule­ book, players will need pencils or pens and copies of the character sheets found on page 444 to record information about their characters. The group will also need access to one or more standard 10-sided dice. Two dice per player is recommended. The players and Came Master (CM) should use the special custom dice designed specifically to manage the unique task resolution system used in the game. The dice are described in detail later in this chapter, and can be obtained through several venues. •

Packs of dice are available for purchase at local hobby game retailers or can be ordered online from Fantasy Flight Carnes.

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Each E dge of the E mpire B eginner G a m e comes with a set of dice.

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Fantasy Flight Games offers a Star Wars™ Dice app for iOS and Android devices.

Flowever, if these dice are not available, a chart on page 12 shows how players can use standard sixsided, eight-sided, and twelve-sided dice, which are readily found at most hobby game retailers.

THE PLAYER CHARACTERS (THE PCS) In Edge of the Empire , each player creates his own unique character. It is this character that will embark on adventures and become one of the protagonists of the story, alongside the other players’ characters. Col­ lectively, these characters are called Player Characters, or "PCs” for short. These Player Characters are cut from the same cloth as other memorable characters found

BEGINNER GAME ew to roleplaying games? One easy way to learn how to play roleplaying games (and Edge of the Empire specifically) is to play through the Edge

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the Empire B eginner G a m e . This product teach­

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es roleplaying to new play­ ers over the course of an adventure and contains everything a group needs to get started.

THE GAME MASTER (THE GM) The Came Master (often abbreviated as "CM”) is the player who sets the scenes, advances the storyline, and adjudicates the rules in an E dce of the E mpire game. The GM also controls the vast cast of charac­ ters known as Non-Player Characters (NPCs). Every­ one the Player Characters meet and interact with, from a common junk yard vendor to a high-ranking public official, is managed by the GM. Ultimately, the GM provides the backdrop and framework for the ad­ venture, adding details as events unfold and the PCs make decisions that impact the story. The CM is not the PCs’ adversary or playing "against” the other players. Rather, the GM is a guide and resource to help explain the "who, what, where, and why” of the people, places, and events the PCs encounter. Ideally, the CM works with the other players to develop and resolve the story. While it is true that the CM sets the charac­ ters up to fight against opponents and may place them in dangerous situations, the goal is for the CM to provide interesting encounters, keep the players motivated, and help the story flow as smoothly as possible.

Remember, since E dge of the Empire relies on narra­ tive and interpretive game play, all of the players work together to evaluate results and describe how the story unfolds. The CM just has the additional responsibilities of managing the NPCs, helping resolve disputes, and establishing how the game rules will be applied. Ulti­ mately, the CM’s word is final. If the CM makes a ruling, the other players should accept it and keep the story moving. More about playing as the Game Master can be found in Chapter IX: The Game Master

In Edge of the Empire , combat, placement of charac­ ters, and other situations are represented in an abstract fashion. This level of abstraction allows the game to keep the focus on the characters and their actions, rather than measurements, statistics, or minutiae. Rather than taking a ruler and measuring the distance between char­ acters on a map, it is preferable for a player to simply state: "I’m ducking behind the computer console to get some cover while I return fire.” That sort of description paints a much better picture of the action taking place.

NARRATIVE PLAY

of the

Resolving actions also has a narrative element Edge Empire utilizes a unique system of dice to de­ termine if a given task succeeds or fails. However, the dice provide far more than a simple pass/fail result. The combination of dice types and symbols are all resources the players can use to help tell the story and add depth to the scene. The variety of results allows for interesting and compelling encounters. It is possible for a character to fail at a task, but still receive some benefit or find a brief respite. Likewise, a character may succeed at a task but at a certain cost, or with unforeseen complications.

Edge of the Empire asks the players to step into their characters’ roles and use dramatic narrative to de­ scribe events and advance the story. While this rule­ book provides specific rules on how to resolve actions, the game relies heavily on both the Game Master and the players to use their imagination—tempered with common sense—to explain what happens.

THE CORE MECHANIC he core mechanic of the game revolves around the skill check. The skill check determines whether specif­ ic actions performed by characters succeed or fail, and any consequences that may accompany that success or failure. This core mechanic in Edge of the Empire is quite simple, and can be broken into two key elements:

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1. Roll a pool of dice.

2. After all factors have been accounted for, if there is at least one Success symbol, the task succeeds. The first element involves rolling a pool of dice. When a character wishes to attempt an action, a dice pool must be assembled. The number and type of dice are influenced by several factors, such as the character’s innate abilities, skill training, equipment, and the inher-

POSITIVE DICE AND NEGATIVE DICE cial training, superior resources, or other advan­ tages applied to the specific task. Negative dice are added to the pool to hinder or disrupt a task, or to introduce the possibility of complicating side effects. These may reflect the inherent difficulty of the task, obstacles, additional risks, or the efforts of another character to thwart the task.

ach dice pool is made up of a number of dice from several different sources. Essentially, these dice pools are composed of "positive dice” and "negative dice.”

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Positive dice are added to the pool to help ac­ complish a task or achieve beneficial side effects. These may reflect an innate talent or ability, spe-

TABLE 1-1: POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE DICE Positive Dice Come From

Negative Dice Come From

The skill used to accomplish a task

The difficulty of the task attempted

The characteristic being applied

An opponent's special abilities, skills, or characteristics

An applicable talent or special ability

Opposing forces at work

Equipment or gear being used by the character

Inclement weather or environmental effects

The use of light side Destiny Points

The use of dark side Destiny Points

Tactical or situational advantages

Tactical or situational disadvantages

Other advantages, as determined by the GM

Other disadvantages, as determined by the GM

ent difficulty of the task being attempted. The GM may decide that the environment or the situation warrants certain dice, as well—repairing a starship with ample time and the proper tools is one thing, but attempting repairs in the pouring rain, without tools, while under a hail of blaster fire is quite different. Once all the neces­ sary dice have been assembled, the player attempting the task rolls all of the dice in his pool. The second element involves interpreting the results on the dice. The players look at the symbols on the face­ up sides of each die. Certain symbols work in pairs, one type canceling out another. Other symbols are not can­ celed, and their effects are applied regardless of the out­ come of the task. After comparing the first set of paired

symbols—Success and Failure—the players can deter­ mine if the task succeeds. Then they compare the sec­ ond set of symbols—Advantage and Threat—to deter­ mine if there are any beneficial side effects or negative consequences. Finally, any other symbols are resolved to add the last details to the outcome. This core mechanic, the skill check, forms the foundation of the game. Other rules and effects ei­ ther modify or interact with one of these two fun­ damental elements—the pool of dice being assembled or the results on the dice after they are rolled.

THE DICE his section takes a closer look at the special dice and their symbols. By understanding these dice and sym­ bols, players will have a better understanding of the core mechanic. This section also discusses how to as­ semble a dice pool, and when to introduce extra dice based on the circumstances. Remember, these dice may be purchased separately, or players may use the Star Wars Dice app to roll them electronically.

