Star Wars: Periods for Play

I thought I'd round out Star Wars week with a summary of the classic time periods available to Game Masters. The political and social landscape of the galaxy changes drastically as time progresses in the Star Wars Universe. Each provides unique opportunities for adventure. And while you may want to stick to what you're already familiar with (either from the films, or from books you've read) this list can help foster ideas about where you'd like to take your games as time progresses in your own little version of the Star Wars Universe. Or, perhaps, even give you an idea of which periods you'd like to look into further.

As with all Star Wars posts, this list focuses on the classic Star Wars trilogy and the fiction based on it, rather than anything based on the prequel films, which were bad. For those unaware, the Battle of Yavin (where the first Death Star is destroyed) is used as year zero. Dates are measured as either Before the Battle of Yavin (BBY) or After the Battle of Yavin (ABY).

Pre-Rebellion Imperial Era
From the establishment of Palpatine's New Order in 19 BBY, to the signing of the Corellian Treaty in 2 BBY

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Most of the truly iconic imperial technology had not yet been deployed during this period. The Death Star was, obviously, still being designed and built. And ship types such as the Imperial Star Destroyer, and the Executor Class Star Destroyer (or "Super" Star Destroyer) were likewise still on the drawing table. Though some would have been under construction in secret shipyards owned by Kuat. The Emperor also humors the Imperial Senate, providing the illusion of representative government.

There is no organized resistance to the Empire. There are many dissident groups, but they are independent from one another, and easily crushed by the Empire. It isn't until two years prior to the Battle of Yavin that a group of Imperial Senators, in an act of treason, sign The Corellian Treaty, bringing the disparate rebel groups together to form The Rebel Alliance.

Rebellion Era
From the signing of the Corellian Treaty in 2 BBY, to the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY

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Also known as the First Galactic Civil War, this period is probably the most well known, as it takes place primarily during the original trilogy of films. The Rebel Alliance and Empire engage in a brutal conflict. Many of the Empire's most notable atrocities and most terrifying weapons occur during this period: the destruction of Alderaan by the Death Star, and the creation of the Executor class Star Destroyer among them.

Early New Republic Era
From the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, to the Conquest of Coruscant in 7 ABY

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After the death of both Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader at the Battle of Endor, the Galactic Empire is thrown into chaos. A whirlwind of successors hold the reigns of power for a short time, only to be assassinated or otherwise removed from power. Sometimes a single leader dominates, other times a small group will declare itself a ruling council of some kind. Meanwhile, more and more powerful Imperial leaders simply split off from the Empire, becoming Warlords.

In the days after the Battle of Endor, an interim government is formed by the Rebel Alliance, calling itself the Alliance of Free Planets. And one month after the battle of Endor, the Declaration of a New Republic is issued. Planets begin breaking off from the Empire immediately, joining the New Republic. Imperial responses to these "secessionists" is sporadic at best. Most of the New Republic still relies on secret bases, but the government makes itself visible. The New Republic continues to be viewed as a feeble government, in its infancy, until the conquest of Coruscant three years after the death of Palpatine.

New Republic Era
From the Conquest of Coruscant in 7 ABY, to the signing of the Pellaeon-Gavrisom Treaty in 19 ABY

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The New Republic consistently grows in power, whilst the Empire becomes continually weaker. There are some brief periods of upheaval, in which the Empire surges and becomes a serious threat to the stability of the New Republic, such as the dreaded Thrawn Crisis, or the brief rule of the Reborn Emperor.

This is simultaneously one of the most and least varied periods in Star Wars history. On the one hand, the number of major events which occurred during this period are numerous and interesting. Yet when all is said and done, everything returned to more or less the status quo.

The Empire's territories steadily shrink during this period, until Fleet Admiral Gilad Pellaeon, as supreme commander of the Empire, with the backing of the Moff Council, signs the Pellaeon-Gavrisom treaty, ending the 21 year Galactic Civil War.

One other major event occurs during this period which will shape the fate of the galaxy through the future: Luke Skywalker establishes his Jedi Praxeum on Yavi IV in the year 11 ABY, officially beginning the training of a new generation of Jedi Knights.

Late New Republic Era
From the signing of the Pellaeon Gavrisom Treaty in 19 ABY to the start of the Yuuzhan Vong War in 25 ABY

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Remarkably little has ever been written about this period. Primarily just the children's books and young adult novels written about the youthful adventures of Han and Leia's children and their friends. So aside from those relatively minor threats to galactic peace, these few years are a time of relative tranquility in the galaxy.

New Jedi Order Era
From the start of the Yuuzhan Vong War in 25 ABY with the First Battle of Helska, to the end of said war in 29 ABY with the Liberation of Coruscant.

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The Yuuzhan Vong invade the galaxy, initiating one of the most brutal and bloody wars in galactic history. The Yuuzhan Vong's organic technology is, at first, completely invulnerable to any attempts to attack it. Thousands of worlds are conquered by this technology-hating species, and completely reformed to fit the needs of the Yuuzhan Vong. Trillions upon Trillions of beings are killed, and many completely loose hope that anyone can stand against the onslaught.

