Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Rule Book

DETERMINE STARTING MOTIVATIONS

In addition to a starting Obligation, every player should
begin with a starting Motivation for his character. Moti-
vations provide additional story elements for both the
player and CM to draw from. Characters can gain ad-
ditional experience point (XP) bonuses if the CM deter-
mines that the player kept true to his character's Moti-
vation throughout the course of the adventure.

The three primary Motivations from which a player
may choose for his character are Ambition, Cause,
and Relationship. Once the primary Motivation is de-
termined, the player rolls percentile dice on the ap-
propriate specific Motivation table to provide further
detail. For more information on determining and uti-
lizing Motivations during play, see page 94.

CHOOSE GEAR AND DESCRIPTION

Once all of the other characteristics and derived at-

tributes are determined, the player can then flesh out

the rest of his character, such as height, weight, build,

hair or skin color, planet of origin, and other cosmetic

details. Ideally, background details should tie in with the

character's Obligations and Motivation (see page 38

and page 94 respectively). Lastly, the player comes

up with the character's name and selects starting gear.

GROUP CHOOSES STARTING SHIP

In EDCE OF THE EMPIRE, the characters are assumed to

be independent freelancers and have the advantage

of starting play with their own starship to move from

place to place (and adventure to adventure).

Once all of the characters have been finalized, the

group should discuss the type of starship they will

use as their "home base." This section provides a list

of choices from which the CM and players can select

their group's starship.

Step 1: Character Backgrounds

A

s the player begins sketching out his character's back-
ground, he should consider the general status level of
the character's previous life. Did he come from squalor
and poverty? Did he live a comfortable life? Was he des-
tined for a greater position later on? Even something
as simjjjje as "my character was a formerly rich heir to
jioble family" provides a wealth of
Jdeas upon which to build
his backstory and
,help deter-
mine both
his start-
ing Obligation
and Motivation.

Backgrounds are not mechanical aspects of charac-

ter development; instead, they are thematic facets of

a character that help define him as more than a set of

numbers. Players do not need to give their characters

backgrounds, but they help make characters far more in-

teresting. Shown here are four broad descriptions of so-

cial backgrounds to help provide the players with ideas

about where their characters came from and what they

left behind when they began their lives of adventure.

THE DOWN AND OUT

The player may decide that the character comes from

humble or hardscrabble beginnings. Perhaps he was a

moisture farmer on some barren world, an indentured

servant working for the Hutts, or abandoned from a

young age to survive in the depths of Coruscant's un-

derworld. This character starts out knowing that life is

nasty, brutish, and short and probably has seen more

than his share of horror. He may have seen friends

and family members die from malnutrition, dis-

ease, or violence and witnessed tremendous in-

justice done to the weak or vulnerable.

Despite (or because of) this harsh, early

view of the universe, characters from

this type of background strive to bet-

er themselves and do their utmost

to escape their plight. The character

either trains incessantly, picking up

knowledge any way that he can, or

simply is tough and resourceful

enough to go out on his own.