Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Rule Book

When non-Player Characters and creatures suf-
fer wounds greater than their wound threshold, they
are defeated (unless they are a high-level opponent
such as a nemesis). Being defeated by exceeding their
wound threshold usually entails death, but the overall
interpretation is up to the CM. The
CM can decide that they pass out
due to shock, are so crippled
that they can no longer fight,
are knocked unconscious,
or any other option
that fits his plans
for the ongo-
ing narra-
tive. Since
non-nem-
esis char-
acters do
not track
strain sepa-
rately, but
apply strain
damage as
wounds to their
wound thresh-
old, what hap-
pens once they are
defeated may also de-
pend on whether they were
defeated due to strain damage
or wound damage.

When wounds exceed a charac-

ter's wound threshold, the charac-

ter should track how many wounds

he's exceeded the threshold by,

to a maximum of twice the wound

threshold. He must heal wounds until his

wounds are below his wound threshold before he is no

longer incapacitated.

STRAIN AND STRAIN

THRESHOLD

While wounds and injury represent potentially life-

threatening damage, a number of other stressors

and effects can impair a character. Collectively,

this is referred to as strain. Any effect that impairs

the character, but does not inflict physical harm or

wounds, is considered strain. Spending hours wan-

dering through Tatooine's blistering deserts, a mi-

nor shock from an electric console, being battered

around the inside of a trash compactor—all of these

could represent types of strain. Weapons with a

stun setting or other effects that impair or hinder a

character generate strain.

Additionally, effects that would cause stress, fear,

anxiety, or emotional turmoil also generate strain.

Losing one's cool in combat during a bombardment,

being berated by a superior officer, waking up to re-

alize one has been imprisoned by the Hutts, or be-

ing boarded by an Imperial search team while smug-

gling goods could all represent incidents that result in

strain on a character.

Strain can accumulate slowly as environmen-

tal effects, or be gained in chunks when a PC

is rattled by an effect that doesn't cause dam-

age, but does impair him.

Characters can also voluntarily suffer

strain to trigger certain effects. The most

common use is to voluntarily suffer two

points of strain to gain one additional ma-

neuver during a character's turn.

Some special talents

may require the char-

acter to suffer one or

more points of strain to

activate.

EXCEEDING

STRAIN

THRESHOLD

When a character has

suffered strain greater

than his strain thresh-

old, he becomes inca-

pacitated until his strain

is reduced so that it no

longer exceeds his strain

threshold. He is likely

unconscious, or may just

be so dazed and stag-

gered that he's completely un-

aware of his surroundings and unable to

interact with them.

When Non-Player Characters and creatures suf-

fer strain, they generally apply them directly to their

wound threshold (unless they are a nemesis and track

strain separately).

CRITICAL INJURIES

A particularly dangerous type of wound is a Critical

Injury. A Critical Injury is often the result of a critical

hit from an attack during combat, but characters can

also suffer them from exceeding their wound thresh-

old, or through other means. Each time a character

suffers a Critical Injury, the player rolls d 100 on Ta-

ble 6-10: Critical Injury Result to determine the

extent of the injury.

The short-term effects of some injuries are tempo-

rary, and may only disorient or afflict the character

for a brief amount of time. Other injuries are more

CONFLICT AND COMBAT

EDCE OF THE EMPIRE