My attempt at a Star Wars role-playing game homebrew…
Creating Characters
Describing The Story
Resolving Actions
Personal Combat
Alien Monsters
Starship Travel
Starship Combat
Sample Starships
Ways Of The Force
Famous Star Wars Characters
Customizing The Game
Adventure Generation
From the beginning they were vastly outnumbered by the systems held in thrall by the Emperor. In those first dark days it seemed certain the bright flame of resistance would be extinguished before it could cast the light of new truth across a galaxy of oppressed and beaten peoples…
– From the First Saga, Journal of the Whills
A LONG TIME AGO IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY…
The game’s universe can be set amid any of the galaxy’s civil war periods…
* The Clone Wars: The Galactic Republic versus the secessionist Confederacy of Independent Systems.
* The Rebellion: The Galactic Empire versus the pro-Republic insurgency.
* The Reconstruction: Tatters of the New Republic versus The First Order.
The “Star Wars” saga has always been a tale of good versus evil, but players can take either side in the game: pro-Rebellion/Resistance, pro-Empire/New Order, or just out there for themselves.
FOLLOW A DAMNED-FOOL IDEALISTIC CRUSADE
“For over a thousand generations the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire…”
– Obi-Wan Kenobi, recalling his youth
Heroic characters can become part of the rebellion or resistance through…
* covert agents involved with a Bothan spy network.
* a maverick squadron of ace starship fighter pilots.
* Republic officials in high posts, secretly leaking Imperial secrets.
* smugglers sneaking aliens from oppressed worlds to freedom and safety.
* refugee advocates trying to champion those displaced to alien worlds.
GIVE IN TO THE DARK SIDE
“Today is the end of the Republic. The end of a regime that acquiesces to disorder. At this very moment in a system far from here, the New Republic lies to the galaxy while secretly supporting the treachery of the rogues of the Resistance…”
– General Hux, moments before destruction of the Hosnian system
Heroic characters can become part of the Imperial guard through…
* a military intelligence unit with endless jurisdiction to pursue enemies.
* a high-ranking officer with fanatical ideas about purity and order.
* a business group invested in Imperial war contracts to rebuild conquered worlds.
* an Imperial-allied group seeking to discredit a world’s rulers and seize power.
* a military contractor supplying war machines to the Empire.
NO MYSTICAL ENERGY FIELD CONTROLS YOUR DESTINY
“You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.”
– Obi-Wan Kenobi, describing an Outer Rim spaceport
Heroic characters can become shifting wild cards loyal to neither side…
* a criminal organization that views the war as a disruption of their trade.
* a merc company of old clone troopers whose idealism is now for sale.
* a nomadic alien tribe from beyond the Outer Rim, now crossing contested systems.
* a band of space pirates who steal from all sides of the war.
* an enclave of strange hermits who await a mysterious revelation.
BEFORE THE GAME BEGINS
What’s needed to play:
* 2 or more players (one of whom will serve as the game master).
* Digital notepads, pens, pencils, paper – anything to take notes.
* Several six-sided dice (noted as 1d6 for one, 2d6 for the sum of two, and so forth). A notation of 2d6 + 1d6 means to roll three dice and use the highest numbers rolled to measure results.
CREATING CHARACTERS
Players can create any kind of character they want — humans, clones, aliens, droids, cyborgs — but each player should note the following for each character:
* Name: What the character is known as.
* Role: One line summary of the character’s place in the universe.
* Goal: One line about what the character most wants to see at the end of this story.
* Traits: Things that set a character apart from others, and in doing so change how game rules work.
* Skills: Areas of training and experience, noting how many bonus dice are added to determine task outcomes.
* Force Powers: A list of abilities the character has learned.
* Gear: Special items, armor or weapons typically carried by the character.
* Starship: Any vessels the character calls home while off-world.
The player acting as Game Master doesn’t create a specific character, but instead will end up playing all the lesser walk-on roles (non-player characters, or NPCs) which will flesh out the heroes’ story.
NAMES
Players can name their characters however they want, but traditionally humans have a first and last name, aliens may have one or two parts to their names, and droids go by letters and numbers.
Here’s 100 names to help provide some ideas:
Kral Senesca, Keida Nalto, Raphael Maru, Avin Mott, Jaek Hyde, Ryan Da Res, Yamm Banab, Zofi Tame, Nalah Ellan, Rathma Quanera, Chiiko Eclissu, Dari Akura, Icio Sunrider, Sacule Kre’fey, Trins Lee, Onna Drakar, Derrick VanMeer, Verun Jastrinas, Sala Eldrel, Eevy Hextar, Trinna Buir, Growooknik Saleem, Telon Camasau, Canna Aadedai, Soldar Froud, Lassiter Matare, Zam Derrosk, Mist Synn, Skobra Duval, Platt Panne, Dione Fuqua, Eckle Madoon, Anibi Kosokhan, Tuija Kravhenn, Aurelius Wynver, Domna Tuspin, Valkryie Edo, Trent Bela-Trepada, Ayessa Shae, Miri Hentz, Cynthia Ovarug, Elarond Rigel, Plaba Krin, Vrei Kaartinen, Tanner Vox, Skye Tyrnith, Joshua Kwyntehst, Revia Daemon, Adson Vanis, Ani Cath, Cypher Bastra, Boone Tromans, Silus Sett, Melleriana M?n, Lando Zih, Rassa Moonrunner, Nadriandur Anjek, Rayf Tyuth, Nikoova Gallia, Vega Clamont, Athin Amavia, Felitsa Styles, Pog Leven, Charlena Lansford, Linora Finwej, Voda Corliss, Djingo Writte, Issan Koth, Arslan Nire, Maleena Plutan, Torill Tanik, Kalamoro Drayen, Aria Sepsom, Andan Moth-Evon, Turis Evoros, Zyras Juall, Tahiri Sunspot, Quane Sundar, Jinn-Tu Selzen, Rin Durgen, Kader Froud, Tomas Kellarov, Trigo Alavai, Duvnar Varga, Micki Leone, Fallah Donos, Bane Rowan, Dara Gaian, Lawdgott Kamalas, Glob Janaesson, Kavra Droma, Sab Meghal, Crim Xen, Goror Trobona, Kalle Spiuar, Rodsu H’darr, Naria Ellan, Barret Marh, Zirias Logan, Keicho Lysscol.
And of course, for droids:
DD-38, Y-3H1, Z-9R3, XX-03, A-1X9, N0-K4, W-5G5, J-1D6, C-2M8, TZ-62, F-8U9, U3-B2, H7-H3, G-6B8, CC-72, D-8J9, JG-86, BR-49, SU-56, B-9W4, E0-Y0, T-2K2, H-2Q2, U-9Y2, R-5P2, M-8N8, YJ-53, N-9Z9, P-3A9, K2-E3, Q-2C2, AW-44, S-4T1, E-3F5, K2-P4, ZQ-23, X-9S3, QT-62, FF-56, RN-87, GC-03, P6-S7
ROLE
“I was once a Jedi Knight the same as your father…”
– Ben Kenobi, mistaking nostalgia for reality
Where does your character begin at the start of the story? A brave soldier seeking honor and glory? A refugee whose home got caught in the galactic crossfire? An outlaw playing both sides on behalf of a pirate gang or crime boss?
The list of “WHO” in the game master section can help provide some ideas.
GOAL
“Look, I ain’t in this for your revolution, and I’m not in it for you, Princess. I expect to be well paid. I’m in it for the money.”
– Han Solo, negotiating with a wealthy political leader
What is the one outcome this character most wants to see at the end of this story? Greed, revenge and loyalty to one’s cause are all perfectly fine, but players should be specific and short term about their character’s immediate goals in the story. The game master should weave these elements into the overall mission by having the rival’s henchmen, noteworthy go-betweens and owners of important mission locations be tied to individual character’s goals.
Some leads to help players brainstorm ideas, based on the mission’s main planet:
* moving on to start a new life since leaving (a planet)
* on the run from a band of criminals based on (a planet)
* looking to skip out on creditors from (a planet)
* hunting a fugitive who committed crimes on (a planet)
* looking for a former lover known during an old romance on (a planet)
* racing against a professional rival to reach a contact on (a planet)
* poisoned by a toxin, need to find antidote only found on (a planet)
* leading a group of missionaries to save heathen living in sin on (a planet)
* travelling to attend a wedding, funeral or other ceremony on (a planet)
* delivering a relative’s inheritance to a surviving heir on (a planet)
* going to pay back a debt owed to a criminal on (a planet)
* seeking an inheritance share left by a relative who died on (a planet)
* meeting a long-distance romantic acquantence in person on (a planet)
* responding to a legal summons to appear in court on (a planet)
* carrying encypted legal, business, medical or technical datafiles to (a planet)
* taking a subconsciously memorized coded message to an agent on (a planet)
* suffering delusions, going to assume your “rulership” over the people of (a planet)
* seeking a safehouse to hide from your enemies on (a planet)
* fix a business, legal or family problem by bribing a high official on (a planet)
* going to pay off a blackmailer who knows your secrets, via a contact on (a planet)
* avoiding family or legal responsibilities by escaping to (a planet)
* fleeing from slavers who once held you captive by escaping to (a planet)
* exacting revenge against an unpunished murderer now living free on (a planet)
* exacting revenge against a former lover or business partner on (a planet)
* seeking to steal an experimental gadget prototype developed on (a planet)
* seeking new business opportinuties in markets found on (a planet)
* conducting minor system government official business to leaders on (a planet)
* going to pay ransom for a hostage held by rebels, Imperials or criminals on (a planet)
* enter and win a sporting championship event being held tomorrow on (a planet)
* helping arbitrate a local peace negotiations on (a planet)
* sharing technical advice for a trade negotiation on (a planet)
* speak as guest to Imperials or local nobles regarding the war on (a planet)
* serve as a species-specific expert cultural advisor for political talks on (a planet)
* smuggle small arms, medical supplies or military secrets to agents on (a planet)
* sell scandalous information about an Imperial officer to blackmailers on (a planet)
* sell information naming secret Rebel/Resistance agents to Imperials on (a planet)
* steal rare works of art or artifacts found in transit on (a planet)
TRAITS
Traits are descriptive words tagged to a character to allow special exceptions to the usual rules. Many allow characters to never roll a “1” on dice for specific skill challenges, add a die for results or take an extra action in a specific circumstance.
Most Galactic species — Humans, Ithorians, Mon Calamari, Quarren, Rodians, Sulustans, Twi’leks — play the same way. If a species has unusual qualities, pick appropriate traits such as “Strong” for Wookiees, “Huge” for Hutts and both “Flight” and “Relentless Mind” for Toydarians.
Droids always take the “Machine Physiology” trait, and most also take “Armored” due to their solid construction.
Pick three character traits for a character at the start of play.
* Academy Training: Start with 6 skill point bonuses instead of 4 points.
* Ace Pilot: Make an extra Piloting, Shooting or Tech action in a turn when flying a starship.
* Armored: Natural or artificial body works as permanent light armor against damage.
* Criminal Ties: Reroll 1s when rolling for Streetwise or Trade challenges, plus able to get contraband items without the usual penalties.
* Cunning Warrior: Reroll 1s when rolling for Fighting challenges.
* Deadly Shot: Reroll 1s when rolling for Shooting challenges.
* Flight: You can fly, though no faster than others move on the ground.
* Fluent With Millions: Able to communicate with aliens, droids and most anything with a language beyond Galactic Basic.
* Force Sensitive: Learn four random basic Force powers.
* Galactic Spy: Able to send a message to anyone in the galaxy and learn hidden information.
