Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Rule Book

OBLIGATION CAP

O

bligation generally ranges from 5 to 100.

No matter how much the PCs pay off. return

favors, or try to live squeaky clean. Obligation

cannot be reduced lower than 5. While 100 is

the top practical range when rolling percentiles,

Obligation can exceed 100. In this case, sim-

ply track Obligation as normal. Exceeding 100

means Obligation triggers every session, and

has an additional detrimental effect on charac-

ters, which is covered below.

EXCEEDING 100 OBLIGATION

ftnce the party's Obligation exceeds 100, the

Upressure of their Obligations is so severe

that they can focus on little else until that Ob-

ligation is back under control. Until the party

brings its total Obligation back under 100,

none of the Player Characters can spend expe-

rience points to improve abilities, train skills, or

acquire talents. The PCs simply have too much

on their minds, and are fraught with too much

mistrust, anxiety, and strain to focus long

enough to improve themselves.

SETTLING OBLIGATION

When characters have an opportunity to pay off or
commit resources to decrease their current level, this
is called settling the Obligation. Settling can occur in
several ways. In most cases, the Obligation settlement
will either be specific or generic.

SPECIFIC SETTLEMENT

Depending on whose Obligation came into play, or

the form the resources have come in, the settlement

may be specifically tied to one character's Obligation.

For example, if 41 -VEX's Debt Obligation is triggered

for the session, and 41 -VEX is indebted to a Hutt drug

lord, then the cache of illegal spice they uncover is es-

sentially earmarked to help settle 41 -VEX's debt.

GENERIC SETTLEMENT

In other cases, the party simply has additional re-

sources that they can spend to help settle their current

outstanding Obligations. Whether this is in the form

of cash (they receive 20,000 credits for their last job)

or some other asset, they find themselves with a few

weeks to spare between missions—the GM may allow

them to apply these assets to help settle one or more

of their Obligations. The GM decides how much Obli-

gation the resources will settle, and the players decide

how best to divide this among their Obligations.

Step 3: Selecting a Species

In EDGE OF THE EMPIRE, players have a wide variety

lof options to choose from when choosing a species

to play. The billions of worlds of the Star Wars gal-

axy confer nearly unlimited possibilities. The diverse

crowd in the Mos Eisley Cantina scene in Star Wars:

Episode IV A New Hope offers but a glimpse at the

sapient creatures who inhabit this faraway universe.

This section provides detailed rules for eight major

species types, though this should not dissuade players

from choosing species not listed here. Star Wars is not

Star Wars without its aliens. Players should be able to

encounter new life forms in their adventures and also

have the opportunity to roleplay them. The very nature

of the fringe is to break boundaries and find new pos-

sibilities—the only limitation is imagination.

CHOOSING A SPECIES

A player must choose a species for his character, even

before he commits to a career. The choice of species

and career can go hand-in-hand and stress a charac-

ter's background story above all else.

Each species has idiosyncratic abilities and character-

istics that influence the next stage of character creation,

the picking of careers. Species selection determines the

initial ratings of characteristics, like Brawn and Cunning,

and starting experience points (XP). Players use the al-

lotment of XP for modification of characteristics or for

the acquisition of new skills and talents appropriate to

their character's background and their career.

Remember, a wide range of characteristic distribu-

tions can be created by spending starting XP, so do

not feel forced to choose a specific species for its

characteristics. In addition, the characteristics of a

character do not define him completely. Good role-

playing and storytelling do more to create a charac-

ter than numbers ever do.

BOTHANS

Bothans are the galaxy's information brokers. Adept

at picking up on secrets or seeing things other spe-

cies ignore, Bothans can be valuable assets in any

endeavor—or untrustworthy partners.

CHARACTER CREATION

EDGE OF THE EMPIRE