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When a character makes a skill check in E dge of the Empire , the dice allow the players to quickly determine success and failure, as well as magnitude and narrative implications. To accomplish this, Edge of the Empire uses seven types of dice. Each die has a specific function and purpose. The dice differ significantly. Each die face will either be blank or will feature one or more symbols that represent various positive or negative effects. A typical dice pool generally ranges from five to eight dice. This pool size covers the majority of situations. Difficult, complex, or epic situations may include more dice, while mundane situations may involve fewer dice. Dice pools are generally not assembled or rolled for tasks so trivial that success is guaranteed. The impact of generating and rolling a dice pool is best used with important tasks that can influence the story. Dice can be divided into three categories. The first type features dice which possess symbols beneficial to success and accomplishing tasks. The second type comprises dice which possess symbols that cancel those beneficial symbols and hinder the accomplish­ ment of tasks. The third type of dice are Force dice, which are used slightly differently than the other dice. Boost, Ability, and Proficiency dice are the beneficial, positive dice. Setback, Difficulty, and Challenge dice are the negative, disruptive dice. Force dice are distinct, and while used for a number of situations, Force dice are generally not used in a standard skill check.

POSITIVE DICE There are three types of positive dice which provide symbols that improve the odds of successfully com­ pleting a task or achieving beneficial side effects. BOOST DICE □ Special advantages, or “boosts," are represented with light blue six-sided dice. Boost dice represent benefits gained through luck, chance, and ad­ vantageous actions taken by the charac­ ters. They can be added to a pool for a wide variety of reasons. Boost dice are most often used to reflect the character gaining some sort of benefit or advantage, such as having ample time to complete the task or having the right equipment. Boost dice and Setback dice are thematic opposites of each other. Boost dice are represented by □ in text. ABILITY DICE Ability is represented with green eight­ sided dice. Ability dice form the basis of most dice pools rolled by the players. They represent the character’s aptitude or skill used when attempting a skill check. These dice possess positive, beneficial symbols. Ability dice are opposed by Difficulty dice. Ability dice are repre­ sented by {> n text. PROFICIENCY DICE

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Proficiency is represented with yellow twelve-sided dice. Proficiency dice rep­ resent the combination of innate abil­ ity and training. They are most often used when a character is attempting a skill check using a skill in which he has trained. Proficiency

dice can also be added to a pool by investing a Des­ tiny Point into an important skill check. These dice possess a greater likelihood of success, and are the only dice that feature the potent Triumph symbol (see page 23). Proficiency dice are the upgraded ver­ sion of Ability dice (for more on upgrades, see page 21). Proficiency dice are represented by O in text.

NEGATIVE DICE There are three types of negative dice which impose symbols that undermine success or introduce un­ wanted complications. SETBACK DICE ■ Certain complications, or “setbacks,” are represented with black six-sided dice. Setback dice represent problems or minor obstacles during task resolu­ tion. Setback dice are often used to represent rela­ tively minor effects that impair or hinder a character, such as poor lighting, obstructive terrain, insufficient resources, or facing a hungry rancor instead of an old decrepit one. Setback dice are not as potent as Dif­ ficulty dice, and are added to represent additional circumstances and environmental effects that would not in and of themselves increase the base difficulty of the task. Setback dice and Boost dice are thematic opposites of each other. Setback dice are represent­ ed by ■ in text. DIFFICULTY DICE 4 Difficulty is represented with purple eight-sided dice. Difficulty dice repre­ sent the inherent challenge or complex­ ity of a particular task a character is attempting. In simplest terms, the more Difficulty dice in a dice pool, the more challenging it is to succeed. Difficulty dice possess negative, harmful symbols that cancel out the positive, beneficial symbols found on Ability, Boost, and Proficiency dice. Difficulty dice oppose Ability dice. Difficulty dice are represented by 4 in text. CHALLENGE DICE # Challenge is represented with red twelve-sided dice. Challenge dice rep­ resent the most extreme adversity and opposition. These dice may be featured in place of Difficulty dice during particularly daunting challenges posed by trained, elite, or pre­ pared opponents. Challenge dice can also be added to a pool by investing a Destiny Point into an important skill check. These dice feature primarily negative, ob­ structive results, such as Threats and Failures, but the Challenge dice also feature the potent Despair result (see page 24). Challenge dice are the upgraded ver­ sion of Difficulty dice (for more on upgrades, see page 21). Challenge dice are represented by # in text.

FORCE DICE The Force is abstracted using white twelve-sided dice. These Force dice represent the power and pervasive­ ness of the Force, and are generally only used in dice pools by characters (or creatures) with Force Sensitivity, or under special circumstances. One of these special cases is when the players gener­ ate their starting Destiny pool at the beginning of a session (see Destiny Points, page 27). Unlike the other dice used for task resolution which generate results that impact success and failure or magnitude and complication, the Force dice generate resources. Each die features both dark side and light side points. There are no blank sides on a Force die. When players roll Force dice, they always generate a number of resources—but the resources may be dark side, light side, or a mix of both. Force dice are represented by O in text. See Chap­ ter VIII: The Force for more on using Force dice.

TEN-SIDED DICE In addition to the custom dice de­ scribed above, the game also uses standard ten-sided dice. These dice are abbreviated as “d 10" when rolled by themselves. Many standard dIOs feature a “zero” on one side. If this side is rolled, it is counted as “ 10.” This allows the d 10 to generate any number between 1 and 10. In Edge of the Empire , a more common roll using d 10s is called the percentile roll. When making a percentile roll, the player rolls two dice, designating one die as the tens digit, and the other die as the ones digit. A result of zero on either die is counted as a zero. A result of “00” on both dice indicates a roll of 100. The percentile roll is abbreviated as d 100, and is used most often as a ran­ domizer, generating a number between 1 and 100. Per­ centile rolls are used to generate numbers to find results on lookup tables, such as the severity of a critical injury effect, or to determine whether or not a character's out­ standing Obligations come into play (see page 41). EXAMPLE David’s character inflicts a critical injury on a feral gundark. David rolls percentiles to de­ termine how severe the critical injury is. Fie chooses one green d 10 and one blue d10. Fie designates the green die as the tens digit. After rolling the dice, the green die shows a 4 and the blue die a 7. The percentile roll is read as 47. If the green die showed a zero instead, the percentile roll would be read as 7 (zero-seven).

CONVERTING STANDARD DICE TO TASK DICE ■ ■hen playing Edge of the E mpire , the CM and W p la y e rs ideally have access to a full comple­ ment of the special dice described here. However, there may be times when the dice are not avail­ able. This should not stop the game from continu­

ing. Players may use several standard 6-sided, 8-sided, and 12-sided dice to generate the results found on the custom dice by using the chart be­ low. Players simply convert the numerical results generated to symbols used in the game.

TABLE 1-2: STANDARD TD TASK DICE CONVERSION Die Type 1 2 3 4 5 G 7 Blank

Blank

T?

Setback die (d6)

Blank

Blank

Y

A bility die (d8)

Blank

☆

*

D ifficulty die (d8)

Blank

Y

YY

Proficiency die (d l 2)

Blank

#

*

Challenge die (d l 2)

Blank

Y

Y

YY

Y Y



Force die (d 12)

•

•

•

•

•

•

Y

@

9

®



o

o



{§>

10

11

12

yy ©

Y®

y# o

DICE SYMBOLS & RESULTS The dice used in Edge of the Empire feature a num­ ber of unique symbols used to determine success and failure, as well as additional context and conse­ quences during task resolution. Understanding these symbols allows the players to more fully contribute to the story, generating memorable details and de­ scribing cinematic actions over the course of their adventures. This section introduces and defines the different symbols, as well as describes how they may be used in play. Just like dice, symbols can broadly be classified into several categories. The three types of symbols are positive results, negative results, and Force resources.