* Huge Size: Add +1 die when doing a task involving brute strength and double hit boxes per damage level, but moves at half the speed of standard creatures and cannot wear armor made for smaller creatures.
* Imperial Allegiance: Reroll 1s when rolling for Protocol, Tactics or Tech involving Imperial agents, military forces or equipment.
* Imperial Keys: You know clearance codes to automatically access secure Imperial facilities and networks.
* Machine Physiology: You cannot suffocate, starve, be poisoned or die of thirst.
* Military Commander: Make an extra Protocol or Tactics action during any combat turn.
* Noble: Reroll 1s when rolling for Protocol or Trade challenges.
* Obscure: Not easily found, no record of current location or associates, and easily overlooked by others.
* Renown Diplomat: Automatically gain hospitality, shelter and medical aid on settled worlds.
* Relentless Mind: The Force powers of Illusion, Sleep and Suggest never work on you.
* Scavenger: Jury-rig equipment for half the price of purchasing the proper item.
* Scoundrel’s Luck: Reroll 1s when rolling for Piloting, Streetwise or Survival challenges.
* Smart: Reroll 1s when rolling for Medical, Tech or Trade challenges.
* Strong: Add +1 die when doing a task involving brute strength or causing damage by Fighting attacks.
* Swift: Make an extra Fighting, Shooting or evasion action during a combat round.
* Tough: Withstand double hit boxes per damage level while above incapacitated (14 light damage boxes, 10 serious, 6 critical, 1 incapacitated).
SKILLS
“I had no idea we had the best pilot in the Resistance on board. Comfortable?”
– Kylo Ren, interrogating a prisoner
Assign 4 bonus points among skills (or 6 points if the character has Academy Training). Each bonus point adds one die (+1d6) to dice pool rolled to measure such tasks’ outcomes.
* Fighting: Attacking with fists, kicks, and melee weapons such as lightsabers.
* Medical: Diagnosing and healing lifeforms, xenobiology, drugs, biological research.
* Piloting: Maneuvering large and small spacecraft, plotting hyperspace jumps, driving speeders, boats, or other vehicles.
* Protocol: Dealing with various officials, or bribing them.
* Shooting: Shooting guns of all kinds: blasters, rifles, starship weapons and more.
* Streetwise: Dealing with locals, gambling and gathering information from informal contacts.
* Survival: Finding water and food, plotting navigation on a planetary surface.
* Tactics: Military leadership to coordinate squads of soldiers or fleets of starships against enemy forces.
* Tech: Designing and repairing all kinds of machines, especially starship systems.
* Trade: Assessing cargo value, negotiating commerce deals, and conducting transactions.
LANGUAGES
“Luke, tell Owen that if he gets a translator to be sure it speaks Bocce.”
– Overheard at a jawa used droid market on Tatooine
Characters either know only Galactic Basic (the common language spoken throughout the galaxy), or understand every language ever spoken (the “Fluent With Millions” trait). The written alphabet used for Galactic Basic is called Aurebesh, which all characters can read. While various data formats exist, droids can translate formats instantly when needed.
FORCE POWERS
“Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you.”
– Jedi master Yoda
When a character gains the Force Sensitive trait, either at character creation or through experience points, roll to determine which Force powers awaken and may be used first.
INITIAL FORCE POWERS (1d6)
* 1 … Counter, Grab, Suggest and Visions
* 2 … Focus, Grab, Parry and Visions
* 3 … Focus, Grab, Leap and Sense
* 4 … Counter, Focus, Sense, Visions
* 5 … Grab, Leap, Sense, Suggest
* 6 … Focus, Grab, Parry, Sense
Further powers may be learned by studying the Force (and spending 10 experience points per added power).
For details about such abilities, see the WAYS OF THE FORCE section.
GEAR
“Ten thousand? We could almost buy our own ship for that!”
– A planetside farmer balking at the cost of space travel
Players to do not need to keep detailed lists of every piece of equipment their characters own — it’s assumed starships carry some repair parts, bounty hunters have binders, and so forth — but three specific types of gear should always be noted:
* Weapons (guns, large melee weapons, lightsabers)
* Armor (as well as protection level: light, heavy or superheavy)
* Exotic gear (secret data files, a Jedi artifact, jetpack worn under a cloak)
In terms of money, the credit is accepted as currency among all worlds in the Core and Colonies regions, but further out in the galaxy, worlds may revert to barter economies instead. A skilled worker’s wages typically bring in 2 credits a day.
An individual’s or group’s shared wealth should be noted simply by what factor of total value is readily available:
* Poor (less than 10 credits)
* Struggling (10s of credits)
* Comfortable (100s of credits)
* Affluent (1,000s of credits)
* Wealthy (10,000s of credits)
* Very Wealthy (100,000s of credits)
* Richest In Town (millions of credits)
* Richest In Hemisphere (10s of millions of credits)
* Richest In World (100s of millions of credits)
* Richest In System (billions of credits)
* Richest In Subsector (10s of billions of credits)
* Richest In Sector (100s of billions of credits)
Depending on the story, the game master will set how much money the characters have at their beginnings. Hired jobs, thefts, gambling, purchases and other events will change this value up and down over time.
STARSHIPS
“You came in that thing? You’re braver than I thought.”
– Princess Leia, offering her assessment of the Millenium Falcon
Whether a smuggler’s freighter, a rebel pilot’s X-wing fighter or an Imperial strike team’s troop carrier, ships help get the heroes where the action is. Any ships owned or available to a character should be noted here.
* Very small craft (under 10 tons): Light-class starfighters.
* Small craft (10 to 100 tons): Starfighters and bombers.
* Medium craft (100 to 1,000 tons): Patrol ships, light transport ships.
* Large craft (1,000 to 10,000 tons): Medium transport ships.
* Very large craft (10,000s to 100,000 tons): Large transport ships.
* Huge craft (100,000 to 1 million tons): Heavy freighters.
* City-sized (millions of tons): Small capital ships.
* Metropolis-sized craft (many millions of tons): Medium capital ships.
* Gigantic-sized craft (billions of tons): Large capital ships.
* World-sized craft: Space stations.
QUICK CHARACTERS
Players looking to start with an archetype can use one of these templates, or copy a well-known basic character from the movies under the SAMPLE CHARACTERS FROM THE STAR WARS UNIVERSE section.
ASSASSIN DROID
* Traits: Armored, Deadly Shot, Machine Physiology
* Skills: Fighting +2, Shooting +1, Streetwise +1
CRIMINAL GANG LEADER
* Traits: Criminal Ties, Military Commander, Scoundrel’s Luck
* Skills: Piloting +1, Protocol +1, Streetwise +1, Trade +1
COVERT AGENT
* Traits: Fluent With Millions, Galactic Spy, Relentless Mind
* Skills: Piloting +1, Protocol +1, Shooting +1, Tech +1
BOUNTY HUNTER
* Traits: Cunning Warrior, Deadly Shot, Scoundrel’s Luck
* Skills: Piloting +1, Shooting +2, Streetwise +1
DIPLOMATIC NEGOTIATOR
* Traits: Fluent With Millions, Renown Diplomat, Smart
* Skills: Protocol +2, Tactics +1, Streetwise +1
MEDICAL DROID
* Traits: Armored, Fluent With Millions, Machine Physiology
* Skills: Medical +3, Tech +1
INTERSTELLAR MERCHANT
* Academy Training, Fluent With Millions, Relentless Mind
* Skills: Piloting +1, Protocol +1, Trade +4
MYSTIC HERMIT
* Traits: Fluent With Millions, Force Sensitive, Scavenger
* Skills: Fighting +2, Tech +1, Survival +1
* Force Powers: Grab, Leap, Parry, Sense
SMUGGLER
* Traits: Ace Pilot, Criminal Ties, Scoundrel’s Luck
* Skills: Piloting +2, Shooting +1, Streetwise +1
SOLDIER-OF-FORTUNE
* Traits: Academy Training, Military Commander, Strong
* Skills: Fighting +1, Piloting +1, Shooting +3, Survival +1
STARFIGHTER PILOT
* Traits: Academy Training, Ace Pilot, Cunning Warrior
* Skills: Piloting +3, Shooting +2, Trade +1
UTILITY DROID
* Traits: Armored, Fluent With Millions, Machine Physiology
* Skills: Piloting +1, Tech +3
IMPROVING CHARACTERS THROUGH PLAY
Characters can develop new traits, improve skills and learn new Force powers by completing a set of story factors through play.
EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
( ) Obtained the character’s goal in the story, or found new goal to replace it.
( ) Survived a combat against a superior force.
( ) Rescued prisoners or destroyed an enemy’s weapons, starships or base of operations.
( ) Set foot on a planet or moon where the character has never been to before.
( ) Escaped capture by enemy forces.
Once all five events have been met, the list resets and the character gains one of the following:
* One new trait.
* Increase of +1 to any one skill.
* One new Force power.
DESCRIBING THE STORY TOGETHER
“You have taken your first step into a larger world.”
– Obi-Wan Kenobi, offering encouragement
TIME & TURNS
“Biggs, Wedge, let’s close it up. We’re going in. We’re going in full throttle.”
– Luke Skywalker, taking initiative in the order of turns
* Combat Turns: Based on how prepared characters are, the game master decides which players describes their character’s actions first. Once a player takes a turn describing an action — typically only what may be done in 6 seconds or less, such as move and make an attack, begin programming a navi-computer, or climbing into an escape lifepod — that player then decides which player character may take the next turn, and so forth until all players’ characters have done something. The game master may describe reactions from the non-player characters, or may interrupt players when many things are happening at once in a scene.
* Order of Turns: Although players take turns, the actions of characters all happen more or less at the same time. The game master will rule on what outcomes limit or change the attempted actions of other characters that round. (For example, a rebel agent rushing to close a blast door before stormtroopers can get through may or may not happen in time.)
When in doubt, have each side roll 1d6 and highest total finishes their action first.
* Tasking Turns: These descriptions may or may not include task checks for longer actions — bypass security on a locked door, scan a system for lifeforms — and generally take a few seconds among players but minutes or hours among characters.
* Travel Turns: Characters jump through hyperspace from system A to system B. Depending on the speed of the starship and the distance traveling, the duration could take minutes or weeks for the characters. For the players, there is no time spent at all — the trip simply happens.
MOVEMENT
“Hurry up, goldenrod, or you’re going to be a permanent resident…”
– Advice to C-3P0 during a combat round
Most characters can move 5 meters per round while peforming other actions (such as Shooting, Fighting or Evading in combat), or 10 meters if only flat-out running. Vehicles will vary in speed – from 10 meters per round for an AT-AT in difficult terrain, to 400 meters per round for a landspeeds cruising over open ground.
RANGES
“The Rebels are alerted to our presence. Admiral Ozzel came out of light-speed too close to the system. He is as clumsy as he is stupid…”
– Darth Vader, moments before making an executive staffing change
Distances can be grouped into personal (within a kilometer), regional (elsewhere on a planet), orbital (to the moons), system (worlds around same star), sector (a group of star systems) and galaxy (crossing from one end to the other). Within each distance are close, near, far and distant variations.