The New Republic has grown complacent and weak in the years since the treaty with the Empire, and is ill prepared to handle the invasion. It consistently makes major blunders, and eventually loses control of Coruscant to the invading Yuzzhan Vong hordes. After the death of Chief of State Borsk Fey'lya, along with much of the senate, Cal Omas was elected leader of the New Republic. And shortly after the New Republic victory at the Battle of Ebaq 9, it was decided that a new, more united government would be required if the war was to be won.

And so the New Republic was dissolved, and reformed as The Galactic Alliance, which also included the Imperial Remnant, as well as the Hapes Consortium. And, with the cooperation of the Chiss Ascendancy and the Jedi Order, the Galactic Alliance was able to push back the Yuuzhan Vong, defeat their war machine, and make peace with those who remained.

Galactic Alliance Era
From the Liberation of Coruscant in 29 ABY, to the blundered Operation Roundabout in 40 ABY, sparking the Second Galactic Civil War.

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This is yet another period of relative calm, like the late New Republic era. The damage done during the Yuuzhan Vong war is never fully undone, but much effort is invested by the Galactic Alliance in trying to soothe the wounds of the war. Finding new homes for a planet's worth of refugees, and so forth.

Second Galactic Civil War Era
From Operation Roundabout in 40 ABY, to the Battle of Shedu Maad in 41 ABY

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The planet Corellia begins to express a lack of satisfaction with Galactic Alliance rule, and talks of succession. The two governments posture at one another, until a series of blunders leads to an all out war between Corellia and the Galactic Alliance. Neither side has the moral high ground in this conflict. More than any war prior to it, the Second Galactic Civil War pits family members against one another.

Guided by Sith teachings, the grandson of Darth Vader, Jacen Solo, gradually assumes power over the Galactic Alliance, and takes the name Darth Caedus for himself. Under his leadership, the Galactic Alliance becomes as loathsome as Palpatine's empire before it. The Hapes Consortium withdraws from the Galactic Alliance, and the Jedi Order abandons it.

Darth Caedus is killed at the Battle of Shedu Maad by his sister. Natasi Daala is named Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance.

Star Wars: Creating Atmosphere

Atmosphere is essential to creating an authentic Star Wars experience for your players. A good GM knows that atmosphere is important in any game. But Star Wars presents a unique challenge, because the goal isn't creating an atmosphere which enhances feelings of dread or excitement. The goal is to create a far more specific atmosphere which enhances the illusion that the players are acting out a continuation of the Star Wars films. There's a certain feel to the Star Wars mythos, one which sets it apart from other internally consistent fictional universes. It's a dirty, gritty place, yet never a hopeless place. It's a universe of stark contrasts between good and evil, where even characters who exist as a shade of gray have picked a de facto side.

The West End Games core rulebook for the Star Wars Roleplaying Game (second edition, revised and expanded) has some great tips for creating the Star Wars atmosphere. These are some of my own thoughts on how to enhance that atmosphere.

Used Universe
One of the core principals behind the original Star Wars films was the Used Universe philosophy. Unlike other future-tech media, which was filled with gleaming white, or worse, chrome technology, the Star Wars universe is a dirty patchwork which breaks down half the time. Many other works of fiction, such as Firefly, have adopted the used universe philosophy, and it is arguably the most important part of the Star Wars atmosphere.

Very little in a Star Wars game should look pristine and new. Even the ships of the Imperial Navy should have obvious score marks from battles, off-color hull plates where replacements were added, and corrosion here and there. Outside the Imperial Navy, this should be even worse. The ships of the rebellion, or ships owned by smugglers and pirates, often have multicolored hulls from the numerous replacement hull plates which have been installed over the years. And the interiors should be no better. Things get piled in corridors or empty store rooms, sections of ships might even be completely shut down to save on precious energy if money is tight.

Ancient Universe
Have you ever really thought about the like "For over a thousand generations the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic?" That means the old republic must have existed for at 1001 generations. A generation is an imprecise method of describing time, but even by lowballing and saying that one generation is equal to thirty years, we're talking about a single government which lasted longer than the entire history of human civilization. And before the rise of the Old Republic, there must have been hundreds or thousands more generations of pre-republic history.

Nobody remembers a time before traveling around the universe was commonplace. No planet has a history which is unaffected by the existence of interstellar travel--at least no history which anyone remembers.

That said, it doesn't mean there are no unexplored planets. And there's always the unknown regions to provide unknown challenges.

Tactile Universe
The original Star Wars films were made in the late seventies and early eighties, and reflect the technology of the period. In the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, Han solo flips switches, adjusts levers, and even spins dials. Holograms are grainy and heavily tinted to green or blue, and computer readouts are primitive, to say the least. This can create cognitive dissonance for players who already own technology much more advanced than that seen in Star Wars. The handheld comlink Luke Skywalker uses to tell C-3PO to shut down the garbage masher doesn't really stand up when it's compared to a Samsung Galaxy II, or whatever the kids are excited about this week.

This dissonance can be solved somewhat by mixing your tech levels based on the technology being used. Ships and military hardware, for example, should have more tactile controls. Mechanical parts which need to be physically manipulated in order to bring about the desired effect. This can be explained as simpler hardware being more reliable than touch screens and fancy high definition readouts. Don't be afraid to mix a little bit of high-end future tech in there as well, though. Traditionally, datapads have always been a kind of cross between an e-reader and a TI-85 calculator. But there's no reason you couldn't let your players use them as tablet computers.