POSITIVE RESULTS There are three positive symbols found on the task resolution dice. These results are Success, Advantage, and Triumph. SUCCESS # Success symbols # are critical for determining whether a skill check succeeds or fails. Success is undermined by Failure. Mechanically, one Success symbol & is canceled by one Failure symbol T . Based on the core mechanic, if there is at least one Success remaining in the pool after all can­ cellations, the skill check succeeds. In E dge of the Em p ir e , Success symbols # can also influence the magnitude of the outcome. For example, in combat, each Success is added to the damage inflicted to the target. Generating four net Successes would in­ flict four additional damage. Success symbols appear on , Q and

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o

Boost die (d6)

O dice.

yy oo @ Y® •• o



@®

Y®

® ©

o

oo oo

oo

ADVANTAGE O The Advantage symbol O indicates an opportunity for a positive consequence or side effect, regard­ less of the task’s success or failure. Some examples of these positive side effects could include slicing a computer in far less time than anticipated, finding an opening during a firefight to duck back into cover, or recovering from strain during a stressful situation. It is possible for a task to fail while generating a number of Advantages, allowing something good to come out of the failure. Likewise, Advantages can oc­ cur alongside success, allowing for some significantly positive outcomes. It is important to remember that Advantage symbols do not directly impact success or failure, only the magnitude or potential side effects. Advantage is canceled by Threat. Each Threat symbol cancels one Advantage symbol O Characters may use Advantage results in a wide va­ riety of ways—this is known as "taking the Advantage.” If a skill check generates one or more net Advantage symbols O the player can spend that Advantage to apply one or more special side effects. This could include triggering a critical hit, activating a weapon's special quality, recovering strain, or even performing additional maneuvers. The applications of Advantage are covered in more detail on page 205. Advantage symbols appear on . Q and

O dice.

TR IU M P H $ The Triumph symbol ^ is a powerful result, indicat­ ing a significant boon or beneficial outcome. Each Tri­ umph symbol provides two effects: First, each Triumph symbol also counts as one Success, in every means previously defined as a Suc­ cess. This means the Success portion of a Triumph

symbol ($) could potentially be canceled by Failure symbols generated during the same skill check. Secondly, each Triumph symbol can be used to trigger incredibly potent effects. Two common uses are to use a ($i to automatically trigger a critical injury with a successful attack, or to activate a weapon's special quality—effects that usually require multiple Advan­ tage symbols O to activate. Triumphs may activate other potent effects as well, including effects above and beyond those triggered by Advantage. These ef­ fects may be set by the CM, or they may defined by the environment, a piece of equipment, or a special character ability. See page 205 for more information on using the Triumph symbol ($) to trigger effects. Players gain both effects with each Triumph symbol; they do not have to choose be­ tween the Success or the special effect trigger. As a Success, that aspect of the Triumph symbol (£> can be canceled by a Failure symbol ▼ as usual; how­ ever, the second as­ pect of the 0 result cannot be canceled Multiple Triumphs are cum ulativeeach Triumph adds one Success, and each can be used to generate its own special effect. The Triumph sym­ bol only appears on the O die.

NEGATIVE RESULTS There are three negative symbols found on the task resolution dice. These results are Failure, Threat, and Despair. FAILURE T Failure symbols T are critical for determining whether a skill check succeeds or fails. Failure un­ dermines Success. Mechanically, one Failure symbol T cancels one Success symbol Based on the core mechanic, if there is at least one Success symbol # re­ maining in the pool after all cancellations, the skill check succeeds. Fortunately for characters, multiple net Failure symbols T do not influence the magnitude of the failure. Failure symbols appear on ■ ,

and # dice.

THREAT ® The Threat symbol ® is fuel for negative conse­ quences or side effects, regardless of the task’s suc­

cess or failure. Some examples of these negative side effects could include taking far longer than expected to slice a computer terminal, leaving an opening dur­ ing a firefight which allows an enemy to duck into cover, or suffering additional strain during a stressful situation. It is possible for a task to suc­ ceed while generating a number of Threats, taint­ ing or diminishing the impact of the success. Likewise, Threats can occur alongside Failure, creating the possibility for some significantly dire outcomes. It is important to remem­ ber that Threat sym­ bols do not directly impact success or fail­ ure, only the magnitude or potential side effects. Threat cancels Advantage. Each Threat symbol cancels one Advantage symbol O The CM gener­ ally resolves Threat effects. There are a wide variety of possible effects that Threat may trigger. If a skill check gener­ ates one or more net Threat symbols, the CM generally applies one or more special side ef­ fects. This could include being knocked prone, los­ ing the advantage of cover, taking more tim e than an­ ticipated, suffering strain during a normally routine action, or potentially al­ lowing an enemy to per­ form a maneuver. The applications of Threat are covered in more detail on page 205. Threat symbols appear on ■ . 4

and # dice.

DESPAIR ^ The Despair symbol ^ is a powerful result, indicat­ ing a significant bane or detrimental outcome. Each Despair symbol imposes two effects:

First, each Despair symbol & also counts as one Failure T , in every means previously defined as a Failure. This means the Failure portion of a Despair symbol could potentially be canceled by Success symbols & generated during the same skill check. Secondly, each Despair can be used to trigger potent negative effects. A Despair symbol ^ may be used to in­ dicate a weapon has jammed, or run out of ammunition or energy cells. Despair may activate other potent ef­ fects as well, including effects above and beyond those triggered by Threats. These effects may be set by the CM, or defined by the environment, an adversary, or a special character ability. See page 205 for more infor­ mation on using a Despair symbol ^ to trigger effects. Players suffer both effects with each Despair symbol; they do not get to choose between the Failure or the special effect trigger. As a Failure, that aspect of the De­ spair symbol can be canceled by a Success symbol & as usual, however the second aspect of the Despair symbol ^ result cannot be canceled. Multiple Despair symbols ^ are cumulative—each Despair imposes one Failure, and each can be used to generate its own special effect. The Despair symbol only appears on the # die.

FORCE RESOURCES The final category of dice symbols represents resources generated by the Force dice. There are two types of re­ sources: light side Force points O and dark side Force points # . Force-sensitive characters can use these re­ sources to help fuel special abilities, such as telekinesis or precognitive combat awareness. Powerful Force users like Jedi use Force dice frequently, and struggle with the balance of the light and dark sides of the Force. In Edce of the Em pire , such powerful Force users are generally quite rare. While Player Characters have the potential to be Force-sensitive and gain some fledg­ ling control of the Force, there are other uses for the Force dice besides using Force powers. One of the most common applications of the Force dice in E dge of the Empire is their use to determine the group’s starting pool of Destiny Points at the beginning of each session (see page 27). Unlike the positive and negative dice used for task resolution, Force dice generate resources which are spent to fuel a power's effects, such as magnitude, range, or duration. The Force die and the mechan­ ics that govern it are very different from the core skill check mechanics of Edge of the Em pire , and are dis­ cussed in greater detail in Chapter VIII: The Force

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! uring the course of an Edge of the Empire adven­ ture, characters find themselves attempting a va­ riety of tasks. These tasks may help resolve interac­ tions between PCs and NPCs, keep the story moving along, or conduct a fierce firefight between the PCs and enemy mercenaries. When the outcome of a PCs

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task is uncertain, that character will usually need to perform a skill check to determine success or failure of a particular action. These skill checks often utilize a number of different character attributes, such as skill, special talents, and inherent ability.