Personal…
* Close (under 1m) – enough to reach out and touch
* Near (1m to 5m)- fighting range with melee weapons, flamethrowers
* Far (5m to 150m) – shooting range of pistols, bowcasters
* Distant (150m to 400m) – shooting range of rifles, megablasters
Regional…
* Close Region (400m to 1,000m) – shooting range of tripod-mounted cannons
* Near Region (1km to 10km) – shooting range of small and medium ship weaponry
* Far Region (10km to 100km) – shooting range of large to huge ship weaponry
* Distant Region (100km to 1,000km) – shooting range of capital ship weaponry
Orbital…
* Close Orbit (1,000km to 10,000km) – upper atmosphere
* Near Orbit (10,000km to 100,000km) – geostationary orbit
* Far Orbit (100,000km to 1 million km) – one light-second, range to moons
* Distant Orbit (1 to 10 million km)
System…
* Close System (10 to 100 million km) – one light-minute
* Near System (100 million to 1 billion km) – one astronomical unit
* Far System (1 to 10 billion km)
* Distant System (10 to 100 billion km)
Sector…
* Close Sector (100 billion to 1 trillion km)
* Near Sector (1 to 10 trillion km) – one light-year
* Far Sector (10 to 100 trillion km) – one parsec, neighboring systems
* Distant Sector (3 to 30 parsecs) – systems at the edge of the sector
Galaxy…
* Close Galaxy (30 to 300 parsecs) – neighboring sectors
* Near Galaxy (300 to 3,000 parsecs) – average width of a galactic area “ring”
* Far Galaxy (3,000 to 30,000 parsecs) – almost the width of the galaxy
* Distant Galaxy (30,000 to 300,000 parsecs) – beyond the known galaxy
Quick & Dirty Trigonometry: If trying to calculate distances in 3-dimensions, take the horizontal and vertical ranges between two points and add one-half the shorter distance onto the longer distance. For example, standing on the ground trying to hit Boba Fett who flying 130 meters away and 30 meters up would be 130 + (30/2), so 145m – still within the limit of pistols and bowcasters and well inside rifle range.
RESOLVING ACTIONS
Han Solo: “Watch the thrust, we’re going out of here at light-speed…”
Rey: “From inside the hangar? Is that even possible?”
Han Solo: “I never ask that question until after I’ve done it.”
– A brief discussion about hyperdrive capabilities
Each time a character faces an uncertain outcome for an action, the controlling player builds a quick dice pool following these guidelines:
* Start with two dice (2d6).
* Add one die per skill bonus (+0 to +5d6).
* Add one die if called for by any relevant special ability (+1d6).
* Subtract dice based on character’s worst damage level (-0 to -3d6).
If penalties prevent a character from having at least one die (1d6) to roll, the action automatically fails. Otherwise, roll the dice pool and compare the result on the following chart. Players may reroll dice showing 1s, 2s or 3s by adding a complication to succeed (see below).
READING THE DICE
   |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
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| All rolls 3 or less |
Best roll 4 | Best roll 5 | Best roll 6 | Two 6s rolled | Three 6s rolled | |
| TASK | Poor | Fair | Good | Excellent | Great | Amazing |
| ATTACK | Miss | Miss | Hit For Light Damage | Hit For Serious Damage | Hit For Critical Damage | Hit Incapacitates Target |
| EVASION | None | None | Avoid Light Damage | Avoid Serious Damage | Avoid Critical Damage | Avoid All Damage |
| RECOVERY | Cause 1d6 Light Hits | Restores 3 Hits | Restores 6 Hits | Restores 9 Hits | Restores 12 Hits | Restores 15 Hits |
Players use the highest resulting dice to measure outcomes.
* “All dice 3 or less” means no matter how many dice were rolled, all of them came up 1, 2 or 3, meaning the action failed.
* “Best roll one 4” means at least one die came up 4, and none came up 5 or 6. For example, a 3d6 roll of 2, 2 and 4 fits this result.
* “Best roll one 5 (or 6)” follows the same as above, but needs at least one 5 or 6 among the dice rolled.
* “Best roll two 6s” means two or more dice were rolled (2d6 or better), and at least two of those dice came up with a 6. For example, a 3d6 roll of 2, 6 and 6 fits this result.
* “Best roll three 6s” means three or more dice were rolled (3d6 or better), and at least three of those dice came up with a 6. For example, a 3d6 roll would need all dice to come up 6 for this result.
TASK CHALLENGE RESULTS
* All dice 3 or less … Poor, failure, no progress toward goal or big setback
* Best roll one 4 … Fair, success with easy tasks, minor progress
* Best roll one 5 … Good, success with challenging tasks, moderate progress
* Best roll one 6 … Excellent, “impressive” success with hard tasks
* Best roll two 6s … Great, “most impressive” success with extreme tasks
* Best roll three 6s … Amazing, success with “impossible” tasks
Examples…
* Hack into a data network and shut down an Imperial base’s shields: Tech roll with “Excellent” result or better needed.
* Make an antitoxin against a new weaponized poison: Medical roll with “Excellent” result or better needed.
* Maneuver a starship through an asteroid field: Piloting roll with “Amazing” result or better needed.
* Get someone out of police detention from minor charges: Protocol roll with “Great” result or better needed.
* Find out which bounty hunters have accepted the same contract: Streetwise roll with “Good” result or better needed.
* Build a snow shelter after crashing on an ice planet: Survival roll with “Good” result or better needed.
* Come out of hyperspace outside an enemy’s sensor range: Tactics roll with “Good” result or better needed.
* Persuade an Outer Rim broker to accept payment in Imperial credits: Trade roll with “Excellent” result or better needed.
CONTESTED CHALLENGES
“Uh… had a slight weapons malfunction. But, uh, everything’s perfectly all right now. We’re fine. We’re all fine here, now, thank you. How are you?”
– Han Solo, rolling badly on a contested Protocol challenge
When an outcome is directly opposed by another character, both roll as above and compare results. If all dice rolled are 3 or less, both fail — otherwise the side with the highest roll wins, or the most 6s rolled.
Examples…
* Trace the terminal location of a hacker: Tech roll vs. Tech roll.
* Improve a manufactured poison to beat an antitoxin: Medical vs. Medical.
* Chase down a ship in an asteroid field: Piloting vs. Piloting.
* Contest a legal conviction in court: Protocol vs. Protocol.
* Try to hire bounty hunters already under another’s contract: Streetwise vs. Streetwise.
* Place traps and snares to capture someone in the wild: Survival vs. Survival.
* Gain superior position for a fleet in a space battle: Tactics vs. Tactics.
* Outbid rivals to get a backwater planet’s last available hyperdrive: Trade vs. Trade.
Opposed skills can also use two different skills against each other…
* Sabotage a ship’s stabilizers to crash it: Tech roll vs. Piloting roll.
* Get a smuggler detained by port authorities: Protocol roll vs. Streetwise roll.
* Fool a inspector with forged cargo documents : Tech roll vs. Protocol roll.
* Beat a droid at Dejarik holo-chess: Tactics roll vs. Tech roll.
TEAMWORK
For tasks in which multiple characters with bonuses in the same skill are able to work together, roll once from a 2d6 base but add dice based on the total of all characters’ skill. All traits from any characters involved apply.
For example, players for Chewbacca (Tech +2) and Han Solo (Tech +1) trying to repair the hyperdrive on the Millennium Falcon would roll 2d6 + 2d6 (Chewie’s skill) + 1d6 (Han’s skill), for a total of 5 dice. Since Han Solo has the “Scoundrel’s Luck” trait, any of those five dice that come up “1” would be rerolled until they show “2” or better.
SUCCESS WITH COMPLICATIONS
Depending on circumstances, a character who missed a needed result can try to succeed but add a complication as part of the outcome. First the player rerolls any dice that came up 1, 2 3, then pick one of the following as appropriate with the game master’s permission:
* Task takes twice as long as normal to complete.
* Task takes twice as many resources as normal.
* Task is rushed and carries the “flawed” trait (1 in 6 chance of not working right).
* If in combat, become vulnerable to one bonus attack roll from an enemy.
* Characters involved in task each automatically suffer light damage to get the job done.
* Information gained is a bit dubious (1 in 6 chance of being completely wrong).
* A minor character offers help, but only if given a valuable piece of gear first.
* Task outcome well known and promises retribution from a dangerous rival.
PERSONAL COMBAT
“You have fought gallantly. Worthy of recognition in the history archives of the Jedi Order. Now it is finished.”
– Count Dooku, speaking too soon against his opponents
Like tasks challenges, a similar dice pool is gathered to determine damage caused or avoided in lightsaber duels, blaster firefights or simply cantina bar brawls.
* Start with two dice (2d6).
* Add one die per skill bonus (Fighting or Shooting) (+0 to +4d6).
* Subtract dice based on character’s worst damage level (-0 to -3d6).
Once rolled, if the attacker’s dice result is 6 or more, additional dice are rolled and added to the result based on the severity of the weapon used in the attack (see below).
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| All rolls 3 or less |
Best roll 4 | Best roll 5 | Best roll 6 | Two 6s rolled | Three 6s rolled | |
| ATTACK | Miss | Miss | Hit For Light Damage | Hit For Serious Damage | Hit For Critical Damage | Hit Incapacitates Target |
| EVASION | None | None | Avoid Light Damage | Avoid Serious Damage | Avoid Critical Damage | Avoid All Damage |
COMBAT CHALLENGE RESULTS VS. MOBS
Attacks against mobs (squads of stormtroopers, droid troopers, gangs of space pirates, packs of alien hunting beasts) simply knock out several enemies per attack.
* All dice 3 or less … Miss.
* Best roll one 4 … Enemies held back by attacks.
* Best roll one 5 … One enemy incapacitated/slain.
* Best roll one 6 … Three enemies incapacitated/slain.
* Best roll two 6s … Six enemies incapacitated/slain.
* Best roll three 6s … Ten enemies incapacitated/slain.
COMBAT CHALLENGE RESULTS VS. CHARACTER OR MONSTERS
Attacks against major characters (mastermind villains, top henchmen) or big monsters (rathtars, rancor, wampa) track damage differently, slowly wearing them down unless hit by an exceptional strike.
* All dice 3 or less … Far miss
* Best roll one 4 … Near miss
* Best roll one 5 … Light damage
* Best roll one 6 … Serious damage
* Best roll two 6s … Critical damage
* Best roll three 6s … Incapacitated
For any attack roll including a 5 or 6 indicating a hit, add dice from the weapon type to account for severity or firepower. Rolls of all 4s or less that miss do not get these bonus dice.
COMBAT EVASION
If an enemy scores a hit, the player controlling the target can chose to skip making an action this turn to simply dive for cover, dodge, block with a shield or otherwise somehow negate the hit. Roll 2d6 + 1d6 per +1 per Fighting skill.
* Best roll one 5 … Avoid hit if attacker’s best roll was a 5.
* Best roll one 6 … Avoid hit if attacker’s best roll was a 6.
* Best roll two 6s … Avoid any hit regardless of attacker’s roll.
BONUS DICE AND MAXIMUM RANGES
When an attack roll includes at least one 5 or 6 and target does not evade the hit, certain weapons automatically add dice when within optimal range. The list below shows bonus dice ranges and the weapon’s maximum range (usually beyond the weapon’s optimal range for bonus dice).
Fighting Attacks…
* no change … punch, kick, melee weapon such as a gaffi stick
* +2d6 … lightsaber
* +1d6 … “Huge” or “Strong” trait
Shooting weapons…
* Blaster Pistol … +1d6 up to near range (5m); +0 up to far range (150m)
* Blaster Rifle … +2d6 up to far range (150m); +0 up to distant range (400m)
* Megablaster Rifle … +3d6 up to far range (150m); +0 up to distant range (400m)
* Flamethrower … +2d6 up to near range (5m)
* Ion Blaster (affects droids only) … +2d6 up to near range (5m)
* Wookie Bowcaster (shooter has “Strong” trait) … +3d6 up to near range (5m); +0 up to distant range (400m)
* Wookie Bowcaster (no “Strong” trait) … +0 up to far range (150m)
* Tripod-Mounted Cannon … +3d6 up to distant range (400m); +0 up to close region (1,000m)
* Thermal Detonator … +3d6 up to near range (5m)
Note: Bowcasters are heavy and difficult to stabilize without great strength.
