Obligations
Ane of the elements that makes characters in EDGE OF
UTHE EMPIRE unique is the concept of Obligation. During
character creation, players not only customize their PCs
by selecting skills and talents, but by choosing what sort
of Obligation the PC has. A group may share the same
Obligation, or each PC may have his own. Narratively,
Obligation can come in many forms. An Obligation may
represent a large debt or the PC being blackmailed. A
PC may owe a crime boss a "favor" or have a bounty on
his head. Obligation helps tell the character's story and
reinforces the gritty experiences of EDGE OF THE EMPIRE
Over the course of a campaign, Obligations can come
into play in several ways—either as plot hooks and char-
acter motivations or as compelling PC decisions. For ex-
ample, the characters complete an assignment and re-
ceive a sizable payment. Do the characters spend those
credits to make repairs on their ship—or pay down their
Obligation? Obligation helps provide short-term deci-
sions, long-term goals, and story hooks that help tie
together campaigns and shape the "fringe" experience.OBLIGATION IN PLAY
In addition to the narrative implications, Obligation has
mechanical impact, as well. Before each session, the
CM rolls a dOO and compares it to the group's current
outstanding Obligation. If the roll is greater than the to-
tal Obligation, they've stayed off the grid or under the
radar enough that it doesn't come back to haunt them—
yet. If the roll is equal to or less than the total Obligation,
it comes into play and impacts the session in some man-
ner. The character whose Obligation is triggered feels
the heat, and may suffer penalties or strain under the
scrutiny or pressure of his Obligations.While players create Obligations for their characters,
it is another tool for the GM to help reinforce the story,
motivate characters, and even provide rewards. Play-
ers feel a real sense of relief when they have the oppor-
tunity to pay down or settle part of their Obligation.
For more information on Obligation, see page 38.Experience & Development
E
xperience is the primary means by which players
customize their characters. Each character starts
with a beginning pool of experience points that can
be spent during character creation to train skills,
improve characteristics, or acquire talents. During a
campaign, players also receive additional experience
for each session of EDGE OF THE EMPIRE, which can also
be spent to improve their characters.