The type of skill check required is determined by the CM. Once the type of check and its difficulty have been set, the player creates a pool of dice based on the different factors involved. This can be a combina­ tion of many types of dice, and often varies based on the characters involved and the specific situation. After the dice pool has been created, the player rolls all of the dice assembled. The results on these

dice are evaluated. Some results cancel each other out, others are cumulative. Once all evaluations have been made, the player and GM can resolve the skill check by determining the action’s success or failure. They use the information they obtain from the dice results to describe the outcome of the check as well as any additional effects, com pli­ cations, or surprises.

THE BASIC DICE POOL dge of the Empire utilizes a concept known as a dice pool, which is a collection of the custom dice needed for the game (see The Dice on page 10). While some advanced or complex actions may re­ quire a large dice pool, the basic dice pool is quite simple. The basic dice pool relies on three factors: the PC’s inherent ability, any specialized training, and the difficulty of the task being attempted.

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Following a look at these three factors in greater de­ tail, this section goes on to describe assembling and resolving a basic dice pool, as well as discusses some additional types of dice pools and checks players may use during'a game session.

Although it does make sense to focus on characteris­ tics that help the character’s core skills and talents (such as a Politico character with high Presence or a Soldier with a high Brawn rating), the game system offers a great deal of flexibility. Players should consider going against the stereotypes or possibly plan ahead in anticipation of moving into other careers over the course of a cam­ paign. For example, the player may decide that his Pilot character is big and hulking, increasing the character’s Brawn, thinking he might eventually become a Hired Cun or Bounty Hunter. Likewise, a Slicer with a high Agil­ ity rating could be just as nimble with his body as he is with computers, opening up the opportunity to perhaps one day become a Thief or infiltration specialist.

CHARACTERISTICS In Edge of the Em pir e , a character’s intrinsic abilities are defined by six characteristics: Brawn, Agility, Intel­ lect, Cunning, Willpower, and Presence. Brawn and Agility are a measure of the charac­ ter’s physical abilities, his strength, flexibility, athletic prowess, skill with weapons, and general toughness. Intellect and Cunning are the character’s mental abili­ ties, reflecting his knowledge, analytical skill, clever­ ness, and deductive reasoning. Willpower and Pres­ ence represent the character’s personality and force of spirit, such as his charisma, mental fortitude, and how well he relates to and interacts with others. A character’s species determines his starting char­ acteristic ratings. However, each player has the op­ portunity to increase these default characteristics during character creation by investing a portion of his starting experience points. It is im portant to note that after character creation, increasing characteris­ tics is a significant in-game investment—something that may only happen a few times over the course of an entire campaign Players need to think care­ fully about their characteristic ratings, and should consider investing a significant portion of their starting experience points in improving their characteristics (more on character creation is covered on page 33).

CHARACTERISTIC RATINGS Characteristic ratings for both PCs and NPCs gener­ ally range from one to six. Some exceptions exist, es­ pecially in powerful or unique cases—for example, a rancor likely has a Brawn rating much higher than one of the PCs. NPCs like Darth Vader, Yoda, Han Solo, and other exceptional individuals from the Star Wars universe likely have abilities well beyond the scope of your typical starting NPC. A typical humanoid has an average characteristic rating of 2. A rating of 1 is weak and below average. A characteristic rating of 3 or 4 is significantly above average, while ratings of 5 or 6 represent exceptional performance and ability. During character creation, no characteristic can be higher than five. Once play begins, PC characteristics are capped at six. Each species has a default characteristic profile, reflecting that species' particular strengths and weaknesses. This profile is then augmented and improved during creation by investing experience points. To find the default characteristic profiles of each playable species, see Chapter II: Character Cre­ ation The six characteristics are defined below. AGILITY The Agility characteristic measures a character’s man­ ual dexterity, hand-eye coordination, and body con-

trol. Characters with a high Agility have a good sense of balance, flexibility, and deft hands. Agility is used for a number of physical skills such as Coordination, and is key to ranged combat skills such as Ranged (Light) and Ranged (Heavy). BRAWN A character’s Brawn represents a blend of a charac­ ter's brute power, strength, and overall toughness, as well as the ability to apply those attributes as need­ ed. Characters with a high Brawn are physically fit and hardy, tend not to get sick often, and have strong constitutions. Brawn is used for a number of physical skills such as Athletics and Brawl. Brawn is also used to determine a character’s starting wound threshold. CUNNING Cunning reflects how crafty, devious, clever, and cre­ ative a character can be. Characters with a high Cunning are savvy, quickly pick up on social and environmental clues, and can more readily come up with short-term plans and tactics. Cunning is used for a number of men­ tal skills, such as Deception, Perception, and Survival. INTELLECT The Intellect characteristic measures a character’s intelligence, education, mental acuity, and ability to reason and rationalize. Charac­ ters with a high Intel­ lect can extrapolate or interpolate data, can recall details and draw from previous ex­ perience, and can think of long-term strategies and envision the rami­ fications of present ac­ tions. Intellect is used fora number of men­ tal skills, such as Astrogation, Com­ puters, and all the Knowledge skills, such as Lore and Xenology.

PRESENCE A character’s Presence characteristic is a measure of his moxie, charisma, confidence, and force of person­ ality. Characters with a high Presence make natural leaders, draw attention when they enter a room, can easily strike up a conversation with nearly anyone, and are quick to adapt to social situations. Presence is the key characteristic for interpersonal skills such as Charm and Leadership. WILLPOWER The Willpower characteristic reflects a character’s dis­ cipline, self-control, mental fortitude, and faith. Char­ acters with a high Willpower can withstand stress and fatigue, remain composed during chaotic situations, and exert influence over the weaker-willed. Willpower is used for a number of skills, such as Coercion and Vigilance. Willpower is also used to determine a char­ acter's starting strain threshold.

CHARACTERISTICS IN PLAY Different careers and professions rely on different characteristics more than others. Characteristics also influence skills, a wide variety of character abilities, and some derived statistics. For example, in addi­ tion to being used for Athletics and Melee combat skill checks, Brawn is used to determine a character’s starting wound threshold and forms the basis of a character’s soak value. As mentioned previously, characteristics are one of the three determining factors when a player creates a dice pool to perform a check (the other factors being skill training and task difficulty). See page 15 for more information about dice pools.

SKILLS & TRAINING While characteristics are extremely important and create the foundation of a character’s abilities, skills and specialized training are also key components of a character’s makeup. Skills represent the character’s training or experience in performing specific tasks and actions. Although a character can attem pt almost anything without the proper training or skill, he will be far more effective and capable if he is skilled at performing the task at hand. Skills represent specific training, hands-on experi­ ence, or focused knowledge in a certain area. Each skill is linked to a specific characteristic, the default ability a character uses when performing a task with that skill. For example, the Athletics skill is based on Brawn, Deception relies on Cunning, and Lore uses In­ tellect. The proper skill training can compensate for a low characteristic rating. However, the most proficient characters are those who have both the proper train­ ing and a strong linked characteristic.

TABLE 1-3: DIFFICULTY LEVELS Difficulty Level Dice Example Simple

-

Routine, with the outcome rarely in question Usually not rolled unless the GM wishes to know the possible magnitude of success, or Setback dice indicate the possibility of complications.