APPLYING DAMAGE
Each character checks off an injury box equal to the damage result. If there are no open boxes for a specific level of damage, the damage overflows into the next worse level of damage.
* Light damage generally represents something unsettling or distracting taking a character’s focus off a fight. Characters that suffer any hits of light damage take a -1d6 penalty on all task and combat rolls.
* Serious damage hurts, hindering actions and causing a lot of pain, and causing a -2d6 penalty on all task and combat rolls.
* Critical damage puts a character close to death and cause an additional harmful effect that last as noted on the Personal Critical Hit table. Characters that suffer any hits of critical damage also take a -3d6 penalty on all task and combat rolls in addition to the results of the Critical Hit table.
* Incapacitated characters are dying. How such characters survive is up to players’ decisions to send urgent help from other characters and the game master’s judgment. As a rule of thumb, incapacitated characters not saved within 10 minutes are dead.
Damage penalties only use the worst penalty, so a character with some light damage hit and one serious damage hit only suffers the serious -2d6 penalty. If that serious hit is removed, then only the -1d6 penalty for having light hits would apply.
PERSONAL CRITICAL HIT: Roll 1d6 each time a Critical Damage hit is marked.
* 1 … Lose a hand, leg or eye. (Bionic replacement available later.)
* 2 … Unconscious for 1d6 days.
* 3 … Unconscious for 1d6 hours.
* 4 … Unconscious for 1d6 minutes.
* 5 … Suffer terrible visible scar across face.
* 6 … Scream in pain but suffer no other effects.
SET FOR STUN
Stun settings, a lower power option on blaster weapons, only causes an effect against a target if scoring a Critical hit. The target automatically falls unconscious for 1d6 hours (do not roll on the Personal Critical Hit table).
ARMOR
Armor effectively downgrades the severity of hits depending on the level of protection. Some abilities, such as the “Armored” trait or the Force Parry power, mimic the effects of armor without technically being worn as gear.
* Light armor reduces damage by 1 level (serious becomes light, light becomes no effect)
* Heavy armor reduces damage by 2 levels (critical becomes light, serious becomes no effect)
* Superheavy armor reduced damage by 3 levels (incapacitated becomes serious, critical becomes no effect).
Some attacks (such as ion blasts against droids or Force Lightning against pretty much anyone) bypass armor and are not reduced when scoring a hit.
QUICK CHARACTER DAMAGE TRACKER
* Light Damage (-1d6, max. 7 hits, overflow serious):
* Serious Damage (-2d6, max. 5 hits, overflow critical):
* Critical Damage (-3d6 plus Critical Hit roll, max. 3, overflow incapacitated):
* Incapacitated (unconscious until revived):
DESCRIPTIVE DAMAGE AGAINST A HUMAN
Players can add color to a combat by using the following descriptive damage trackers, choosing which box to check when suffering a hit at that damage level.
Light Damage (-1d6 on character’s task rolls if any box here is checked)
( ) knocked down by blow or forced to dive for cover
( ) kicked or shot backwards one meter by impact of blow
( ) briefly lose track of the fight when something flashes next to your eyes
( ) hit on adjacent surface makes a blinding spray of debris
( ) locked in a grapple with foe or pinned under cover by blaster fire
( ) roll to dodge blow but fumble getting back into fighting position
( ) enemy’s flurry of rapid attacks puts you on the defensive, for now
Serious Damage (-2d6 on character’s task rolls if any box here is checked)
( ) painful wound along shoulder hampers movement of your arm
( ) hits prompts a loud howl of pain, alerting everyone to your position
( ) lose weapon as it is knocked out of hand, landing 3 meters away
( ) stabbing pain from wound in side causes loss of focus
( ) sickening snap is heard as bone in your leg or arm breaks in two
Critical Damage (-3d6 on character’s task rolls if any box here is checked)
( ) gutted stomach or deep wound very close to heart
( ) hit in face and lose an eye
( ) lose a hand, leg or other vital appendage
Incapacitated
( ) Unconscious or immobile
DESCRIPTIVE DAMAGE AGAINST A DROID
Light Damage (-1d6 on character’s task rolls if any box here is checked)
( ) knocked down by blow or forced to move for cover
( ) kicked or shot backwards one meter by impact of blow
( ) power surge causes your active nemetic filters to reset
( ) spray of debris from near miss gets contaminants into your body
( ) locked in a grapple with foe or pinned under cover by blaster fire
( ) diagnostic misfire causes a brief but blinding sensory overload
( ) enemy’s flurry of rapid attacks puts you on the defensive, for now
Serious Damage (-2d6 on character’s task rolls if any box here is checked)
( ) crushed articulators hamper movement and targeting
( ) sudden grease fire burns through your torso, melting some wires
( ) one internal array of power converters totally destroyed
( ) magnetic signal relay fused, causing you to shake violently
( ) short circuit sets off a distracting logic feedback
Critical Damage (-3d6 on character’s task rolls if any box here is checked)
( ) internal injury pierces your main power core
( ) ionic burst corrupts your primary mission memory
( ) core motivator blows out of the top of your head
Incapacitated
( ) Total shut down or immobile
DESCRIPTIVE DAMAGE AGAINST A WEIRD ALIEN
Light Damage (-1d6 on character’s task rolls if any box here is checked)
( ) knocked down by blow or forced to dive for cover
( ) kicked or shot backwards one meter by impact of blow
( ) clouds of dust choke your respiration gills, making you shake violently
( ) your secondary brain makes a contradictory command for a moment
( ) one of your waddle sacs bursts, squirting egglets on your weapon
( ) stress pheremones cause your optic fluids to crystalize
( ) your fleggotic organ flushes itself during the fight
Serious Damage (-2d6 on character’s task rolls if any box here is checked)
( ) painful wound along your kansis bone hampers movement of your exonicles
( ) hit sets off your bioluminescence, alerting everyone to your position
( ) lose weapon as it is knocked from your claw, landing 3 meters away
( ) burning pain from a wound in your ventral ploolt causes loss of focus
( ) sickening squish is heard as your left mugglet is burst open
Critical Damage (-3d6 on character’s task rolls if any box here is checked)
( ) gutted shunk sac or deep wound very close to your vittilis organs
( ) hit in your dorsal panzart tube and rupture your buidonic glands
( ) lose a quag, shemblit or other vital appendage
Incapacitated
( ) Automatically dormant or immobile
HEALING OR REPAIRING DAMAGE
Once per day following injury, a character with access to medical supplies can make a Medical task roll to remove hits checked on a character’s damage tally. Characters can fix themselves or others in as little as one combat turn, but each character may only benefit from a medical aid check once per day. Hits noted below are typically taken off the worst level of damage first.
* Roll 2d6 + 1d6 per +1 of Medical skill.
* If no medical supplies are available, this check is made at a -1d6 penalty.
* If advanced medical aid is available, such as complete immersion in a tank of bacta fluid, this check is made at a +1d6 bonus.
MEDICAL CHECK RESULTS
* All dice 3 or less … Poor, complication causes 1d6 new hits. (Assign to any damage level.)
* Best roll one 4 … Fair, restore 3 hits.
* Best roll one 5 … Good, restore 6 hits.
* Best roll one 6 … Excellent, restore 9 hits.
* Best roll two 6s … Great, restore 12 hits.
* Best roll three 6s … Amazing, restore 15 hits.
For droids, the repair process works the same but uses Tech instead of Medical skill.
* If no replacement parts are available, this check is made at a -1d6 penalty.
* If advanced repair aid is available, such as a nanomech station, this check is made at a +1d6 bonus.
ALIEN MONSTERS
“There isn’t enough life on this ice cube to fill a space cruiser.”
– Han Solo, making a dangerously wrong observation about the planet Hoth
Throughout the galaxy are beasts that enjoy apex predator status in their environments, but often end up transplanted to other worlds either by accident or for the sport of their owners. When encountering such creatures, characters typically have two choices: fight or flee.
In combat, use the following total dice as a Fighting attack and and effective armor rating from thick hides:
* Acklay, a reptilian mantis-like predator with six blades as legs: attack 4 dice, light armor.
* Dianoga, a large aquatic monster with tentacles: attack 4 dice, no armor (light armor when submerged in water).
* Mynock, flying bat-like parasites that feed off starship’s power lines; attack 2 dice, no armor.
* Nexu, a giant feline with many rows of teeth: attack 5 dice, no armor.
* Rancor, a 5-meter-tall clawed humanoid: attack 5 dice, light armor.
* Rathtar, a 3-meter-diameter rolling ball of tentacles and teeth: attack 5 dice, no armor
* Reek, a bull-like horned beast with thick hide: attack 4 dice, heavy armor.
* Sarlacc, an immobile buried mass of tentacles and stomachs: attack 3 dice; superheavy armor.
* Wampa, a 3-meter-tall white furry beast found on icy worlds: attack 4 dice, no armor.
TOUGH CREATURE DAMAGE TRACKER
All of the above creatures have the “Tough” trait, having hits as follows…
* Light Damage (-1d6, max. 14 hits, overflow serious):
* Serious Damage (-2d6, max. 10 hits, overflow critical):
* Critical Damage (-3d6 plus Critical Hit roll, max. 6, overflow incapacitated):
* Incapacitated (unconscious until revived):
STARSHIP TRAVEL
Han Solo: “Fast ship? You’ve never heard of the Millennium Falcon?
Obi-Wan Kenobi: “Should I have?”
Han Solo: “It’s the ship that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs. I’ve outrun Imperial starships, not the local bulk-cruisers, mind you. I’m talking about the big Corellian ships now. She’s fast enough for you, old man.”
– Conversation overhead in a bar somewhere in the Outer Rim
FASTER-THAN-LIGHT SPEEDS
* 0.1 past light-speed (The Death Star)… 5,000 light years per day
* 0.2 past light-speed (Imperial Star Destroyer)… 10,000 light years per day
* 0.3 past light-speed (X-Wing starfighter)… 15,000 light years per day
* 0.4 past light-speed (Slave 1)… 20,000 light years per day
* 0.5 past light-speed (Millennium Falcon)… 25,000 light years per day
These speeds work out to following base travel times:
AT 0.1 PAST LIGHT SPEED…
* Distant Sector (3 to 30 parsecs) = up to 30 minutes
* Close Galaxy (30 to 300 parsecs) = up to 5 hours
* Near Galaxy (300 to 3,000 parsecs) = up to 2 days
* Far Galaxy (3,000 to 30,000 parsecs) = up to 20 days
* Distant Galaxy (30,000 to 300,000 parsecs) = up to 27 weeks
AT 0.2 PAST LIGHT SPEED…
* Distant Sector (3 to 30 parsecs) = up to 15 minutes
* Close Galaxy (30 to 300 parsecs) = up to 2.5 hours
* Near Galaxy (300 to 3,000 parsecs) = up to 1 days
* Far Galaxy (3,000 to 30,000 parsecs) = up to 10 days
* Distant Galaxy (30,000 to 300,000 parsecs) = up to 13 weeks
AT 0.3 PAST LIGHT SPEED…
* Distant Sector (3 to 30 parsecs) = up to 10 minutes
* Close Galaxy (30 to 300 parsecs) = up to 1.5 hours
* Near Galaxy (300 to 3,000 parsecs) = up to 15 hours
* Far Galaxy (3,000 to 30,000 parsecs) = up to 6 days
* Distant Galaxy (30,000 to 300,000 parsecs) = up to 9 weeks
AT 0.4 PAST LIGHT SPEED…
* Distant Sector (3 to 30 parsecs) = up to 7 minutes
* Close Galaxy (30 to 300 parsecs) = up to 70 minutes
* Near Galaxy (300 to 3,000 parsecs) = up to 12 hours
* Far Galaxy (3,000 to 30,000 parsecs) = up to 5 days
* Distant Galaxy (30,000 to 300,000 parsecs) = up to 7 weeks
AT 0.5 PAST LIGHT SPEED…
* Distant Sector (3 to 30 parsecs) = up to 6 minutes
* Close Galaxy (30 to 300 parsecs) = up to 55 minutes
* Near Galaxy (300 to 3,000 parsecs) = up to 9 hours
* Far Galaxy (3,000 to 30,000 parsecs) = up to 4 days
* Distant Galaxy (30,000 to 300,000 parsecs) = up to 5 weeks
Sample travel distances of trips within the listed range…
* Distant Sector (3 to 30 parsecs) = Tatooine to Geonosis
* Close Galaxy (30 to 300 parsecs) = Tatooine to Naboo
* Near Galaxy (300 to 3,000 parsecs) = Tatooine to Alderaan, Hoth
* Far Galaxy (3,000 to 30,000 parsecs) = Tatooine to Endor
* Distant Galaxy (30,000 to 300,000 parsecs) = Tatooine to Dantoonie
PILOTING THROUGH HYPERSPACE
“Traveling through hyperspace isn’t like dusting crops, boy. Without precise calculations we could fly right through a star or bounce too close to a supernova and that’d end your trip real quick, wouldn’t it?”