Fantasy, not Science Fiction
Star Wars should never be confused with science fiction. There's nothing scientific about it. The distinctive scream of a TIE fighter would never be heard in the vacuum of space, no planet could ever exist as a single biome, lightsabers make no sense, and The Force is magic. A Star Wars GM could never make a bigger mistake than enforcing the laws of science onto the fantastical universe of Star Wars.

That's all there really is to say on the matter.

Droids Like Their Lot
Stories which take place in space tend to fall into two groups. Either there are no robots, or very very few robots, such as in Firefly or Star Trek. Or robots are omnipresent, but they're secretly plotting the downfall of humanity, such as in the Terminator or Matrix films. Such stories often place emphasis on the balance between how advanced artificial intelligence has become, and whether humanity has granted civil rights to those artificial intelligences. Personally I take the Speaker For the Dead / Questionable Content position on this issue, but that's neither here nor there.

In Star Wars, robots (which are always referred to as droids, despite rarely being androids of any kind) are both highly intelligent, and completely content with their subservient position to the organic species of the galaxy. There are a handful of exceptions withing Star Wars cannon. IG-88 and 8T88 are both good examples. And, of course, there was the great droid revolution, but that was an isolated incident.

Their contentment with subservience doesn't mean they're always docile, or even that they're content under whichever master currently owns them. More highly intelligent droids can do plenty of grumbling, and R2-D2 is notoriously sarcastic, even with his beloved master Luke. Droids can have very strong personalities, but it's unlikely that they'll ever actually turn on their masters without outside interference, such as a malicious hacker (or "slicer" in star wars terminology).

Unique Terminology
A GM who isn't a devoted Star Wars fan might find this to be more trouble than it is worth, but I for one find the unique terminology of the Star Wars universe to be an important element of immersion. Many things which exist on earth, and also within Star Wars, have alternate names. Paper is Flimsi, Coffee is Caff, and a bar is a Tapcaff. I could create a list of cross-referenced terms (like some kind of English to Star Wars dictionary) and might actually do so at some point, but simply making a point to use the terms you're already aware of can be helpful.

In the same vein, it's good to make use of Star Wars' unique slang and material names. You, like me, may feel that "Bantha Fodder" is a shitty sub-in for the word "shit," but many of the later novels have done a good job of creating more organic sounding profanity. Words like "Sithspit," "Stang" or "Karking" have the kind of punch we expect from profanity. Other examples of slang include "Eyeball" for a TIE fighter, "Squint" for a TIE Interceptor, or "Impstar Deuce" for an Imperial Star Destroyer Mark II. And it never hurts to make up your own. Just remember to avoid making up terms which sound as goofy as "Bantha Fodder."

As a quick example of how helpful this can be, consider this scenario: Your players are rebel commandos. They're on a transport on their way to a mission. As they come out of Hyperspace, the NPC pilot exclaims:

"Shit! There's a Star Destroyer out there. Looks like a victory class, and it's launching TIEs! Man the guns, people!"

There's nothing wrong with that, but I don't think it holds up well when compared to a more flavorful exclamation:

"Sithspit! There's karking Star Destroyer, looks like a Vic. And it's deploying squints! Get to the quads!"

Colorful Characters 11: Ione Grear, Disgraced Pilot

Ione was born and raised on Coruscant, in the heart of the Emporer's new order. His human family prospered when the Old Republic was transformed into the Galactic Empire. They were not wealthy, but they were proud citizens of the Imperium, and raised their children to respect and obey Palpatine's government. Ione, like his siblings, was encouraged to consider military service. And when he was of age, Ione enlisted in the Imperial Naval Academy.

The academy was a harsh trial for Ione. He had always been heavy, and his instructors were merciless in their disapproval. The young recruit was singled out for additional training many times during his education, often in needlessly cruel ways. Once he was required to undergo an additional hour of exercise in the middle of every sleep cycle for over a month. For his part, Ione rarely complained. Not that he had anyone to complain to. He was not well loved by his classmates, due to his ability to get the entire group marked for half rations, or second laps through the obstacle course.

Despite his difficulties, Ione successfully graduated from the naval academy with the rest of his class. He barely managed to skirt beneath the maximum weight limit, but he was an officer in the Imperial Navy. And like all officers, the first year of his commission was spent in a TIE cockpit. He took great pride in his skills as a pilot, and even volunteered to help the technicians keep his squadron's TIEs in top fighting shape. His skill and dedication were noticed, and he was given a posting on the Imperial Class Star Destroy Judicator as a TIE Interceptor pilot.

Ione had been stationed on the Judicator for two years when he received word that his family, parents and two younger brothers, had been killed in a speeder crash. His elder sister, also in Imperial service, but stationed on Imperial Center, was arranging the funeral. Ione was crushed by his family's passing, but could not abandon his duties as an interceptor pilot. He did his best to carry on, but despite his efforts, he began to gain weight as he sought to find some solace in the comforts of food. His commanders were understanding at first, but his weight continued to increase. When disciplinary action failed to curb his eating problem, Ione was dishonorably discharged from his majesty's service.

