Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Rule Book

DESPAIR ^ UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES

A Despair symbol ^ also has two effects. First, each
Despair symbol $J counts as one Failure symbol Y.
Second, a Despair result indicates an unfortunate
consequence, significant complication, or dire effect
related to the task. Opponent's abilities, the environ-
ment, or the encounter description may offer different
options for using Despair. Otherwise, the CM adjudi-
cates the results of Despair symbols & based on the
situation. It is important to keep in mind that while a
Despair symbol ^ does add a Failure symbol T to the
pool, the presence of one or more Despair symbols <^>
does not automatically mean a failed skill check.

Despair can be viewed as an upgraded, more potent
form of Threat. For example, a single Despair symbol
^ may trigger effects that would normally require sev-
eral Threat symbols <§). Otherwise, Despair may be sig-
nificant enough to warrant inflicting wounds instead of
strain, mean an important piece of equipment breaks,
that a weapon jams or runs out of ammo, or coupled
with failure, a grenade hits an unintended target.

With the opportunity for success or failure, as well as

the myriad side effects possible through multiple Ad-

vantages, Threats, Triumphs, and Despairs, no two skill

checks are the same. There are hundreds of possible

outcomes with almost every skill check. A character

may achieve a high-magnitude success with no other

complications, or a low-magnitude success with Ad-

vantages, or a moderate success with Advantages that

are tempered with Despair. Likewise, failed checks may

have a silver lining by also featuring Advantage or Tri-

umph, or create truly dire situations in which failure is

accompanied by both Threats and Despair.

The sheer number of possibilities provide op-

portunities to narrate truly memorable action se-

quences and scenes. Players and GMs alike are en-

couraged to take these opportunities to think about

how the symbols can help move the story along and

add details and special effects that create action-

packed sessions.

Other Types of Checks

T

he standard skill check using a basic dice pool can

be used to resolve the vast majority of tasks in a

game session. However, there may be some situations

that require a slightly different approach to properly

resolve. In addition to the standard skill check, EDGE

OF THE EMPIRE uses opposed checks, competitive

checks, and assisted checks.

Opposed checks are often used when the success

or failure of the task is strongly influenced by an op-

ponent. Competitive checks can be used to deter-

mine which character performs better when two or

more characters are attempting the same task. As-

sisted checks are simply variations of other checks,

but two or more characters are working together.

OPPOSED CHECKS

Sometimes a task is more difficult to accomplish be-

cause someone is actively trying to prevent the char-

acter from succeeding, or one character is trying to

overcome or bypass another character. For example,

a suspected thief lies to the local governor, claiming

he had nothing to do with the burglary of medical sup-

plies. The thief's Deception check might be opposed

by the governor's Vigilance.

Opposed checks are most often applicable when a task

involves directly opposing the task that another character

is performing, or when a task involves trying to go unno-

ticed, undetected, or undiscovered by someone else.

Opposed checks add • and potentially # to the

skill check's dice pool, similar to standard checks.

However, rather than assigning a general difficulty lev-

el to an opposed check, a quick comparison between

the active and opposing characteristics and skill rat-

ings determines the difficulty of an opposed check.

The active character's dice pool starts out using the

same rules as building a basic dice pool, using 4} and

potentially upgrading some into O based on his charac-

teristic and skill rating. The opposition then introduces 4)

and # based on its relevant characteristic and skill rat-

ing. The opposition's higher value between its character-

istic and skill determines how many 4) are added to the

pool, while the lower value indicates how many of those

dice are upgraded into # (see upgrading on page 21).

EXAMPLE: OPPOSED CHECKS

For example, Pash the smuggler is trying to sneak

past a security patrol. Pash has Agility 4 and

Stealth 2, building an initial dice pool of four Abil-

ity dice, two of which are upgraded to Proficiency

dice [4) 4)00 in total). The security patrol has

Cunning 2 and Perception 1. Therefore the oppo-

sition adds two Difficulty dice (••) to the check,

one of which is subsequently upgraded to a Chal-

lenge die #. If there are no other factors, the skill

check has six dice: yyOOyf.

PLAYING THE GAME

EDCE OF THE EMPIRE