– Captain Han Solo, highlighting some safety procedures
Hyperspace is found by travelling faster than the speed of light, beyond the dimensions of normal space. It follows its own physical rules, and the shortest distance between two points in real space might not be a straight line in hyperspace. Gravity wells from stars, cosmic strings and all manner of phenomena warp hyperspace in ways only a navi-computer can calculate.
Programming the needed course into a navi-computer take 1d6 combat rounds.
Use the travel time benchmarks listed above to find what the longest possible duration of a jump through hyperspace would be, then allow one character on the ship to make a roll of 2d6 plus 1d6 per +1 of Piloting skill to measure the outcome on the table below.
PILOTING PROGRAMMING CHECK
* All dice 3 or less … Poor, ship exits hyperspace in random sector and takes 3d6 hits.
* Best roll one 4 … Fair, trip lasts maximum time listed.
* Best roll one 5 … Good, trip lasts 80% time listed.
* Best roll one 6 … Excellent, trip lasts 60% time listed.
* Best roll two 6s … Great, trip lasts 40% time listed.
* Best roll three 6s … Amazing, trip lasts 20% time listed.
For example, Han Solo plots a course from Tatooine to Alderaan, which falls within the “Near Galaxy” range. At 0.5 past light speed, the Millennium Falcon has a base trip duration of up to 9 hours. The dice are 2d6 plus 2d6 for Han’s Piloting +2, rolling 2, 2, 4 and 6. With the best roll being one 6, an “Excellent” result, the jump takes about 5 hours and 30 minutes.
Unfortunately in the above example, the Millennium Falcon came out of hyperspace at the Alderaan system into a meteor shower or asteroid collision — something that wasn’t on any of the charts — which turned out to have nothing to do with Han’s dice roll.
STARSHIP COMBAT
“Oops! Whoa! I’ll try spinning, that’s a good trick. I know we’re in trouble! Hang on!”
– the most stupid words ever overheard on an open channel during a starfighter dogfight
Starship combat mostly follows the same rules as personal combat, but there are differences between small craft (such as starfighters) and huge craft (such as capital ships).
DETECTION
A ship must be seen to be targeted. While starship scanners can detect any object of 1 ton or bigger in a star system, some ships may have cloaking devices to move undetected at longer ranges. Because of the bulky machines needed to generate masking fields hiding mass and energy signatures, only ships of very large size or bigger (minimum 10,000 tons) are known to equip such devices… but one never knows what new technology may be out there.
When a ship enables its cloak, its pilot or engineer makes a roll of 2d6 plus +1d6 per +1 of Tech skill.
EFFECTIVE CLOAKING CHECK
* All dice 3 or less … Mishap, radiation burst actually broadcasts ship’s location.
* Best roll one 4 … Able to avoid detection at System ranges (10 million km or more).
* Best roll one 6 … Able to avoid detection at Orbital ranges (1,000 km to 10 million km).
* Best roll three 6s … Able to avoid detection at Regional ranges (400m to 1,000 km).
A roll of 18 or more also allow a ship to land or take off from a planet without being picked up on scanners.
Modifiers to cloaking check rolls…
* +1d6 … Ship is very small (under 10 tons)
* no modifier … Ship is small or medium (10 to 1,000 tons)
* -1d6 … Ship is large to huge (1,000 to 1 million tons)
* -3d6 … Ship is a capital ship (millions to billions of tons)
* -5d6 … Ship is a world-sized craft (small moon or larger)
* +2d6 … System full of debris (dead starships, asteroid field, nebula’s edge)
* -1d6 to -3d6 … Ship is damaged, per the usual damage penalties
CLOSING TO DESTIATION OR ATTACK RANGE
When a starship completes a hyperspace jump into a system which is occupied by enemy starships, roll 1d6 to determine range to the destination planet:
* 1 … Distant Region (500 km)
* 2 … Near Orbit (50,000 km)
* 3 … Distant Orbit (5 million km)
* 4 … Near System (500 million km)
* 5 … Far System (5 billion km)
* 6 … Distant System (50 billion km)
Ships specifically making a blockade over a planet will hold in the Near Orbit range, while pirate vessels and system patrols are typically found in the Near System range.
Approaching the planet or enemy ships involves making Pilot rolls to close range, based on these 12 benchmarks:
* Close Region (400m to 1,000m) – shooting range of tripod-mounted cannons
* Near Region (1km to 10km) – shooting range of small and medium ship weaponry
* Far Region (10km to 100km) – shooting range of large to huge ship weaponry
* Distant Region (100km to 1,000km) – shooting range of capital ship weaponry
* Close Orbit (1,000km to 10,000km) – upper atmosphere
* Near Orbit (10,000km to 100,000km) – geostationary orbit
* Far Orbit (100,000km to 1 million km) – one light-second, range to moons
* Distant Orbit (1 to 10 million km)
* Close System (10 to 100 million km) – one light-minute
* Near System (100 million to 1 billion km) – one astronomical unit
* Far System (1 to 10 billion km)
* Distant System (10 to 100 billion km)
PILOTING IN-SYSTEM CHECKS
* All dice 3 or less … Error, trajectory wrong and ship changes no relative position.
* Best roll one 4 … Ship accelerate/decelerates to change 1 range level.
* Best roll one 5 … Ship accelerate/decelerates to change 2 range levels.
* Best roll one 6 … Ship accelerate/decelerates to change 3 range levels.
* Best roll two 6s … Ship accelerate/decelerates to change 4 range levels.
* Best roll three 6s … Ship accelerate/decelerates to change 5 range levels.
Modifiers…
* Fast ship (X-Wing, Millennium Falcon) … +1d6
* Slow ship (large to huge craft, 1,000 to 1 million tons) … -1d6
* Very slow ship (capital craft more than 1 million tons) … -2d6
Once an enemy ship is within range of weaponry, the pursuing starship can start marking attack rolls – typically one per character acting as gunner up to the ship’s maximum armaments.
* Torpedos: Until beam weapons fired from starships, torpedos are essentially mini-starships themselves that maneuver and chase targets at terrific speeds.
STARSHIP COMBAT CHALLENGE RESULTS
* All dice 3 or less … Far miss
* Best roll one 4 … Near miss
* Best roll one 5 … Light damage
* Best roll one 6 … Serious damage
* Best roll two 6s … Critical damage plus roll on Starship Critical Hit table.
* Best roll three 6s … Incapacitated
EVASIVE MANUEVERS
If an enemy ship scores a hit, the ship’s pilot makes a Piloting roll to dive, climb, loop or otherwise get out of harm’s way. Roll 2d6 + 1d6 per +1 per Piloting skill.
* Best roll one 5 … Avoid hit if attacker’s best roll was a 5.
* Best roll one 6 … Avoid hit if attacker’s best roll was a 6.
* Best roll two 6s … Avoid any hit regardless of attacker’s roll.
Modifiers…
* Fast ship (X-Wing, Millennium Falcon) … +1d6
* Slow ship (large to huge craft, 1,000 to 1 million tons) … -1d6
* Very slow ship (capital craft more than 1 million tons) … -2d6
STARSHIP CRITICAL HIT: Roll 1d6. Results 2 through 6 last as long as the ship has a Critical Hit.
* 1 … Crew hazards, each character in the ship has 1 in 6 chance of taking a Serious damage hit from internal explosions, leaking gas, radiation, etc.
* 2 … Shields lost, no protection against further attacks.
* 3 … Weaponry systems disabled, cannot make attacks.
* 4 … Sublight maneuver engine disabled, ship flies out of control.
* 5 … Hyperdrive system disabled, cannot jump to light speed.
* 6 … Hull fracture, mark off one additional Critical Hit.
DEFLECTOR SHIELDS
Like personal armor, deflector shields effectively downgrade the severity. Shields will not work is the ship’s main reactor is down.
* Light shields reduces damage by 1 level (serious becomes light, light becomes no effect)
* Heavy shields reduces damage by 2 levels (critical becomes light, serious becomes no effect)
* Superheavy shields reduced damage by 3 levels (incapacitated becomes serious, critical becomes no effect).
Some attacks (such as ion blasts) bypass armor and are not reduced when scoring a hit.
SHUTTING DOWN THE MAIN REACTOR
Powering off a ship’s systems cripples it but prevents a catastrophic explosion should it continue to come under fire. Without the reactor engaged, the ship cannot maneuver, jump to light speed, fire weapons or maintain shields. Only internal life support systems (lights, air, gravity) and minimal computer operations (communications and sensors) continue working.
QUICK STARSHIP DAMAGE TRACKER
* Light Damage (-1d6, max. 7 hits, overflow serious):
* Serious Damage (-2d6, max. 5 hits, overflow critical):
* Critical Damage (-3d6 plus Critical Hit roll, max. 3, overflow incapacitated):
* Incapacitated (unconscious until revived):
Note: Crew members who have been hurt use the greater penalty between the character’s damage or the ship’s penalty, but not both.
DESCRIPTIVE STARSHIP DAMAGE RECORD
Light Damage (-1d6 on character challenge rolls if any box here is checked)
( ) Stabilizers broken loose, causing ship to shutter violently.
( ) Power couplings burnt, forcing rerouting of auxiliary power.
( ) Explosion knocks ship off its course or attack vector.
( ) Communication scanner feedback screams and wails, distracting crew.
( ) Flak from enemy fire forces rapid dives and climbs to avoid direct hit.
( ) Surface explosions make ship lurch badly, knocking crew around inside.
( ) Sparks and electrical arcs erupt from various control panels.
Serious Damage (-2d6 on character challenge rolls if any box here is checked)
( ) Weapon mounts broken, causing widespread targeting failure.
( ) Calibration of hyperdrive navi-computer thrown off.
( ) Sublight engine fuel leak hinders ship’s maneuverability.
( ) Alluvial dampers warped out of synch with horizontal boosters.
( ) That control panel light that should never be lit is now flashing an awful lot.