Easy

♦

Picking a primitive lock, tending to minor cuts and bruises, finding food and shelter on a lush planet, shooting a target at close range.

Average

♦ ♦

Picking a typical lock, stitching up a small wound, finding food and shelter on a temperate planet, shooting a target at medium range or trying to strike a target while engaged.

Hard

♦ ♦ ♦

Picking a complicated lock, setting broken bones or suturing large wounds, finding food and shelter on a rugged planet, shooting at a target at long range.

Daunting

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Picking an exceptionally sophisticated lock, performing surgery or grafting implants, finding food and shelter on a barren desert planet, shooting at a target at extreme range.

Formidable

44444

Picking a lock with no comprehensible mechanism, cloning a new body, finding food and shelter on a planet without breathable atmosphere.

A character’s career choice provides career shills. Characters start out with training, or “ ranks,” in some of their career skills. Over the course of a campaign, a character can learn and improve any skills he choos­ es; however, improving career skills costs fewer expe­ rience points than skills outside his current career. For a more in-depth look at skills and their applica­ tion, see Chapter III: Skills

DIFFICULTY The third factor in defining a dice pool (in addition to a characteristic and related skill) is the difficulty of the task being attempted. The characteristic and skill ranks add positive dice to the dice pool. Difficulty adds nega­ tive dice, which make success more challenging. In ad­ dition to the task’s inherent difficulty, other dice may be added to reflect additional complications based on the environment or specific situation. While the characteristic and related skill training are defined by the character attem pting the task, the difficulty of a task is set by the GM. There are six basic difficulty levels (see the Impossible Tasks sidebar on page 18 for an optional seventh dif­ ficulty level). Some modifiers or situations may war­ rant checks higher than Formidable, based on the GM’s discretion. In addition to providing a general classification which describes a task’s inherent challenge, the dif­ ficulty level also indicates how many purple Difficulty dice are added to the dice pool when attempting that particular task. A task performed against a set diffi­ culty level is referred to as a standard check.

DEFINING TASK DIFFICULTY When used to describe the difficulty of checks or tasks, difficulty levels are represented using one of the defined difficulty labels, followed by the number of Difficulty dice added to the dice pool in parenthe­ ses. For example, a player might face an Easy (4) Perception check or a Hard ( ♦ ♦ ♦ ) Mechanics check. More detailed examples of each difficulty level are provided here to give players a clear idea of what the different levels represent. SIMPLE TASKS ( - ) A simple task is something so basic and routine that the outcome is rarely in doubt. Success is assumed for the majority of simple tasks. If failure is virtu­ ally impossible, the task should not even require a check—the GM may simply state the proposed action succeeds. If circumstances make the outcome uncer­ tain, then a simple task may require a roll. This is gen­ erally only the case if one or more Setback dice are introduced, such as Setback dice added from injuries, the environment, or opposition. A simple task adds no Difficulty dice to the skill check’s dice pool. EASY TASKS (4 ) An easy task represents something that should pose little challenge to most characters, but something could go wrong and failure is still possible. A typical character with the proper training, resources, and the right tools for the situation should reasonably expect to succeed at most easy tasks he attempts. Often, the magnitude or potential side effects are more uncer­ tain than the success itself. An easy task adds one Difficulty die ( 4 to the skill check’s dice pool.

AVERAGE TASKS ( 4 ♦ )

IMPOSSIBLE TASKS

An average task represents a routine action where success is common enough to be expected, but failure is not surprising. A typical character with the proper training, resources, and the right approach to the situ­ ation should reasonably expect to succeed at average tasks slightly more often than he fails. An average task adds two Difficulty dice ( ^ the skill check’s dice pool.

to

HARD TASKS ( ♦ ♦ ♦ ) A hard task is much more demanding of a character. Success is certainly feasible, but failure is far from sur­ prising. A typical character with the proper training, resources, and the right tools for the situation should accept that he might fail at hard tasks more often than he succeeds—especially without Destiny on his side or other advantages. A hard task adds three Difficulty dice ( ♦ ♦ ♦ ) to the skill check’s dice pool. DAUNTING TASKS ( ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ) A daunting task taxes a character and may push him to his limits. Success may be difficult to achieve, but it is possible. A typical character with the proper train­ ing, resources, and the right tools for the situation will likely fail more often than he succeeds at daunting tasks, and he may wish to look for some advantages to aid him. A daunting task adds four Difficulty dice ( ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ) to the skill check’s dice pool. FORMIDABLE TASKS ( ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ) Formidable tasks seem nigh impossible. In fact, a for­ midable task most likely is impossible if approached casually. However, with proper planning, a well-trained

here are some situations in which the chance of success is impossibly low. In almost all cases, the CM simply states that any such check automatically fails without needing to assemble and roll a pool of dice.

T

However, the CM may decide to allow a PC to attem pt a check where success is extremely improbable—throwing a grenade in hopes that it will put out a fire, scaling a perfectly smooth, slick wall, or using reason to calm down a ram­ paging rancor, for example. Allowing the PCs to make an impossible task should be relegated to critical moments in a story’s arc or truly lifeor-death situations only. To prevent players from abusing these opportuni­ ties, attempting an impossible task automatically requires the player to spend one Destiny point. The player gains no benefits for doing so, beyond being able to attempt the task in the first place. He also may not spend any additional Destiny Points on the check. For simplicity, an impossible task imposes the same number of Difficulty dice as a formidable task (O O C ’C ’ O)and well-equipped character has a chance at success. Typical characters almost always fail formidable tasks. Even trained veterans fail formidable tasks more often then they succeed. Failure seems inevitable unless the character can apply one or more advantages, such as investing Destiny points, or adding bonuses from spe­ cific equipment, talents, or assistance. A formidable task adds five Difficulty dice ( ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ) to the skill check’s dice pool.

BUILDING A BASIC DICE POOL ow that the three primary building blocks of a skill There are two sides to every basic dice pool—the check’s dice pool have been discussed, the following side the player contributes (in the form of Ability dice section shows how the dice pool is actually assembled. and Proficiency dice O) and the side the CM con­ tributes (in the form of Difficulty dice Challenge When a character wants to attempt some sort of d ic e # , Boost d ic e Q and Setback dice■ ] . Addition­ action that might have a chance of failure, the player al factors may modify the number and type of dice for makes a skill check. The skill check utilizes the ap­ a check. When building a dice pool, every aspect of propriate skill of the character—Athletics for breaking both the player’s and CM ’s contributing dice should down doors, Knowledge for recalling facts, or Charm be explained and defined before the roll is made. The for convincing a guard to let the character get past, CM sets the difficulty level of the task once prior to for example. Each skill also has a linked characteris­ the roll. After creating the base dice pool, either side tic—Brawn for Athletics, Intellect for Knowledge, and may have the opportunity to upgrade dice. Presence for Charm. To make a skill check, he assem­ bles a dice pool.

