Extreme environments or circumstances may occasion-
ally increase the amount of strain the CM inserts into the
encounter. Environmental strain should be less of a con-
cern during the average combat.
In scenes outside of combat, strain adds weight to
environmental effects. Enduring long periods of expo-
sure to heat, cold, radiation or unusual weather like
sandstorms may cause strain. Psychological pressure
may also induce strain. This kind of strain may come
from strong emotional reactions to loss, extreme an-
ger, frustration, or another reaction that distracts a
character from the task at hand.Obligation, when triggered in a game session, inflicts
strain on the affected characters (see page 41). The CM
should provide narrative descriptions demonstrating how
the Obligation is affecting the character, thus producing
the strain. Strain from Obligation is typically an emotional
effect, from the stress of dealing with the circumstances
producing or resulting from a character's Obligation.When assigning strain, the GM should consider how all
of the different sources may interact in an encounter or
scene. Creating a scene in which strain is a primary com-
ponent is perfectly fine, but having a scene accidentally
overwhelmed with strain can alter the narrative in unex-
pected ways. Typically, the CM should assign one or two
points of strain for a given effect. Environmental effects
may inflict strain, and the amount of strain inflicted can
serve as an indication as to how dangerous the effect is.USING FEARThe galaxy is filled with frightful creatures and situa-
tions. Wild creatures like the savage rancor lurk in dis-
tant wildernesses or suddenly appear in surprising plac-
es such as Jabba the Hutt's dungeon. Sith and followers
of the dark side use fear as motivation and wield it
as a weapon against their enemies. War, combat, in-
timidating adversaries, and environmental hazards
may instill fear in anyone, anywhere. Fear inter-
feres with character actions and goals. It ma
reduce a character's effectiveness, make him
hesitate, or even cause him to flee.Within the game, fear is countered by
the Discipline skill (see page 110)
and occasionally the Cool skill (see
page 108). Like any other skill
check, the CM sets the difficulty and
adds the appropriate dice to the
character's dice pool. Interpreting
the dice pool results is key to deter-
mining the effects of fear, even on a
successful roll. The Discipline or
Cool skill check represents the
character's ability to act in the face
of fear, not necessarily the level of
fear a character may feel.EXAMPLEA character is afraid of heights. A successful
Discipline check means he overcomes the fear
to act while crossing a high, narrow bridge
without railings...this time around. Next time,
he might not be so lucky and freeze or stumble
while making the attempt.WHEN TO MAKE A FEAR CHECK
Any time Discipline or Cool is used to counter fear,
it is called a fear check. Not every frightening situa-
tion requires a fear check. They should be restricted
to unusual circumstances or the first time a charac-
ter experiences a particularly frightening situation. A
pirate fighting stormtroopers probably doesn't need
to make a check. If Darth Vader comes around the
corner and the pirate has never seen him personally,
a check is appropriate.The frequency of fear checks is determined by the
CM. Typically, once a fear check is rolled, the CM
should not require another check for the same source
during the same encounter, unless the circumstances
significantly change. The CM might require more fear
checks in a story where fear is a key element. A char-
acter who is constantly afraid of losing his ship or a4&
THE GAME MASTER
EDCE OF THE EMPIRE