Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Rule Book

WHAT'S THE STORY?

The kind of story a player wants to tell goes hand-
in-hand with his character's role. This includes ev-
erything that came before—his backstory—and all
that may develop in the course of the game (and
perhaps beyond).

Consider one of the hallmark characters that truly
exemplifies the theme of this book: Han Solo. From
the moment Luke meets him in the cantina, his story
unfolds before the audience. He is the owner of "the
fastest ship in the galaxy," by his account. He's also
outrun Imperial ships, which is a clear sign that he is
no by-the-book transport pilot. The audience learns
very quickly that Han is a rogue, a smuggler, a wanted
man, and quick on the draw.

Over time, and via various media, Han Solo's story

unfolds in both directions. Through books and comics,

readers learn that he was once an Imperial officer can-

didate (until a certain Wookiee-related incident got him

kicked out), and that piracy and smuggling have been an

integral part of his growing up and early history. Other

sources depict Solo's future as one filled with both con-

flict and a continued refusal to play by the rules, even

after he is married to the leader of the New Republic.

Han's story is clearly one best told with him as a

Smuggler. That career most exemplifies the history

of the character up to the point the "campaign" [Star

Wars: A New Hope) began, and as the story contin-

ues, Han remains a Smuggler first and foremost.

CHOOSING A

SPECIALIZATION

Selecting an initial specialization can be easily in-

formed by answering two questions:

HOW DID THE CHARACTER GET INTO

THIS LINE OF WORK?

Figuring out the answer to this question should flow

fairly easily from the process of choosing the char-

acter's career. Having considered the history of the

character, the player should be able to put some ad-

ditional focus on the parts of his story that led to his

current professional circumstances.

What was he doing before the campaign began? How

did his circumstances lead him to where he is now? For

whom was we working, and what work did he do? What

natural talents does he possess? Does he have a reputa-

tion, and if so, on what was it built? As he grew up, did

he have any special education or focus? Did someone

take the time to teach him a specific set of skills?

The player who takes the time to consider how his

career choice developed prior to the campaign will

likely find choosing his initial specialization far easier.

EXAMPLE: SPECIALIZATION SELECTION

THROUGH BACKGROUND

Betty determines that she wants to be a galaxy-

savvy Explorer. Her first instinct is to select the

Scout specialization, but her GM encourages

her to spend some time considering how her

character got to the point where she is as the

campaign begins.

Betty lets her imagination wander, and a sto-

ry begins to form—she grew up on Coruscant,

surrounded by duracrete and transparisteel,

yet she longed for wide open spaces and natural

surroundings. She did all she could to get off the

planet and out into space. As Betty looks over

the talent trees, she realizes that Fringer makes

a lot of sense to her, providing a combination

of the street savvy she should have being from

Coruscant, a high level of toughness and grit,

and the piloting gifts she really wants to exploit.

WHAT KIND OF WORK DOES THE

CHARACTER TYPICALLY DO?

Another approach to choosing a specialization is to

work out the character's day-to-day professional life.

When he gets up in the morning (or at whatever time

his lifestyle demands), what does he do during the

day? How does he get paid, and who pays him? If he's

not currently earning anything, what does he need to

do in order to find work?

Han Solo and Lando Calrissian are both smugglers,

yet they clearly pursued different paths to make their

way in the galaxy by the time they see each other

again in The Empire Strikes Back.

EXAMPLE: SPECIALIZATION SELECTION

THROUGH WORK

Barry and Lee both want to play Technicians,

yet they are determined to cover different

bases. The GM encourages them to consider

what their characters are most likely going to

be hired for as a means of deciding who will do

what. Lee really likes the idea of being called on

to tinker with stuff to personalize it, improving

on designs. Barry, meanwhile, realizes that he's

keen to play the guy everyone comes to when

they want credits moved or information sliced

out of the system. With this conversation, both

players find their decisions easier to make: Lee

will put together an Outlaw Tech, while Barry

will build his character towards being a Slicer.

CHARACTER CREATION

-EDGE OF THE EMPIRE