Without a career to focus on, but unwilling to abandon his values or his love of ships and flying, Ione took his half of his family's inheritance and bought a ship. Nothing too impressive, just a little Seinar Fleet Systems scout ship. He also bought a TIE/In Fighter from a black market dealer, and burned through the last of the credits modifying the two in a cheap garage on Corellia. He improved the weapons systems and the speed, as well as adding some minor shield power to the TIE, in exchange for losing some of its maneuverability. The biggest modification was adding a docking clamp to the scout ship, allowing him to carry the TIE with him, and launch it when needed. He self-deprecatingly named the ship Grear's Folds, and christened the TIE Spitball One.

These days Ione does whatever freelance work he can pick up. Much to his chagrin, this often includes smuggling work, which Ione avoids if at all possible. He prefers to keep his work legal, and still has some friends in the Empire who help him out if there's ever a freelance Imperial contract to be had.

Personality
Grear is a morose fellow. He's probably suffering from undiagnosed clinical depression, but he wouldn't allow himself to blame a medical problem for his outlook even if he could. He's simply doing his best to get by, even if he sometimes wonders if 'getting by' is worth it. Despite being a diehard Imperial, he is not so sexist or xenophobic as most members of the Imperial military. Just the same, ff he happens to encounter rebels, it's likely he'd attack them in the hopes of going out in a blaze of glory--perhaps even to be remembered by the Empire.

Tactics
Grear is unlikely to engage in combat unless he meets with rebels. If he does find rebels, or is attacked by another aggressor, he will use his flying skills to the best of his ability to defeat his foe, and will not retreat. If the attacking ships attempt to use superior maneuverability to defeat him, he will put Grear's Fold on auto-pilot, and attack them in Spitball One. If outmatched, he may attempt to trick foes into believing he is defeated by allowing Grear's Fold to drift powerless through space, only to launch in his TIE when the enemy's defenses are down.

If attacked outside of his ship, Grear will attempt to escape to the safety of his ship. Or to the safety of his TIE, if Grear's Fold has been boarded.

Thoughts on Use
Grear and his ship make a great source of transportation for any type of player--though rebels will want to keep their affiliations secret!

Ione Grear
Type Discharged TIE Pilot
Gender/Species Male/Human
Age 32; Height 1.5 meters; Weight 148 kg.
Physical Description Short and squat, with folds of excess weight barely fitting in to his sweat stained and threadbare olive drab uniform.

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Dexterity 3D
--Blaster 4D
Perception 3D
Knowledge 2D
Strength 2D
Mechanical 4D
--Starfighter Piloting 5D
--Space Transports 6D
--Astrogation 5D
Technical 4D
--Space Transports Repair 6D

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Special Abilities None; Force Sensitive No
Move 10
Force Points 1; Dark Side Points 1; Character Points 5

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Equipment The Grear's Fold, Blaster Pistol (4D), 2x Thermal Detonators (10D/8D/5D/2D), Datapad, Comlink, 10,000 credits

The Grear's Fold
Craft Modified Seinar Fleet Systems "Lone Scout B"
Type Modified Scout Vessel
Scale Starfighter; Length 30 meters
Skill Space Transports - Lone Scout
Crew 1; Passengers 2
Cargo Capacity 150 metric tons; Consumables 6 Months
Hypderdrive Multiplier x1.5; Backup Hyperdrive x10; Nav Computer Yes
Maneuverability 1D; Space 5; Atmosphere 295; 850 kmh
Hull 4D; Shields 2D
Sensors
--Passive 30/1D
--Scan 50/2D
--Search 75/3D
--Focus 5/4D
Weapons
--1 Quad Laser Cannon
--Fire Arc: Front
--Skill: Starship Gunnery
--Space Range: 1-3/12/25
--Atmosphere Range: 100-300/1.2/2.5km
--Damage: 6D
Droid Pilot Astrogation 4D, Sensors 2D, Space Transports 2D+1, Starship Gunnery 2D, Starship Shields 2D+2

Spitball One
Craft Modified Seinar Fleet Systems TIE/In Fighter
Type Modified Space Superiority Fighter
Scale Starfighter; Length 6.4 meters
Skill Starfighter Piloting - TIE
Crew 1
Cargo Capacity 25 kilograms; Consumables 2 Days
Maneuverability 2D; Space 10; Atmosphere 415; 1200 kmh
Hull 2D; Shields 1D+2
Sensors
--Passive 20/0D
--Scan 40/1D
--Search 60/2D
--Focus 3/3D
Weapons
--2 Laser Cannons (Fire-Linked)
--Fire Arc: Front
--Skill: Starship Gunnery
--Fire Control: 2D
--Space Range: 1-3/12/25
--Atmosphere Range: 100-300/1.2/2.5km
--Damage: 5D

Star Wars: Movie Hooks

Well, that little break lasted longer than expected. That's how my self discipline works I suppose. If I give up an inch of my ironclad mental schedule, then my tendency towards laziness will take a mile. Fortunately, my self loathing was really on top of things this time. By the end of my little "vacation" (which caused me to miss all of two posts) I was so frustrated with myself that getting back on top of writing became my only escape from a constant barrage of self recriminations. Go self loathing! About time you started pulling your weight.

As a change of pace, I thought I would end 2011/start 2012 with a week dedicated to my beloved Star Wars D6 RPG by West End Games. As a geek, Star Wars is my specialty, and I have a soft spot for the simple and elegant system designed by West End Games. I've been writing about Pathfinder nonstop for months now, but I've always imagined this project as one which can be more diverse. Pathfinder is my focus, certainly, but there are so many systems and possibilities out there. It would be a shame not to give them some of my attention.