Critical Damage (-3d6 on character challenge rolls if any box here is checked)
( ) Internal explosion floods crew cabins with toxic gases or radiation.
( ) Reactor fail-safe lines seize, starting nasty chain reactions.
( ) Starship frame shatters, causing large part to shear off and away.
Incapacitated
( ) Ship explodes if main reactor still engaged, otherwise ship becomes lifeless hulk adrift in space.
DAMAGE CONTROL & EMERGENCY REPAIRS
“R2, that stabilizer’s broken loose again, see if you can’t lock it down…”
– A starfighter pilot calling for his droid to make a Damage Control check
Once per turn, a character neither piloting the ship nor acting as a weapon system gunner can make a Tech task roll to remove hits checked on a starship’s damage tally. Multiple crew members with skill levels in Tech can use the “Teamwork” rule to add skill levels together for the roll. Hits noted below are typically taken off the worst level of damage first.
Roll 2d6 + 1d6 per +1 of Tech skill from all crew performing damage control.
DAMAGE CONTROL RESULTS
* All dice 3 or less … Poor, complication causes 1d6 new hits. (Assign to any damage level.)
* Best roll one 4 … Fair, restore 3 hits.
* Best roll one 5 … Good, restore 6 hits.
* Best roll one 6 … Excellent, restore 9 hits.
* Best roll two 6s … Great, restore 12 hits.
* Best roll three 6s … Amazing, restore 15 hits.
SAMPLE STARSHIPS & OTHER VESSELS
Very small craft (under 10 tons)
* 3 tons: T-47 Airspeeder
* 5 tons: Imperial TIE fighter
* 7 tons: Imperial TIE Interceptor
* 8 tons: A-wing fighter
* 10 tons: Escape pod spaceship (aka “life pod”)
Small craft (10s of tons)
* 10 tons: Imperial TIE advanced fighter (Darth Vader’s ship)
* 14 tons: X-wing fighter
* 18 tons: Y-Wing fighter/bomber
* 25 tons: Imperial TIE bomber
* 30 tons: B-wing fighter
* 75 tons: Imperial All Terrain Scout Transport (AT-ST)
Medium craft (100s of tons)
* 230 tons: Imperial Lambda-class shuttle
* 240 tons: Imperial All Terrain Armored Transport (AT-AT)
* 450 tons: Firespray-31-class patrol/attack craft (Fett’s Slave I)
* 750 tons: Modified Corellian YT-1300 light freighter (Millennium Falcon)
Large craft (1,000s of tons)
* 1,200 tons: GR-75 Medium Transport (aka “rebel transport”)
* 6,000 tons: CR90 Corvette (Tantive IV) (aka “rebel blockade runner”)
Very large craft (10,000s of tons)
* 45,000 tons: Nebulon-B Escort Frigate (aka “rebel medical ship”)
Huge craft (100,000s of tons)
* 120,000 tons: Baleen-class heavy freighter (The Eravana)
Small Capital Ships, City-sized Craft (millions of tons)
* 18 million tons: Mon Calamari MC90 Star Cruiser
Medium Capital Ships, Metropolis-sized Craft (many millions of tons)
* 35 million tons: Imperial Star Destroyer (The Devastator)
* 135 million tons: Trade Federation Lucrehulk-class battleship
* 140 million tons: Resurgent-class Star Destroyer (The Finalizer)
Large Capital Ships, Gigantic-sized craft (billions of tons)
* 6.3 billion tons: Imperial Super Star Destroyer (The Executor)
* 10 billion tons: Cloud City of Bespin
World-sized craft
* 453 trillion tons: Death Star I
* 1,000 trillion tons: Death Star II
* 4,500,000 trillion tons: Starkiller Base
THE WAYS OF THE FORCE
Obi-Wan Kenobi: “Remember, a Jedi can feel the Force flowing through him.”
Luke Skywalker: “You mean it controls your actions?”
Obi-Wan Kenobi: “Partially. But it also obeys your commands.”
– An introduction to a youth’s family legacy
Though called an energy field surrounding all living things, much about the Force remains a mystery. Those who can feel its flow can be controlled by it, but the Force also can be controlled to direct its power and even tap into “many abilities some consider unnatural.”
Millennia ago, those studying the ways of the Force split into rival philosophies, the two most famous of which were the Jedi and Sith orders. The Jedi celebrated a state of unity with the universe in which beings lived freely, controlled neither by emotions nor desires. The Sith took an opposite approach, seeing emotions as natural tools to separate oneself and gain dominance over chaos. There were older traditions as well, such as the Ancient Order of the Whills now lost to legend and myth…
THE JEDI CODE
There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no chaos, there is harmony.
There is no death, there is the Force.
THE SITH CODE
Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me.
POWERS OF THE FORCE
“The Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded.”
– Obi-Wan Kenobi, after using Force Suggest on a stormtrooper
Below are descriptions of documented Force powers (there may be many more)…
* Choke: Squeeze the windpipe of a living creature in near range, causing it to suffocate. If sustained for 30 seconds, the victim becomes incapacitated, either unconscious or dead. (Examples: Luke Skywalker intimidating Jabba the Hutt’s palace guards, Darth Vader’s staff performance reviews at the office.)
* Counter: Change another’s use of the Force to negate or reverse the effects of a power against the Force sensitive. This power cannot be extended to shield others, only the individual with this power. (Example: Princess Leia’s resistance to Darth Vader’s mind probe, Mace Windu’s initial deflection of Darth Sideous’ Force lightning.)
* Focus: Add +1d6 to the result of any one task challenge, involving any skill. One one die may be added per action from this power. (Example: Luke Skywalker’s photon torpedo shot at the Death Star exhaust vent.)
* Grab: Move a small object (about 10 kg or less) in near range without physically touching it. With a few seconds concentration (two combat rounds), larger objects (about 100 kg) may be moved, or 30 seconds (five rounds) for huge objects (1,000 kg), or a full minute (10 rounds) for massive objects (about 10,000 kg).
(Examples: Yoda and Luke levitating things in the Dagobah swamp, Darth Vader snatching the blaster pistol from Han Solo’s hand at the Cloud City.)
* Heal: Touch a living creature and downgrade the severity of one damage level (one critical hit becomes serious, serious becomes light, light is removed). This power only works on living creatures, not droids. (Examples: Obi-Wan checking on Padme after Anakin’s attack on Mustafar, Obi-Wan checking on Luke after the sand people attack.)
* Hold: Stop the motion of specific people, objects or energies within a near range area and hold them immobile for about a minute. (Example: Kylo Ren capturing Poe Dameron on Jakku.)
* Leap: Jump or fall up to far range (150m) with perfect control and without suffering any physical harm. (Examples: Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi multiple times on Naboo, Anakin Skywalker falling amid aircar traffic on Coruscant.)
* Lightning: Unleash bolts of energy that disfigure and mutate a living target in near range, causing 1d6 serious wound hits. Armor cannot lessen this damage, but Force Parry is effective. (Examples: Darth Sidious’ signature strike against his Jedi attackers.)
* Illusion: Create a brief sight or sound in near range that may fool onlookers, or hide something or someone in shadows to be hidden. (Examples: Obi-Wan startling sand people on Tatooine and distracting stormtroopers on the Death Star, Luke hiding from Darth Vader in their duel before the Emperor.)
* Parry: Use a lightsaber to block and reflect energy blasts. Treat this maneuver as Heavy Armor against lasers, blasters and Force Lightning. When used against blasters, there is a 1 in 6 chance the blast can be reflected back against an enemy within far range (150m). (Examples: Frequently seen by Jedi Knights fighting in the Clone Wars.)
* Probe: Look into the memories of someone in close range to discover secrets the target would not otherwise reveal. Concentrate for one round and ask one 10-word question per round/use of power. In the case of NPCs, the GM will answers. (Examples: Darth Vader against Luke Skywalker amid their duel on Death Star II, Kylo Ren in his interrogations of Poe Dameron, and later, Ren.)
* Push: Cause everything around you to be violently thrust away up to 10 meters (or 5 meters for characters with the “Huge” or “Strong” traits). Beings that hit a solid objects suffer damage as if hit with a 4d6 attack, otherwise they are only knocked down.
* Saber Throw: Hurl an activated lightsaber to make a fighting attack on a target within far range (up to 150m), and immediately return the lightsaber back to its owner’s hands. (Example: Darth Vader cuts walkway supports while fighting Luke Skywalker on Death Star II.)
* Sense: Reveal the presence of the Force in an area or a person, and communicate emotions with individuals who bear a strong personal connection to you. Concentrate for one round and do one option per round/use of power:
– Ask the GM to confirm if a specific Force sensitive individual is within 1,000 km of you.
– Ask the GM to confirm if a specific Force sensitive individual is within 400 m of you.
– Ask the GM to tell which of the following is strongest in the area within a 200m radius of you: the Light Side of the Force, the Dark Side of the Force, neither (no strong Force presence), or both sides of the Force strongly and equally?
– Ask the GM how many Force powers a
– Ask the GM to describe the general emotional state of all begins within 1,000 km of you (generally happy, sad, afraid/surprised, or angry/disgusted).
– Send a feeling (one word) to a specific Force sensitive individual is within 1,000 km of you. (The target will recognize you as the source, but you don’t know how that target responds.)
(Examples: Darth Vader’s awareness of Obi-Wan on the Death Star, the Jedi Council’s assessment of young Anakin Skywalker, Luke’s call for aid to Leia under the Cloud City, Kylo Ren noticing when Han Solo landed on Starkiller Base.)
* Sleep: Make a target in near range fall unconscious for up to an hour. (Example: Kylo Ren capturing Rey in the forest of planet Takodana.)
* Suggest: Make someone in near range follow a short command (under 15 words) to perform a physical action and not question that the idea wasn’t their own. (Example: Obi-Wan Kenobi waving off stormtroopers in the streets of Mos Eisley.)
* Visions: Experience a dream-like trance in which scenes from the character’s past and future are witnessed, often focused on close friends, matters of life and death or moments of important change. The game master will summarize what’s seen, but coming to understand what it means is up the to the player. (Examples: Luke Skywalker training on Dagobah, Ren finding a lightsaber in Maz Kanata’s castle – also implied when Darth Vader recognizes the rebel base power generator seen in surveillance video from Hoth.)
LOSING CONTROL OF THE FORCE
“A Jedi’s strength flows from the Force. But beware of the dark side. Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will, as it did Obi-Wan’s apprentice.”
– Yoda, teaching Luke Skywalker
Those lacking self-discipline and training may be taking a terrible risk in using powers they do not understand. The more a person uses the Force, the more the Force starts using that person in return – especially in reaction to anger, fear and hate.
Each time a character uses a Force power, there is a 1 in 6 chance the character gains an Imbalance point. (At the discretion of the game master, especially traumatic events such as witnessing the death of a loved one or discovering a horrible truth can also trigger the addition of an Imbalance point.)
Once a character has Imbalance points, the game masters rolls 1d6 when that character uses the Force. If the rolled number is equal to or less than the character’s current Imbalance points, the Force takes over the character in an aggressive and destructive manner.
For a Jedi or other follower of the Light Side, the Force drives the spirit to reject “crude matter” and escape the physical realm that drives craving and conflict. A reckless act of self-sacrifice is possible, but more often the individual becomes a solitary hermit withdrawn from all others. (Obi-Wan’s surrender in his lightsaber duel with Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker’s plummet from a high platform in Bespin’s Cloud City are examples of sacrificial moments. Certainly Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi lived as hermits for a time, as eventually did Luke Skywalker.)