N

APPLYING SKILLS & CHARACTERISTICS The active character’s skill training and the skill’s as­ sociated characteristic are equally important when building a dice pool. When performing a task, the CM and player determine which skill is most appropriate. This also determines which characteristic is used. For example, if the character is attempting to bypass a security terminal by slicing its alarm system, the skill check would use the Computers skill which is linked to the Intellect characteristic. The ratings for these two attributes determine the number of Ability and/ or Proficiency dice that are added to the dice pool. Once the characteristic and skill are determined, the player can start building his dice pool. The player compares his ranks of skill training and the linked characteristic’s rating. The higher value between the two determines how many Ability dice are added to the skill check’s dice pool. Then the player upgrades a number of those Ability dice into Proficiency dice based on the lower of the two values. If a character is unskilled (possesses no ranks) in the necessary skill, that is automatically the lower value—zero—and the character will rely solely on the appropriate characteristic. (This would also apply if the character had no ranks in the characteristic in question; however, in practice, it is almost impossible for a character to have no ranks in a characteristic.) EX AM PLE 1: 4 1 -VEX

41 -VEX is attempting to slice his way past a locked down security terminal. This uses 41 -VEX’s Computers skill and Intellect rating. 41-

VEX has Computers 2 and Intellect 3. His Intellect is higher, so the player begins by adding three Ability dice ( ♦ ♦ ♦ ) to his pool. His Computers skill is lower, so he upgrades that many dice (two) into Pro­ ficiency dice (O O). To attempt this ac­ tion, 41 -VEX starts out with three dice in his pool: O O O (one Ability die and two Proficiency dice). EX AM PLE 2: O S K A R A

Later, Oskara the gear-head Twi’lek bounty hunter must attempt to slice past the same security terminal. Oskara is more experi­ enced with slicing and has the skill Comput­ ers 3. However, her Intellect is only 2. Her Computers skill is higher, so the player be­ gins by adding three Ability dice ( ♦ ♦ ♦ ) to her pool. Her Intellect rating is lower, so she upgrades that many dice (two) into Proficiency dice (O O). To attempt this action, Oskara starts out with three dice in her pool: < > 0 0 (one Ability die and two Proficiency dice).

E X AM PLE 3: LO W H H R IC K

Finally, Lowhhrick the surly Wookiee hired gun tries to get past the same security terminal. The Wookiee has Intellect 2 but no ranks of train­ ing in Computers. His Intellect is higher, so the player begins by adding two A bility dice ( ♦ ♦ ) to his pool. Since he has no ranks in Computers, th a t value is considered zero and no A bility dice are upgraded to Proficiency dice. To attem pt this action, Lowhhrick starts out with only two dice in his dice pool: ♦ ♦ (two A bility dice). Note that both 41-VEX and Oskara begin with the same size and type of dice pool, despite the fact their ranks in the Computers skill and Intel­ lect ratings are different. The system allows a character to compensate for a lack of innate abil­ ity by improving his trained skills, and vice versa.

APPLYING TASK DIFFICULTY

talents, unlocked career abilities, investment of Des­ tiny points, or critical injuries. The following sections describe these modifications in more detail.

After determining which skill and related character­ istic are required to attempt the task, the CM then chooses the level of difficulty for the task by consult­ ing Table 1 -3 : Difficulty Levels on page 17. The difficulty level of the task determines the number of Difficulty dice that the player must add to his pool. For example, an Average skill check means the player adds two Difficulty dice to the dice pool.

It is also important to note that when modifying a dice pool, players perform the modifications in a spe­ cific order. First, players assemble the basic pool. Then they add additional dice. Then they upgrade dice. Then they downgrade dice. Finally, they remove dice.

ADDING DICE

In some cases, the CM may upgrade one or more of these Difficulty dice—removing them from the dice pool and replacing them with an equal number of Chal­ lenge dice. Difficulty dice are most often upgraded into Challenge dice when facing skilled opposition, particu­ larly challenging circumstances, or when Destiny points are invested to make a check more challenging.

One way to modify the basic dice pool is to add dice to reflect environmental conditions or various advantages and disadvantages. This is done primar­ ily through the use of Boost and Setback dice. As a general rule, one Boost die □ is added to the dice pool for each bonus that would help the character succeed, and one Setback die ■ is added for each disadvantage or obstacle impeding success.

After setting the difficulty level for the task, the GM adds the corresponding number of Difficulty dice to the action's dice pool. If there are no other factors in­ fluencing the outcome of the attempt, the basic dice pool is now complete and can be rolled to determine success or failure, as well as any potential side effects.

A single Boost die □ is often enough to represent the benefits provided by useful gear, ample time, superior position, or the element of surprise. If more than one of these advantages are applicable, the CM may allow multiple Boost dice to be added to the dice pool.

EXAM PLE: SETTING DIFFICULTY

Following the p rior examples, the CM reviews the table of difficulty levels. She decides that this terminal is outdated and security is gener­ ally lax in this area, so she assigns a difficulty of Average ♦ ) to the task. Two Difficulty dice are added to the players’ dice pools when at­ tem pting to slice past this term inal’s security.

MODIFYING A DICE POOL If there are no other influences or contributing factors that may impact the outcome of a task, the dice pool may consist of dice based solely on the acting charac­ ter’s skill and characteristic, along with the difficulty level set by the CM. Flowever, in a setting as diverse and action-packed as Star Wars, few actions occur in a vacuum. In fact, if an action is important enough to assemble and roll a dice pool, there’s a good chance other factors are involved. These other factors can affect or modify the dice pool in a number of ways. The most common ways are by adding dice, upgrading/downgrading dice, and re­ moving dice. These modifications may be triggered by the players, the GM, or may simply make sense given the environment and situation. Any number of fac­ tors may warrant modification of the dice pool, such as obstructing terrain, poor lighting, tactical advan­ tages, time constraints, superior equipment, special

Likewise, a single Setback die ■ is usually enough to reflect the impact of detrimental or obstructing ef­ fects like poor lighting, inferior supplies, harsh envi­ ronments, or outside distractions. If more than one of these disadvantages are applicable, the CM may add multiple Setback dice to the dice pool. It is important to note that while these dice are es­ sentially mirror opposites in their use, Boost dice and Setback dice do not cancel each other out. If the situ­ ation warrants the addition of two Boost dice and one Setback die, all three dice ( □ □ ■ ) are added to the dice pool. The use of Boost dice and Setback dice is a com­ mon resource all players can use to help reinforce im­ portant elements of the story. Players are encouraged to describe their actions in detail, and point out both advantages and disadvantages that may influence a particular action. Some equipment may add Boost dice to a pool to reflect superior craftsmanship, or certain talents may allow a player to add Boost dice to a pool to reflect special training that applies to the situation. Maneu­ vers like aiming may also allow a player to add Boost dice to a pool. Conversely, some effects may specifi­ cally impose Setback dice, such as the defined effects of a critical injury, or a penalty for using inferior tools for a delicate task. While the players may suggest the addition of Boost or Setback dice, the GM is the final arbiter deciding which and how many dice are added to the pool. The CM does have access to helpful guidelines when making

those decisions, as well as common sense based on how the scene and action have been described. See the Pos­ itive Dice and Negative Dice sidebar on page 9 for examples of the types of situations that may warrant the addition of Boost or Setback dice. EXAM PLE: A D D IN G □ A N D ■

For example, in the computer term inal slicing example used previously, the scene may have been described to reflect the character attem pt­ ing the task while under heavy fire from enemy forces (a disadvantage] and after suffering a broken w rist (a disadvantage]. Fortunately, the character acquired a fragment of the term inal’s passcode algorithms earlier (an advantage). Based on how the scene has been set up and described, the CM adds two Setback dice and one Boost die ( ■ ■ □ ) to the pool.