Today it's plot hooks! Every adventure needs a starting point. Something to get the players excited about the game they're playing, and what they're doing in it. It's a springboard for the GM to get the action going. You never have more of the player's attention than you do in the first minute or so of the game, so you've got to make it count. With a Star Wars game, GMs have a unique opportunity to hook their players into a game by intersecting that game with one of the three good films. Unless you've got a game group full of avid Star Wars fans (in which case, I hate you) it's likely that your players are somewhat wary of playing in the Star Wars universe. By giving them a touchstone to something they're familiar with--the films--you help make everyone a little more comfortable and familiar with their surroundings.

Ultimately, how you intersect the films is up to you, but I've arranged these according to the methodology which I feel is most appropriate. The idea is for the players to fit into the background of the films. Perhaps someone with a moment of screentime, or someone who was standing just off camera during a specific scene. These characters can then go on to change the course of the entire saga if they want to, but starting your players out as Obi-Wan Kenobi's 'other jedi apprentices' simply strikes me as awkward and masturbatory. Like bad self-insertion fan fiction.

A New Hope

Death Star Plans: Imperial Players who would like to explore the sophistication and grandeur of Palpatine's New Order can start the game with orders to recover the Death Star plans. Eventually this would intersect with the opening scene of A New Hope, where the Star Destroyer Devestator is giving chase to (and eventually capturing) the rebel blockade runner Tantive IV. When the plans are not found (having been hidden with R2-D2) the Imperial players can continue down to the planet, and continue following the plan's trail. Particularly successful players may be able to capture the plans before they eventually reach the rebels, stopping the destruction of the Death Star. The rebellion would be a great deal weaker after losing the Battle of Yavin, but that wouldn't mean they couldn't still pose a threat for your players to fight against!

If you were so inclined, you could start the quest even earlier, with the players on the planet Danuta following Kyle Katarn's theft of the plans--a classic moment in the Star Wars continuity, and more well known than many other stories from the Expanded Universe (EU).

Death Star Plans: Alliance If your group prefers the more traditional route of playing as rebels, the Death Star plans can still provide impetus for gameplay. In the film, when Darth Vader and the Devestator capture princess Leia and the Tantive IV, the rebellion's leadership has every reason to suspect that they've been compromised. Not only have the Death Star plans been (supposedly) recovered, but an important leader has been identified and captured by the enemy. As much respect as anyone might have for Leia, can they really trust that she wont betray the Yavin IV base when subjected to torture?

So the rebel leadership is faced with two problems. First, they must find a way to counter the Death Star. Such a weapon is too devastating to be ignored, even in the face of massive setbacks. Likely this would mean formulating a new plan to re-acquire the schematics for the station. But after the destruction of Alderaan, they may feel that it is worth the risk to attempt smuggling operatives onto the Death Star itself to destroy it from within. Secondly, the rebellion needs to find a new base, which I'll discuss more below.

New Base: Alliance Regardless of how events transpire, it is highly likely that the Rebellion's Yavin IV base is compromised. Whether it's simply assumed due to Princess Leia's capture, or whether the Empire follows the tracking device planted on the Millennium Falcon, one way or another, the rebels need a new home. Eventually this new home will be Hoth, as seen in Empire Strikes Back. However, GMs could run some very interesting exploration games where the players are rebel scouts, looking for suitable planets for the rebellion to hide on. Hoth is remote, and has the benefit of per-existing structures for the rebels to use, but if players find something better, that could change the course of the saga.

There's a lot of benefit to this hook. First, it presents an opportunity for the players to make a significant contribution to the story immediately. That ability to have a real impact on events is rarely so clearly spelled out, and players like to feel as though the outcome changes based on their actions. That's what we call Player Agency. Second, the possibilities are wide open for the type of adventure you could run. First players need to figure out where to go, which allows them to pick from a number of options. Then the players need to get there, which provides an opportunity for space-based adventure. Once the players arrive, they'll need to scout the area, giving the GM plenty of opportunity to create all manner of conflict. Since the players will want to find a planet with existing facilities for the rebellion to use, you could even use that as an opportunity to include a dungeon delving-esque adventure.

Bounty on Solo: Bounty Hunters Rebels and Imperials are not the only types of characters players enjoy. Thanks to the popularity of characters like Boba Fett, some people view playing as a bounty hunter is the best part of the Star Wars universe. Considering the sizable bounty placed on Han Solo's head by Jabba the Hutt, players may be very interested to hear (or better yet: witness) Solo's cold blooded murder of Greedo in a little tapcaf on Tatoine.

Sand Crawler: Droids I don't have many ideas regarding this, but if you're GMing for a party of droid characters, they could all meet up on the Sand Barge where R2-D2 and C-3PO are reunited.You might even bend the plot of the story a bit by having R2 entrust one of your players with the Death Star plans, and the task of taking them to Obi-Wan Kenobi

The Empire Strikes Back

Hoth Escape: Alliance After the battle of Hoth the rebellion is completely routed. The surprise attack on their hidden base left them scrambling to escape, taking massive losses during one of the most exciting and memorable battles in any of the films. There's a reason this encounter has been repeated ad-nausea in almost every Star Wars video game ever released, and it's a perfect place to jump into the game as Alliance players.