For a Sith or other follower of the Dark Side, the Force creates a deadly rage that lashes out at life in the universe. The character will seek to kill the most important person closest to them, destroying that source of emotional vulnerability. If no such death is immediately possible, the Force turns on its user – mutating and disfiguring their physical form. Victims of such horrific transformations are easy to spot by those who know what to look for, so such Dark Side victims often cover themselves in heavy cloaks or masks. (Darth Sideous is the ultimate example, but Padme Amidala’s mortal injury at the hands of Anakin Skywalker also serves as an especially furious example of the Dark Side’s nature.)
Characters that walk both the paths of the Light and Dark sides may react either way when losing control over the Force.
Those who survive these Force missteps reset play back to zero Imbalance points.
REMOVING IMBALANCE POINTS
“Control! Control! You must learn control!”
– Yoda, scolding his last student
There are ways a Force sensitive can deal with the steady growth of Imbalance:
* Sit quietly still and contemplate upon emptiness or selfishness with the Force. Remove 1 Imbalance points for every hour of such meditation. (Qui-Gon Jinn, Luke Skywalker and even Darth Vader are shown to be practicing this technique in the movies.)
* Study with a holocron, a palm-sized cube artifact containing teachings about the Force. Lose 1d6 Imbalance points for every hour spent learning. (Though technically not shown in the movies, many of these devices were found in the Jedi Archives of planet Coruscant.)
* Kill another to severe their living connection to the Force. Each death removes 1d6 Imbalance points, or 3d6 if the victim was a Force sensitive. (Darth Vader’s frequent execution of his own top commanding officers may have served this function.)
* Undergo a personal trial confronting the opposite side of the Force, the Dark Side for Jedi or the Light Side for Sith. Such an emotional revelation removes 3d6 Imbalance points. (Luke’s confrontation within the tree on Dagobah and Kylo Ren’s actions with his father on Starkiller Base fit this sort of experience.)
SAMPLE CHARACTERS FROM THE STAR WARS UNIVERSE
“They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Naturally they became heroes.”
– Senator Leia Organa of Alderaan
BASIC CHARACTERS FROM STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (1977)
Luke Skywalker
Restless young moisture farmer from the planet Tatooine
* Goal: Escape to a life of adventure, rescue Princess Leia.
* Traits: Ace Pilot, Cunning Warrior, Force Sensitive
* Skills: Piloting +2, Shooting +1, Tech +1
* Force Powers: Focus, Grab, Parry and Visions
* Gear: Starfighter flight suit (light armor), lightsaber; poor wealth
* Starship: X-Wing Fighter
Ben “Obi-Wan” Kenobi
(see Advanced Characters)
Princess Leia Organa
Brash Galactic Senator representing planet Alderaan
* Goal: Get stolen data tapes into the hands of the Rebellion.
* Traits: Force Sensitive, Noble, Renown Diplomat
* Skills: Protocol +2, Tactics +2
* Force Powers: Counter, Focus, Sense, Visions
* Gear: Holdout pistol; very wealthy
Han Solo
Captain of the Millenium Falcon, a con man and smuggler
* Goal: Find a way to pay back a 10,000 credit debt to Jabba the Hutt.
* Traits: Criminal Ties, Fluent With Millions, Scoundrel’s Luck
* Skills: Piloting +2, Shooting +1, Tech +1
* Gear: Blaster pistol; struggling wealth
* Starship: Millenium Falcon
Chewbacca
Wookiee space pirate and first mate on the Millenium Falcon
* Goal: Back up Han Solo in whatever trouble he gets them into.
* Traits: Criminal Ties, Scavenger, Strong
* Skills: Piloting +1, Streetwise +1, Tech +2
* Gear: Wookiee bowcaster; struggling wealth
* Starship: Millenium Falcon
R2-D2
Astromech utility droid with secrets and a long history
* Goal: Get stolen data tapes into the hands of the Rebellion.
* Traits: Armored, Imperial Keys, Machine Physiology
* Skills: Piloting +1, Tech +3
C-3P0
Attache droid specializing in etiquette and protocol
* Goal: Land a comfortable existence serving a new master.
* Traits: Armored, Fluent With Millions, Machine Physiology
* Skills: Protocol +4
Darth Vader
(see Advanced Characters)
Grand Moff Tarkin
Top Imperial governor and commander of the Death Star
* Goal: Find and destroy the Rebellion’s secret base.
* Traits: Imperial Allegiance, Imperial Keys, Military Commander
* Skills: Protocol +1, Tactics +3
Wedge Antilles
Dedicated volunteer fighter pilot for the Rebellion.
* Goal: Pilot a starfighter to fight Imperial forces.
* Traits: Academy Training, Ace Pilot, Cunning Warrior
* Skills: Piloting +3, Shooting +2, Trade +1
* Gear: Starfighter flight suit (light armor); struggling wealth
* Starship: X-Wing Fighter
BASIC CHARACTERS FROM THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL (1978)
Yeah, it’s canon.
Saun Dann
Independent merchant on the planet Kashyyyk, also spy for the Rebellion.
* Goal: Protect rebel spies from being discovered by the Empire.
* Traits: Fluent With Millions, Galactic Spy, Scoundrel’s Luck
* Skills: Protocol +1, Streetwise +2, Trade +1
Boba Fett
(see Advanced Characters)
Attichitcuk (aka “Itchy,” Chewbacca’s father)
Wookiee war hero and former clan leader.
* Goal: Get some peace and quiet, watch holographic pornography.
* Traits: Scavenger, Scoundrel’s Luck, Strong
* Skills: Fighting +1, Survival +1, Tactics +1, Trade +1
BASIC CHARACTERS FROM STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980)
Yoda
(see Advanced Characters)
Lando Calrissian
Former smuggler, now administrator of the Cloud City on planet Bespin
* Goal: Keep the Cloud City neutral amid the galactic civil war.
* Traits: Criminal Ties, Military Commander, Scoundrel’s Luck
* Skills: Piloting +1, Protocol +1, Streetwise +1, Trade +1
* Gear: Richest in town wealth (millions of credits)
Lobot
Former military intelligence cyborg, now Cloud City manager
* Goal: Keep the Cloud City safe, prosperous and efficient
* Traits: Academy Training, Military Commander, Smart
* Skills: Protocol +3, Tactics +3
* Gear: Cybernetic construct headgear; comfortable wealth
BASIC CHARACTERS FROM STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983)
Jabba The Hutt
Hedonistic top crimelord on the planet Tatooine
* Goal: Maintain a reputation as a ruthless and unforgiving boss.
* Traits: Criminal Ties, Huge Size, Relentless Mind
* Skills: Streetwise +2, Trade +2
* Gear: Richest in system (billions of credits)
Bib Fortuna
Chief aid and intermediary for Jabba’s crime organization
* Goal: Promote Jabba’s interests while keeping rivals from getting his job.
* Traits: Academy Training, Criminal Ties, Renown Diplomat
* Skills: Protocol +2, Streetwise +2, Trade +2
Admiral Ackbar
Mon Calamari commander of the Rebel fleet and head of military ops
* Goal: Avenge his people and bring down the Empire’s new super-weapon.
* Traits: Fluent With Millions, Imperial Keys, Military Commander
* Skills: Protocol +1, Tactics +3
Nien Nunb
Sullustan pilot, former arms dealer and smuggler
* Goal: Avenge his people and bring down the Empire’s new super-weapon.
* Traits: Ace Pilot, Criminal Ties, Scoundrel’s Luck
* Skills: Piloting +2, Shooting +1, Streetwise +1
Emperor Palpatine
(see Advanced Characters)
BASIC CHARACTERS FROM STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015)
Rey
Lonely junk scavenger on the old battlefield world of Jakku
* Goal: Wait on Jakku until her parents come back to get her.
* Traits: Fluent With Millions, Force Sensitive, Scavenger
* Skills: Fighting +1, Piloting +1, Tech +2
* Force Powers: Counter, Grab, Suggest, Visions
* Gear: Quarterstaff; poor wealth
Finn/FN-2187
Former stormtrooper whose conscious led him to deny his conditioning.
* Goal: Get as far away from the First Order as possible.
* Traits: Academy Training, Imperial Keys, Scoundrel’s Luck
* Skills: Fighting +1, Shooting +3, Survival +1
Poe Dameron
Almost fool heartedly brave, the best fighter pilot in the Resistance
* Goal: Bring a missing map back to Resistance commanders.
* Traits: Academy Training, Ace Pilot, Fluent With Millions
* Skills: Piloting +4, Shooting +2
* Gear: Starfighter flight suit (light armor), blaster rifle
* Starship: X-Wing Fighter
BB-8
A utility droid with fierce loyalty to Poe Dameron.
* Goal: Bring a missing map back to Resistance commanders.
* Traits: Armored, Machine Physiology, Scoundrel’s Luck
* Skills: Streetwise +1, Survival +1, Tech +2
Kylo Ren
(see Advanced Characters)
Bala-Tik
Senior deal representative for the Guavian Death Gang.
* Goal: Get his organization’s investment money back from Han Solo.
* Traits: Criminal Ties, Fluent With Millions, Scoundrel’s Luck
* Skills: Piloting +1, Protocol +1, Streetwise +1, Trade +1
* Gear: Blaster rifle
Tasu Leech
Proud leader of the Kanjiklub criminal gang.
* Goal: Get his organization’s investment money back from Han Solo.
* Traits: Criminal Ties, Cunning Warrior, Fluent With Millions
* Skills: Fighting +1, Piloting +1, Shooting +1, Streetwise +1
* Gear: Combat suit (light armor), blaster rifle
General Hux
A senior leader within the First Order, commander of Starkiller Base
* Goal: Destroy the New Republic’s home system using the Starkiller weapon.
* Traits: Academy Training, Imperial Allegiance, Military Commander
* Skills: Protocol +4, Tactics +2
Captain Phasma
Senior stormtrooper commander in the First Order.
* Goal: Bring a missing map back to First Order commanders.
* Traits: Imperial Allegiance, Imperial Keys, Military Commander
* Skills: Fighting +1, Protocol +1, Shooting +1, Tactics +1
* Gear: Elite stormtrooper armor (heavy armor), blaster rifle
Bazine Netal
An assassin and secret agent working for the First Order
* Goal: Bring a missing map back to Resistance commanders.
* Traits: Criminal Ties, Fluent With Millions, Galactic Spy
* Skills: Fighting +1, Shooting +1, Streetwise +2
ADVANCED CHARACTERS
The experiences of these heroes and villains are far above that of basic characters.
Ben “Obi-Wan” Kenobi
Old Jedi Knight living as a hermit on the planet Tatooine.
* Goal: Protect Luke Skywalker and train him about the Force.
* Traits: Fluent With Millions, Force Sensitive, Obscure
* Skills: Fighting +3, Piloting +1, Protocol +1, Tactics +1, Tech +1
* Force Powers: Focus, Grab, Heal, Illusion, Leap, Parry, Sense, Sleep, Suggest
* Gear: Lightsaber; poor wealth
Boba Fett
Outer Rim bounty hunter with a reputation for disintegrating targets.
* Goal: Collect the bounty for bringing Han Solo back to Jabba the Hutt.
* Traits: Cunning Warrior, Deadly Shot, Scoundrel’s Luck
* Skills: Fighting +1, Piloting +2, Shooting +3, Streetwise +2
* Gear: Mandalorian armor (heavy armor), jetpack, blaster rifle; wealthy
* Starship: Slave 1
Yoda
Ancient Jedi Master living as a hermit on the planet Dagobah.
* Goal: Avoid anyone discovering he is hiding in exile.