UPGRADING AND DOWNGRADING DICE In addition to dice being added to the pool, some game effects improve a weaker die into a more potent die, or turn a potent die into a weaker die. Improving a die is called upgrading. Weakening a die is called downgrad­ ing. Upgrading and downgrading dice most often occurs when one of the participants invests a Destiny point into a skill check. Certain talents or special abilities may also allow a character to upgrade or downgrade dice.

INCREASE, UPGRADE, DR ADD? here may come times when the CM is un­ sure whether a situation should have the dif­ ficulty level increased or whether dice should be added or upgraded. The difficulty should be set based on the task itself, not on the circum­ stances surrounding that specific attempt at the task. In general, once set, the difficulty lev­ el remains the same, regardless of who. what, when, or why that particular task is attempted.

T

Upgrading (or downgrading) dice is not usually necessary unless a specific rule or ability calls for it. These situations are defined by the indi­ vidual abilities, and are generally not applied arbitrarily by the CM. If the circumstances for this particular execu­ tion of the task are unique, then the CM may decide the task warrants the addition of Boost or Setback dice. Added dice should reflect the elements that make this attem pt distinct or special. As a general rule, if the CM feels that a skill check has distinct factors that would modify the outcome, he should consider using Boost and Setback dice.

UPGRADING AND DOWNGRADING ABILITY AND DIFFICULTY Certain rules may call for a player to upgrade or downgrade the ability or difficulty of a dice pool. For example, the Dodge talent allows characters to upgrade the difficulty of a combat check by a certain value. Upgrading or downgrading the ability of a pool refers to upgrading Ability dice 0 into Proficiency dice # or downgrading Pro­ ficiency dice # to Ability dice during a Deception check gives away a portion of the lie. Perhaps the target realizes that it has been lied to, but is unable to identify how much of the interac­ tion is false, thereby becoming more suspicious of the character. ^ may represent a more extreme example of this phenomenon; the target not only distrusts the character, but spreads the word of his deceit and harms his reputation amongst a small community of people. Additionally, the target may realize that

ne is Deing nea to ana use tne situation to ms aavantage, perhaps to insert some false information of his own. Perhaps the target is able to slip shoddy gear past the character by playing along with the lie.

DISCIPLINE (WILLPOWER) There are boundless horrors present across the span of the galaxy. Some—like the rancor, the wampa, and the krayt dragon—are natural entities, which are hor­ rifically violent as an outgrowth of their environs. Oth­ ers, such as Sithspawn horrors or the Death Star, are deliberate creations made by sentient life, which serve little purpose save to spread terror and destruction. Through the course of their adventures, characters may often encounter creatures that seek to dismember or devour them. The ability to maintain their composure and react in an effective manner is governed by their Discipline. This skill represents a character’s ability to overcome his biological instincts, so that he can overcome things that might induce utter panic in a person of lesser resolve. A character's Discipline may enable him to overcome treachery and threats that others attem pt to impose upon him. It is used to resist Leadership, Coercion, and Deception. Se§ Social Skill Interactions on page 11 3 for more information. Discipline plays a key role in the develop­ ment of Force abilities. See Chapter VIII: The Force for the full explanation. • If a character is pinned down by [heavy fire, he may need to pass a Discipline 1check in order to act normally. •

When confronted by a creature with inher­ ently horrifying aspects, a character’s ability to engage the foe rather than flee before its might is governed by the Discipline skill.

• Sometimes, a business contact might offer a character a deal that seems far too good to :be true. The ability to resist such temptations is based upon Discipline. • Mentally sorting truth from fiction and de­ termining when someone is lying (and not letting oneself be swayed by those lies), is often a func' tion of Discipline.

Discipline is often used to oppose another’s ac­ tions—where there is no roll—so it may not always be possible to generate an extra In situations where an extra & can be earned, one may be spent to downgrade # to a + on the character’s next action. O from a Discipline check may be spent to give the character an additional insight into the situation at hand. He might notice a particular vulnerability on a seemingly indomitable foe or an unusual pattern to the suppressing fire that gives the character a mo­ ment to leap from cover. Often, the sight of an ally looking danger in the eyes and refusing to blink is all it takes to bolster one’s resolve. ($ generated during a Discipline check may be spent to add □ to any Disci­ pline checks made by the character’s allies during the following round. The GM may spend ® generated during a Disci­ pline check to undermine the character’s resolve, per­ haps inflicting a penalty on further actions in the face of distressing circumstances. ^ may be spent to over­ whelm the character entirely. In this case, the charac­ ter is unable to perform more than a single maneuver during the following round of combat.

LEADERSHIP (PRESENCE) Even the greatest of heroes may sometimes need the assistance of others to complete their goals. Certainly the most foul of villains consistently use legions of flunkies to assist them in their criminal rampages. The ability to lead such companions and devotees can play a crucial part in the success or failure of any endeavor. While some may follow out of fear or the promise of tremendous riches, ultim ately most individuals choose to work with a person in whom they have faith and trust. The Lead­ ership skill represents a character’s a bility to instill that belief in the people with whom he chooses to interact. Politicians, m ilitary officers, and crime bosses all determine their degree of success based upon their abilities to lead others. Leadership is a combination of being able to make smart decisions, being firm and decisive when do­ ing so, and instilling a sense of loyalty and respect in one’s subordinates. See Social Skill Interactions on page 11 3 for more information. •

If a character’s allies have become subject to the effects of fear (see page 298), they may be ral­ lied through a Leadership check.

•

When acting in a public venue, a character may use Leadership to sway a crowd to take action, most commonly of a political nature.

•

If a character’s underlings have fallen before the guile of an opponent, he may reassert their loy­ alty to his cause by making a successful Leader­ ship check.

The difficulty of a Leadership check is based on the complexity of the orders a character is attempting to convey and the intelligence and professionalism of the subjects he is attempting to command. Particu­ larly complex orders, or stubborn or particularly dull subjects, require a larger number of Difficulty dice, while a simple order given to a loyal servant may re­ quire few, if any, Difficulty dice. When a character attempts to command a target to perform an action that could result in his harm or is in some other way against his nature or best interest, an opposed check is required. The character’s Leadership check is opposed by the Discipline or Willpower of the target, depending on the particulars of the order given. Extra & on a Leadership check may be used to ex­ tend the target’s support for additional scenes or may increase the efficiency or effectiveness of the target during the ordered actions. O may be used to affect bystanders in addition to the target. With (£>, the player may choose to have the target NPC become a recurring character who decides to faithfully follow the acting character. This individual may decide to join the character’s crew, offering his ser­ vices as a permanent aide de camp. The GM may spend in an attack is to activate Critical Hits or active weapon qualities. As de­ scribed on page 158 and page 245, each weapon has a Critical Rating that consists of a numeric value. The user can spend that many O to inflict one Criti­ cal Hit on the target in addition to regular effects and damage. (If the target is an individual, it inflicts a Criti­ cal Injury as per page 216). For more information on starship and vehicle Critical Hits, see page 243. Re­ member, the attack must deal damage past armor to inflict a Critical Hit. Weapon qualities are special effects and abilities that apply only when using that particular weapon. They come in two forms, active and passive. Active abilities require the user to spend a certain number of O to trig­ ger them. Generally this is O O although some quali­ ties require more or less. Qualities can inflict effects on a target, which unless specified otherwise, are always in addition to other effects, Critical Hits, and damage. In addition to always counting as an additional (£) can be spent to activate these abilities as well. ($) may be spent to inflict one Critical Hit (no matter what the Criti­ cal Rating on the weapon is) on a successful attack. In ad­ dition, may be spent to activate one weapon quality, no matter how many O it would normally take to do so. However, there are additional options for spending O and ($) in starship or vehicle combat. A list of the most common can be found on Table 7 -5 : Spending O and (£> in Starship Combat As in regular combat, this list is not intended to be absolute, but to provide guidelines for players and CMs. 5. RESOLVE © A ND ^ In the same fashion that the controlling player de­ termines how his character spends O and (£• in his combat check, the GM then determines how to spend any © and ^ generated in the check. By default, the CM determines how © and ^ are spent, although in some cases (such as checks made by NPCs) he may give the players the option to spend these instead. Unlike O and $), most weapons do not have specific options for spending © and ^ —although this is not al­ ways the case. Some particularly volatile or dangerous weapons do have these options, and if they do, the op­ tions are detailed in the weapon’s description. There are specific options for spending © and ^ in starship encoun­ ters, however; the most common of these can be found on Table 7 -6 : Spending © and ^ in Starship and Vehicle Combat. As with O and (|), keep in mind that these are not intended to be the only options available. As always, GMs can invent other ways to spend © and & depending on the specific circumstances of the encounter, and any option that the players and CM agree on can be viable.

