COMPETITIVE CHECKS EXAMPLE: COMPETITIVE CHECKS
Sometimes, several people are trying to accomplish
the same goal at the same time, or are trying to de-
termine who performs a task better than the other.
When multiple characters are attempting the same
task and trying to determine who accomplishes
the task first, performs the task better, or measure
some other outcome, they are engaging in a com-
petitive check.
For example, two characters engage in a friendly
arm-wrestling contest at the local cantina. Each one
has the same goal—to win the match by pinning
his opponent's arm. This is a competitive check to
see who outperforms the other. Other competitive
checks could include several pilots navigating the
Kessel Run to find who completes the run in the
shortest distance, or two politicians try-
ing to win over an undecided crowd
during a council hearing.
For a competitive check,
the GM assigns a difficulty
level for the task, and each
character involved in the
competition makes a skill
check based on that dif-
ficulty. When characters
make a competitive check,
it is important to track how
many total & they gener-
ate with their respective dice
pools. The character with the
most total & "wins" the check.
If neither character succeeds in
their check, then neither character
wins, and the competitive check results in a draw.
If two or more characters generate the same number
of &, the check goes to a tiebreaker to see if the
draw can be resolved.
Although O and still provide their customary
effects in these situations, they also provide one
additional benefit. If the two characters tie with the
number of net # they generate, the character with
the greater number of ($) becomes the winner. If the
characters are also tied for number of (J), the charac-
ter with more total O is declared the winner.
If the characters are still tied after evaluating
these categories, the competitive check is a draw.
In this case, the GM must determine a sole winner;
this case could count as all tied parties losing, or
the GM may decide to resolve the draw using an-
other competitive check, or find some other means
to settle the competition.For example, Oskara the Twi'lek bounty hunter
and Lowhhrick the Wookiee hired gun engage in
a friendly drinking contest. The players decide to
go for the good stuff, drinking Corellian brandy,
a notoriously potent potable. The GM decides
the drinking contest will require a Hard [4rH)
Resilience check. Oskara has Brawn 3 and Re-
silience 1, while Lowhhrick has Brawn 4 and Re-
silience 3. Oskara manages to generate & & O
O Despite his superior brawn, Lowhhrick only
manages to generate # ($) (§> <§> <§>. Lowhhrick
wins the competitive check based on the tiebreak-
er (since the (£) also counts as a Success). Oskara
also has two O to resolve, while Lowhhrick must
contend with three <§>. One interpretation is that
while Lowhhrick wins the contest, he
wakes up the next morning with an
awful hangover, while Oskara gets
a restful night's sleep.ASSISTED
CHECKSSome tasks are important or
' challenging enough that help
is required—or at the least
appreciated. Fortunately,
characters can provide assis-
tance to each other when per-
forming a variety of tasks. Over
course of normal narrative
playiplrjviding assistance is easy. A
player simply needs to explain how his
character is helping with the task. If the
explanation is reasonable, the GM may award assis-
tance. There are two types of assistance that can be
provided—skilled assistance and unskilled assistance.SKILLED ASSISTANCE
Assistance works best when the assisting party brings
additional insight or expertise to the task. When a
character with a higher characteristic or skill rating
provides assistance to another character, the dice
pool may use one PC's characteristic, and the other
PC's skill rating.EXAMPLE: SKILLED ASSISTANCE41-VEX the droid is assisting Pash the smuggler
with an Astrogation check to set hyperdrive co-
ordinates. Pash has Intellect 2 and Astrogation
3, and 41-VEX has Intellect 3 and Astrogation 1.
The player chooses to use 41 -VEX's Intellect 3 and
Pash's Astrogation 3 when making the skill check,
resulting in the following dice pool: OOO.4 PLAYING THE GAME
•EDCE OF THE EMPIRE