* Traits: Cunning Warrior, Fluent With Millions, Force Sensitive, Obscure, Swift
* Skills: Fighting +4, Piloting +1, Protocol +1, Survival +3
* Force Powers: Focus, Grab, Leap, Parry, Push, Saber Throw, Sense
* Gear: Lightsaber; poor wealth
Darth Vader
Fallen Jedi Knight who has embraced the Dark Side, becoming a Sith Lord
* Goal: Find and destroy the Rebellion’s secret base.
* Traits: Ace Pilot, Armored, Cunning Warrior, Fluent With Millions, Force Sensitive, Imperial Allegiance, Machine Physiology, Military Commander, Strong, Tough
* Skills: Fighting +3, Piloting +3, Protocol +1, Shooting +3, Tech +3
* Force Powers: Choke, Focus, Grab, Leap, Parry, Probe, Saber Throw, Sense, Visions.
* Gear: Lightsaber, life-support suit (superheavy armor)
* Starships: Advanced TIE Fighter
Emperor Palpatine (aka Darth Sidious)
Former senator from Naboo, rose to political power amid the Clone Wars.
* Goal: Find and destroy any surviving Jedi who escaped the purge.
* Traits: Fluent With Millions, Force Sensitive, Galactic Spy, Imperial Allegiance, Military Commander, Renown Diplomat, Smart, Swift
* Skills: Fighting +4, Protocol +5, Tactics +4, Trade +1
* Force Powers: Counter, Focus, Grab, Hold, Leap, Lightning, Parry, Probe, Saber Throw, Sense, Suggest, Visions
* Gear: Lightsaber
Kylo Ren
Fallen Jedi student who joined the Knight of Ren, allied with the First Order.
* Goal: Get a missing map to find, and then kill, Luke Skywalker.
* Traits: Force Sensitive, Imperial Allegiance, Swift
* Skills: Fighting +3, Streetwise +1
* Force Powers: Choke, Focus, Grab, Hold, Parry, Push, Probe, Sense, Sleep
* Gear: Lightsaber
MAKING THE GRAND SCOPE OF STAR WARS YOURS
“Luke, you’re going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.”
– The spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi, defending his lies to Luke Skywalker
While the Rebel Alliance and Jedi Order considered the Republic a democratic bastion of freedom and peaceful mediation, there were those willing to reject that notion and embrace the fear and suspicion promoted by the later Galactic Empire — and its descendent, the First Order.
Consider this view of the galaxy:
* The Emperor is seen as the hero who nearly sacrificed himself to stop the Jedi coup.
* This Emperor also saw the wisdom in a Grand Army of the Republic to end the civil war, and that worked.
* The Jedi were “exposed” as a dangerous cult of religious extremists whose machinations kept the Galactic Republic tied up in impotence political gridlock. It’s good that they are all gone now.
* The universe remains full of threats – killer robots, space pirates, weird aliens – and the Empire promises safety, peace and justice to worlds accepting compliance.
* Darth Vader is seen as the Imperial secret police’s top hound. If you have nothing to hide, why fear Darth Vader?
* Elite humans, the majority, are given superior training (noted by actors’ British accents in the movies).
* Lesser humans are “conditioned” from birth to be perfectly loyal stormtroopers (American accents).
* Clones copied from the Old Republic army are less common but still around in later eras.
* Aliens are considered “lower-class” citizen under Imperial law, but such a caste is “necessary,” maybe even “best for them in the long run.”
* Droids are viewed with suspicion, usually still associated with Secessionists from the Clone Wars.
Not the universe Luke, Leia or Han want to live in, is it?
AREAS OF GALACTIC SPACE
Though there must be thousands of worlds across the Empire, most seen in the movies are found at the edge of known space known as the Outer Rim. Looking at the galaxy as a spiral disk, from the center moving outward are found these “rings” of worlds:
* Deep Core: Intense radiation, sparsely populated.
* Core: Next ring out, heavy population (Coruscant, Corellia).
* Colonies: Next ring out, fairly well populated.
* Inner Rim: Next ring out, loosely populated.
* Expansion Region: Next ring out, somewhat removed from regular Imperial control.
* Outer Rim: Frontier space, lawless, popular zone to hide and perform operations not meant to be seen by the Imperial majority (Bespin, Hoth, Dagobah, Tatooine, Geonosis, Dantoonie); also Mandalorian Space, Hutt Space – pocket empires loosely allied to the Empire
* Beyond: Wild Space, unknown/unexplored regions.
KNOWN TIMELINE OF THE GALAXY
The milestone events listed below count the start of “The Force Awakens” as “current day.” Your story may move further back to jump far ahead in history, however you want.
Ancient lore…
* 6,000 years ago: Devotees of the Force split into rival Jedi and Sith orders.
* 5,000 years ago: Jedi followers build temples on planets across the galaxy.
* 2,000 years ago: Founding of the Old Republic commonwealth of star systems.
* 1,000 years ago: Collapse of the Old Republic. The Sith are exposed and driven into hiding after their defeat by the Jedi.
* 900 years ago: Star systems again come together to form the new Galactic Republic, sworn to hold no army itself but rely on the Order of Jedi Knights to maintain peace and justice.
* 800 years ago: A young Jedi master named Yoda rises to prominence in the Jedi Order.
Recent history…
* 119 years ago: Sheev Palpatine (the future Emperor) is born on the planet Naboo.
* 100 years ago: Rumors spread among Jedi warning of the return of hidden Sith masters and a prophesy regarding the birth of “one who will balance to the Force.”
* 63 years ago: Amid the invasion of Naboo, Senator Palpatine is elected Supreme Chancellor of the Republic.
* 58 years ago: Increasing friction grows between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems’ secessionist movement. Senator Jar Jar Binks proposes the Republic raise its own army; immediately afterwards it is revealed a clone army of soldiers had already been created for such a purpose. Start of the Clone Wars.
* 55 years ago: Secessionist leaders are killed, bringing an end to the Clone Wars. A coup is attempted by the Jedi Order, but the move fails. The Galactic Republic is reorganized into the Galactic Empire, with Palpatine as its Emperor and commander of its now-permanent military. Order 66 outlaws the Jedi, most of whom are hunted down and executed by a mysterious figure known as Darth Vader.
* 45 years ago: A rebellion movement against the Empire begins to gain support in the Galactic Senate. Darth Vader takes on the role of secret police to quell the rebellion before it grows.
* 35 years ago: Following the theft of Imperial secrets given to the Rebel Alliance, Imperial leaders launch a political purge. The Galactic Senate is dissolved, leaving regional Imperial governors in direct control over systems. Death Star I is completed and used to blow up the planet Alderaan. During a battle around the planet Yavin, rebel starfighters destroy the Death Star, killing the grand moff and several senior Imperial leaders.
* 30 years ago: The uncompleted Death Star II is destroyed in orbit around a sanctuary moon of Endor. Both Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader are killed during the attack. Alliance leaders immediately propose restoring the Republic, and many systems agree to base a New Republic capital in the Hosnian system.
* 29 years ago: New Republic battle remaining Galactic Empire forces in orbit around Jakku, littering the planet’s surface with wreckage. The Galactic Empire continues to fragment; several former Imperial leaders form The First Order under Supreme Leader Snoke.
* 25 years ago: Alliance war hero Luke Skywalker founds a new academy for teaching the Jedi ways of the Force.
* 15 years ago: The Knights of Ren, an order that follows the dark side of the Force, slaughters the new Jedi. Luke Skywalker disappears into exile.
* 10 years ago: General Leia Organa begins organizing a covert resistance movement within systems dominated by the First Order.
* Now: First Order commanders use Starkiller Base to destroy all planets in the Hosnian system, essentially wiping out the New Republic’s government and starship fleet. Resistance fighters destroy Starkiller Base.
Is everything described above true, or complete? What stories about your heroes are missing here? What happens next?
TELLING TALES IN THE STAR WARS UNIVERSE
For a quick game, the game master can have players roll for story elements and work them into a mission, adding in details that match each player’s character goal.
WHO? (Roll 2d6)
* 2 … A traumatized drifter suffering from missing memories.
* 3 … A military veteran who refuses to serve in Imperial forces.
* 4 … A mercenary leader fighting on behalf of the highest bidder.
* 5 … A space pirate who leads a ruthless outlaw gang.
* 6 … A crimelord profiting from all sides of the war.
* 7 … An overly ambitious commander of Imperial forces.
* 8 … A refugee fleeing from a ruined battlefield planet.
* 9 … An Imperial spy looking to rout out enemy forces.
* 10 … A community leader whose neutral stance helps avoid the war.
* 11 … A Republic noble now in exile from a native homeworld.
* 12 … A crazy mystic who once studied The Force.
WHY? (Roll 2d6)
* 2 … To find a rare medicine needed to save the sick.
* 3 … To clear a family’s name about alleged war crimes.
* 4 … To escape a death sentence in another star system.
* 5 … To avenge family killed by space pirates or criminal thugs.
* 6 … To get rich or pay off debts. War is good for business.
* 7 … To avenge family killed during an Imperial raid or airstrike.
* 8 … To honor a life debt promised to another character.
* 9 … To escape service or enslavement to a crimelord.
* 10 … To protect a hidden secret the Empire must never discover.
* 11 … To unite long-lost family separated during the war.
* 12 … To gain understanding about visions seen in dreams.
WHERE? (Roll 2d6)
* 2 … A quagmire world, an endless swamp of mist and muck. (Dagobah)
* 3 … A volcanic world, rivers of lava flow, air filled with ash. (Mustafar)
* 4 … A mechanized world, a vast factory of giant machines. (Geonosis)
* 5 … An arid world, a vast desert wasteland of sand and wind. (Tatooine)
* 6 … An idyllic world, gentle hills, meadows and gardens abound. (Naboo)
* 7 … An urban world, a busy metropolis of noise and lights. (Coruscant)
* 8 … A vessel, a giant city ship adrift in space. (Bespin)
* 9 … A frozen world, an icy expanse of snow and glaciers. (Hoth)
* 10 … An arboreal world, covered by lush forests, lakes and seas. (Kashyyyk)
* 11 … An ocean world without land masses, just endless sea. (Kamino)
* 12 … Among asteroids, scattered mining outposts in space. (Near Geonosis)
WHAT? (Roll 2d6)
* 2 … a timetable for Imperial fleet movements
* 3 … stolen medicines, cybernetics and relief aid
* 4 … dangerous animals/creatures that are always hungry
* 5 … a shipment of company payments (Imperial credits)
* 6 … stolen weapons, armor, explosives and supplies
* 7 … names and locations of agents scheming against the Empire
* 8 … plans to an Imperial military stronghold
* 9 … a timetable of Imperial cargo shipments
* 10 … illicit contraband (drugs, slaves, kidnapped hostages)
* 11 … a stolen starship built using experimental technology
* 12 … an ancient relic of Jedi or Sith heritage
HOW? (Roll 1d6)
* 1 … Replace something with a false or misleading duplicate
* 2 … Rescue, liberate or otherwise free from current location
* 3 … Capture, steal, purchase, move something to another location
* 4 … Destroy, sabotage or incapacitate a source of potential threat
* 5 … Investigate or make surveillance to prepare a follow-up mission
* 6 … Escort, smuggle or move something while avoiding enemy rivals
WHEN? (Roll 1d6)
* 1 … During some dangerous space phenomena (solar storm, meteor shower)
* 2 … During an Imperial meeting with a powerful neutral group
* 3 … During an anti-Imperial meeting with a powerful neutral group
* 4 … During a wild, lawless and chaotic worldwide festival
* 5 … During a massive civilian evacuation from an active war zone
* 6 … During an Imperial military exercise not expecting live combat