TABLE 7-5: SPENDING O AND (£ IN STARSHIP AND VEHICLE COMBAT Cost Result Options Add □ to the next allied active character’s Piloting, Gunnery, Computers, o r Mechanics check Notice a single im portant point in the ongoing conflict, such as a fatal flaw in an enemy ship's course or a weak point on an attack speeder.

O or(£>

Inflict a Critical Hit with a successful attack that deals damage past arm or ( O cost may vary). Activate a weapon quality ( O cost may vary) Perform an immediate free maneuver, provided the active character has not already performed two maneuvers in that turn. O O o r$

Add ■ to the targeted character’s next Piloting o r Gunnery check. A dd □ to any a llie d c h a ra c te r’s n e x t P ilo tin g , G unnery. C o m p u te rs, o r M e chanics check, in c lu d in g the a c tiv e character. When dealing damage to an opposing vehicle o r ship, have the shot tem porarily damage a com ponent o f the attacker’s choice rather than deal hull damage o r system strain The effects o f this are up to the attacker and the GM and should make logical sense For example, damaging a ship’s shield generator should drop its defense to 0 until the generator is repaired (ideally with a Mechanics check). However, it should not be loo crippling. See T a b le s 7 - 1 0 and 7 - 1 1 on page 2 4 5 for some possible com ponents to disable. Ignore penalizing terrain or stellar effects until the end o f the active character's next turn. If piloting the ship, perform one free Pilot O nly maneuver (provided it does not break the lim it o f maximum num ber o f Pilot Only maneuvers in a turn). Force the target ship o r vehicle to veer off. breaking any Aim o r Stay on Target maneuvers. Upgrade the difficulty o f the targeted character’s next Piloting o r Gunnery check. Upgrade any allied character’s next Piloting, Gunnery, Computers, o r Mechanics check. Do som ething vital to turning the tide o f battle, such as destroying a capital ship’s shield generator or losing a pursuing ship in an asteroid field When dealing damage to an opposing vehicle o r ship, have the shot destroy some im portant com ponent of the attacker’s choice rather than deal hull damage o r system strain, leaving it com pletely inoperable until fully repaired As with the option for disabling a com ponent, this should be agreed upon by the GM and player, but could include destroying the engines o f a fleeing ship, taking out their hyperdrive, or blowing o ff weapons. See T a b le s 7 - 1 0 and 7 - 1 1 on page 2 4 5 for some possible com ponents to destroy.

). Abilities: None. Equipment: Disruptor pistol (Ranged [Light]; Damage 10; Critical 2; Range [Short], Vicious 4), holdout blaster (Ranged [Light]; Damage 5; Critical 4; Range [Short]; Stun setting), armored clothing (+1 soak, +1 defense).

PIRATE CREW [MINION]

In a galactic society, and even more so in its criminal underbelly, information is perhaps the most valuable commodity in existence. An infochant, shorthand slang for "information merchant,” traffics in information and makes it available to anyone who wants it for a price. Typically, an infochant has a network of people who feed him information in exchange for favors, payment, or even other information (which the infochant spreads to those who may be interested). Some must seek out potential clients but others let the clients come to them. This is generally the hallmark of an infochant who has established a well known, successful, and prof­ itable network.

The sort of beings who embrace the life of a pirate are typically those who simply could not fit into society in any other situation. Pirates are selfish, bloodthirsty indi­ viduals who thrive on the thrill of combat and the cruel joy of victimizing others. These people live with the ever­ present threat of death; when boarding another vessel or if attacked by law enforcement agencies. Because of this ever-present threat of death, pirates tend to embrace a hedonistic lifestyle that includes revelry at every imagin­ able opportunity and of every conceivable variety.

Skills: Deception 2, Knowledge (All) 2, Perception 2, Vigilance 1. Talents: None. Abilities: None. Equipment: Holdout blaster (Ranged [Light]; Damage 5; Critical 4; Range [Short]; Stun setting), encrypted datapad, comlink.

Skills (groups only): Cool, Ranged (Heavy) or Ranged (Light). Talents: None. Abilities: None. Equipment: Heavy blaster pistol (Ranged [Light]; Damage 7; Critical 3; Range [Medium]; Stun setting) or blaster carbine (Ranged [Heavy]; Damage 9; Criti­ cal 3; Range [Medium]; Stun setting), vibroknife (Me­ lee; Damage 3; Critical 2; Range [Engaged]; Pierce 2, Vicious 1), padded armor ( + 2 soak).

P IR A T E C A PT A IN [N E M E S I S ]

S L A V E R [R IV A L ]

Among the rank and file of pirate crews, some small handfuls survive long enough to hone their skills and become leaders among their fellows. These in­ dividuals possess a cunning that their comrades lack and have honed it to a razor’s edge over the course of their time spent as a crewman. The ideol­ ogy of these individuals varies, from those who slaughter every victim to eliminate witnesses to those who display mercy in the hopes that future victims will be more willing to surrender. Most pi­ rate captains fear capture and will not take unnec­ essary risks unless the promise of reward is so great that their avarice overcomes their caution.

The most abominable sort of criminal, slavers profit by robbing others of their freedom. Slavers prey upon the weak or those who cannot fight against modern technology, often locating a primitive species some­ where in the galaxy then abducting entire villages of their victims. These unfortunates can be sold off as cheap physical labor. Some advanced species are made the targets of slavery as a means of controlling a problematic population, as with the Empire's en­ dorsement of placing the fiercely independent and physically powerful Wookiee race into slavery.

Skills: Coercion 3, Cool 3, Coordination 2, Deception 3, Gunnery 2, Leadership 2, Ranged (Heavy) 3, Melee 4, Resilience 2, Skulduggery 3. Talents: Adversary 2 (upgrade difficulty of all com­ bat checks against this target twice), Feral Strength 2 ( + 2 damage on all Brawl and Melee attacks), Knockdown (may spend