Right off the bat, players are faced with the deadly battle against the invading imperial force. The group could start the game in the trenches, then fall back as the Stormtroopers press further into the base. Or if the players prefer, they could be pilots, zipping about in agile air speeders, trying desperately to figure out how to take down the towering imperial AT-ATs. But Hoth is a losing battle, and any combat is merely to provide cover to allow time for other rebel personnel to load transports and begin the escape. The players who survive (which, given the fatality rates in the Star Wars game, probably won't be all of them) must then escape from the planet themselves. If they're pilots, this can be even more exciting than the battle below. If they're not, then they'll be huddled in the belly of a rebel transport, hoping they don't get blown out of the sky.

Vader's Task: Bounty Hunters A short, but memorable scene in Empire Strikes Back is shortly after the battle of Hoth, when Darth Vader meets with a group of bounty hunters and tasks them with finding the Millennium Falcon. The scene introduces Boba Fett, and includes the now infamous "No disintegration" line. There was actually a whole book about it called "Tales of the Bounty Hunters," which was remarkably good. But I digress. The major problem with this hook, of course, is that most players will already know that Han Solo is on his way to cloud city. None the less, there's some opportunity for a good game here.

Occupy Cloud City: Any During Empire Strikes Back, Cloud City is occupied by the Empire. This becomes particularly problematic at the end of the film when the Empire's occupation becomes permanent. Cloud City is a mining outpost, but it's also a haven for smugglers, gamblers, and manner of riff raff. There are doubtless even some rebels amongst the populace. The frantic escape from Cloud City doesn't give the game much direction, but it's a fun and interesting way to tie your game into the film.

Return of the Jedi

Free At Last: Any Jabba the Hutt was a powerful crime lord. Head of the powerful Desilijic crime family of Hutts, his underworld power was matched only by Prince Xizor of Black Sun. In his Tatooine palace, he had any number of droids, slaves, mercenaries, bounty hunters, and other hangers-on around him at all times. His death would have caused a frantic scramble either to escape from the fallout of a collapsing criminal empire, or to try and claim a piece of that empire.

Players who don't mind playing as villains may even be interested in starting the game earlier, and having an opportunity to prevent Han from being rescued by his friends. Or, if the players wish to start out as slaves, perhaps they help the heroes escape Jabba's sail barge, and follow them to join the rebellion.

Assault on the Death Star: Rebels The most impressive space battle in the entire trilogy, in my most humble opinion, is the fight to destroy the second Death Star at the end of Return of the Jedi. After the fleet jumps in-system, players will need to fight tooth and nail just to survive while the shield remains staunchly in place. And once the shield is down, small craft can dive into the structure of the massive space station, and perhaps join Tycho Celchu on his 'merry chase through the Death Star.'

Assault on the Shield Generator: Rebels If players aren't particularly interested in space combat (and in fairness, it can be tricky to pull off well) then the action on the ground of Endor is another great place to start. Particularly if one of your players wants to be an Ewok. The conflict on the ground is long, and comes in multiple phases, which provides good structure to the adventure. First the characters must use stealth as they avoid Imperial scouts as they make their way to the generator, then they must fight to get in. Once in, it's revealed that the whole thing was a trap, and they must fight against insurmountable odds to accomplish their mission. If the players in the game manage to be more skilled than the characters in the film, then the destruction of the Death Star may even go a great deal more smoothly, perhaps leading to promotions for the PCs, and more dangerous missions in the future!

Thoughts On Hero Points

Hero points, alternatively known as action points, have been a part of tabletop role playing games since days of yore. They're a quirky and polarizing concept, often lurking around the edge of a game system's rules. A hero point mechanic for any given game is either a very commonly used house rule, or it's an optional rule presented in an officially published supplement. There are those games which use them as standard rules (D&D 4th Edition comes to mind), but in my experience those games are in the minority.

For those who are unfamiliar, a game which employs such a mechanic allows characters to gain hero points through [insert method here]. Once acquired, one of these points can be spent to bend the game's rules. A missed attack can be re-rolled, a difficult task can be simplified, or a player who has exhausted a special ability can sneak in an additional use. Pathfinder's "Advanced Player's Guide" offers such a system as an optional rule, with points being gained any number of ways. From leveling up, to completing a plot arc, to performing a heroic act.

My biggest problem with hero point systems is that they are, by definition, a meta-game mechanic. The core of role playing games is establishing characters which act within an internally consistent world. It seems odd, then, that we would intentionally break the wall between the game world and the real world by introducing a mechanic which muddles the internal consistency of a world. After all, only player characters get hero points in most systems. Ergo, once hero points are an option, the PCs are no longer simple characters within the game world. They are, rather, avatars of otherworldly beings (the players) which grants them special abilities. Pathfinder is particularly bad in this area, and goes so far as to provide feats, spells, and magic items which interact with hero points. So not only do you gain access to a completely unique ability merely on the basis of being a player character, you can even build your character around this uniqueness which separates you from rest of the world.

Another reason which I don't like hero points is the way in which they mitigate danger. By allowing players to re-roll when the result is poor, we give them a much higher probability of avoiding pivotal failures. While this may not sound like the worst thing ever, it creates three undesirable situations. First and foremost in my mind is that avoiding pivotal failures often means avoiding interesting failures. In a standard game, the cleric fails his jump over the pit of spikes. He falls 40 feet, takes his damage, but survives. However, his legs have been impaled by the spikes, and the other players must find a way to rescue him from bleeding to death at the bottom of a pit. Or, the wizard uses an action point and the game continues on without incident. Which story will the players be talking about after the adventure is over?

Second, avoiding pivotal failures makes the whole world around the character much less dangerous. Part of the thrill of stealing from a dragon's horde is knowing that the dragon could wake up at any moment. If you know you've got a hero point in the wings ready to save you from a bad stealth roll, then the adventure's edge is dulled. And that leads right into problem three: compensation. Any time players become more powerful, the GM gives them greater challenges. I've used that argument to defend giving PCs more power on numerous occasions, but with hero points I think the argument works in reverse. Giving a character a powerful magic weapon is fun for that character, and enhances gameplay. It's worth beefing up the adventure for that. But given all of the ways in which hero points detract from gameplay, why give them to players when the end result is just a game which requires player's to use Hero Points to survive?

Bearing all of that in mind, there is at least one thing about hero points which I find appealing. Hero points have the potential to be used as a kind of "Last ditch, adrenalin pumping, now-or-never" means by which players can attempt to pull a win out of an almost certainly deadly situation. I had such a situation in a game not too long ago. My players weren't quite up to defeating the Corpse Sewn Hekatonkheires which ambushed them. The sorcerer was dead at -15 hp, and the Dawnblade (homebrew fighter/cleric class) was desperately attempting to hold the beast at bay while looking for a means to escape. After some arbitration between us, I allowed him to use his healing wand & make a standard attack (albeit at a -8 penalty)on the same turn, which would normally not be allowed. The attempt failed, and the Dawnblade was felled by the beast, but I decided then that I wanted my players to have some kind of option to better facilitate that kind of cornered-animal effort.

Hero points were the obvious choice, but I've always been turned off by them for aforementioned reasons. It wasn't until last night when I was looking at the Star Wars Roleplaying Game rulebook that I struck upon an idea. West End Games' Star Wars is one of the few games I've encountered where hero points are a central mechanic. It's also the only system I've ever encountered where hero points actually make complete sense, and avoid being a meta game mechanic. But that's a different post.

In the Star Wars RPG, 'character points' are primarily used as action points. Characters acquire a handful of them at the end of an adventure based on how awesome they were. A character might only receive 1 if all they did was make it through the adventure, but could receive 5 if they made it through the adventure by wrestling a shark into submission then throwing the shark at a stormtrooper. Aside from simply being used to add an extra die to a roll, though, character points can be used for character improvement. Since the game has no classes or levels, improving the skills by spending large amounts of character points is the only way for a character to permanently become more formidable. Essentially, Star Wars' version of hero points also functions as that system's experience points.

So what if I just switched it around?

Since I use the Pathfinder Simple XP System (and loving it, by the way), I'm already dealing with small, manageable numbers. All I need do is allow players to spend 1 experience point to gain the benefits of spending an action point. Here's what that rule might look like:

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Pathfinder House Rule: Using Simple XP as Hero Points

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By pushing themselves the the limit, characters can sometimes perform feats beyond the normal scope of their abilities. At will, as a free action, a character may sacrifice 1 experience point (so long as this does not reduce the character's level) to perform any one of the following actions:

Act Out of Turn: An experience point can be spent to take your turn immediately, permanently moving your place in the initiative order to whenever this action was taken.

Bonus: Prior to making any roll, an experience point can be spent to grant a +8 bonus to that roll. This ability cannot be used at all after the roll is made. Multiple experience points can be spent, and their effects stack.

Extra Action: During your turn, an experience point may be spent to grant you an additional standard action. This can only be done once per turn.

Recall: An experience point may be spent to use an ability which you have access to, but which has already been used up for the day, or was not prepared. This includes casting spells after the daily spell allotment is cast, using special abilities after their daily limits are used up, or casting a spell from a spellbook which was not memorized for that day. Bear in mind that if a wizard wishes to cast a spell he or she has not memorized, and they are out of spell slots for the appropriate level, two experience points must be spent.

Special: You can petition your GM to allow you to spend an experience point to perform a number of abilities. GMs should use the options presented here as a guide for how to balance this ability. Also, bear in mind, that an experience point can never be spent to re-roll a die.

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On paper, this system looks like it fixes a lot of problems. It's still something of a meta-game mechanic, as the connection between performing a spectacular action and losing experience is tenuous. But NPCs can also use the system, which removes the problem of the player characters being a class apart from the rest of the world. In theory, it also obliterates the danger problem. Hero points exist for the sole purpose of being used to perform great deeds, so that's what players will use them for. XP, though, is far more precious. Players will not spend it lightly, because doing so will prevent them from leveling. Any player which did overuse this system would quickly be left in the dust as the rest of the party leveled higher and higher whilst the problem character remained low level.

Perhaps my favorite thing about this variation on hero points is the simplicity. By integrating it with the XP system, players won't need to find a place for yet another number on their already cluttered character sheets. The GM won't need to keep track of when to award hero points, because he or she is already keeping track of when to award XP. Aside from the "no re-rolls" stipulation, there's not even any additional rules to memorize. The players regulate the system themselves, because they don't want to lose experience.

I'll be implementing this in my games for now. I hope it's as effective as it looks!

WEG Star Wars: What it was, and why you should play it

I am a Star Wars fan. I've read every book based off the original trilogy at least twice. Some of them I've read five or even ten times. I keep the audio books around as well, which I've probably listened to hundreds of times each. At the age of 11, I wrote the editors with omissions I had found in the Star Wars Encyclopedia When I was 12 years old when I attended the midnight showing of The Phantom Menace, and despite how terrible that and Attack of the Clones both were, I was still at the midnight showing for Revenge of the Sith. I cried over the death of Chewbacca, and I cried harder over the death of Anakin Solo. And when Jaina Solo was forced to kill Jacen? That haunted me for days. I still break down crying every time I try to read through that chapter.

Star Wars is my great, lifelong obsession. And "The Star Wars Roleplaying Game" Second Edition published by West End Games is among the greatest tabletop role playing games I've ever encountered. You really don't even need to read the rest of this post. If you don't have it, you need to find it, and buy it, now. Once you have it in your hands, you can read the rest of this post to learn why the choice to make that purchase was the right one.

The entire system is designed to keep game sessions fast paced and exciting. The rules are very simple, the character creation is minimalistic, and any actions which requires a roll are handled with one of two basic systems. If a player is attempting to do something to another player or NPC, the two make opposed dice checks (such as "shoot" and "dodge") and whoever gets the highest succeeds. For any other kind of action, the GM just picks a difficulty number (based of a difficulty chart which GMs should memorize) and asks for a roll. Simply put, that's it. Much as I love Pathfinder's more complex rules, there's something freeing about switching gears and running something with almost no rules at all. To put it in the words of the system's designers:

Keep the Game Moving Quickly. Star Wars is supposed to be exciting. Laser bolts fly fast and furious, starships dodge around asteroids, and speeder bikes race through thick forests at frightening speeds. Keep the game moving as fast as the Star Wars movies!

Even the core rulebook is fast paced. Chapter 1 starts off with a solo adventure where the book plays the role of game master, and the reader takes on the role of a player. It plays out sort of like a 'choose your own adventure' book with dice occasionally thrown into the mix. In whole, the player's portion of the rulebook is sixty six pages long, including the adventure at the beginning. In comparison, the D&D 3.5 Player's Handbook has 317 pages. Pathfinder's core rulebook doesn't get past the player section until page 393! WEG Star Wars is a definitely a game which adheres to the old school role playing philosophy of keeping most of the mechanics away from the players to better simulate the fantasy.

Like Pathfinder, WEG Star Wars characters have six basic attributes; Dexterity, Knowledge, Perception, Strength, Mechanical, and Technical. Each of these has a certain number of six sided dice attached to it during character creation. (WEG Star Wars only uses six sided dice.) For example, a human character gets 18 dice total, and has a minimum of 2 dice and a maximum of 4 dice in each of the six attributes. After filling the minimum requirements, players have 6 dice to spread between their six abilities. Once in play, any action which requires a roll will be associated with one of the six abilities, and the player gets to roll however many dice they allocated for that attribute. For example, hitting something with a blaster requires the ability to aim the blaster accurately, so you would roll your dexterity. If you went ahead and maxed out your dexterity, then you'd be able to roll 4d6 against your opponent's dodge. And if he or she rolls lower than you did, the blaster bolt hits! And given how dangerous combat is treated in this game, there's a good chance getting hit by that blaster bolt killed them.

There's also a skills system for more specific tasks. Each character starts out with 7 dice to apply to skills. So even though you have 4 dice in dexterity, you could put another 2 dice in the Blasters skill, and be able to roll a whopping 6 dice whenever you try to hit somebody. Dice can also be split up. Each die counts as 3 "pips," which is WEG's code for bonuses. Essentially, if you've put 2 skill die into blasters, 3 into medicine, and 1 into starfighter piloting, and can't decide where to put your last die, you can just break it up. Add a +2 to starfighter piloting (making the skill 1d6 + 2) and a +1 to blasters.

All praise aside, there is one thing about West End Games' masterpiece which I really don't like. I can't find anybody to play it. New players curious about the hobby are normally the most interested in playing Dungeons and Dragons. It's probably the only game they've heard of, and it's the one which drew their attention to the hobby in the first place. Others are wary of playing a Star Wars game, either because they don't think they're familiar enough with the mythos to keep up, or because they don't like games based on movies/television/etcetera.

I did manage to play a few sessions of the game once. In the first session, my player (I only had one) managed to steal a ship, which he painted bright orange and christened "Stealth Ship." He was too lazy to hire a crew for it, so I gave him a wookie communications officer. By the second session he had been hired by the rebellion to free some prisoners from an Imperial prison camp. One of them as it turned out, was his psychotic ex girlfriend, who shot him. By the time the second session ended, he had recovered, been chased around the corridors of an abandoned Star Destroyer by the same psychotic ex, and narrowly escaped form said Star Destroyer just before it exploded. We never got to session three, which is sad, because the rebellion was going to commission him to find them a new hiding place "now that the Yavin base has been compromised." I was going to let him re-shape the original trilogy by becoming an incredibly important, off-screen character. It would have been glorious.

Buy the game. You will not regret it. And, once you have it, all you need to do is move to WA state so we can play it together...

...forever...