THAT STAR WARS FEELING RULES ADJUDICATIONfl
crucial aspect of running a Star Wars game is
making it feel like something seen on the mov-
ie or TV screen. The game and plot should be fast
paced and entertaining, have a dash of humor,
and feature moments of high drama or tension.
The CM should limit or avoid plots that run
counter to expectations. Horror, for instance,
is not normally a part of the core Star Wars
experience. Gruesome scenes explained in
graphic detail are not expected. That isn't to
say they could never be used—there are oc-
casional graphic moments in the movies—but
they should not be the norm.
It is also worth noting that the Expanded
Universe (official books and stories outside of
the movies and TV shows) touches on a wider
range of storytelling elements, such as horror.
GMs wanting to explore similar ideas might
look to them for inspiration while keeping the
Star Wars feel. GMs should also give the play-
ers an indication that their story may address
non-traditional Star Wars themes, so they are
not caught off guard once play begins.response to an attacking pirate might be quite different
if the pirate turns out to be a relative or hated enemy.
Unexpected revelations, conflicts of interest, and more
increase the complexity, and potential enjoyment, of
the plot. See Making an EDCE OF THE EMPIRE Adventure
on page 302 and Running a Full Campaign on page
317 for more detail on creating adventures.
SOURCES OF INSPIRATIONThe Star Wars Expanded Universe is enormous. With
over 35 years of movies, comics, novels, games,
source books, TV shows, and more, there is a vast
wealth of information for GMs to draw upon when cre-
ating their own games. Of course, the Star Wars game
lines from Fantasy Flight Games will continue to grow,
providing rules and adventures for a variety of play
experiences. However, GMs should feel free to draw
upon any Star Wars publication or other source for
story ideas. Many also provide great visual references
at the game table.
RUNNING THE GAME
Running the game means more than managing the
story. The GM must also attend to the mechanical
means of keeping the game going. This section pro-
vides guidance on how to handle specific rules and
other elements during the game session itself, and
how they interact.
The GM is the final arbiter of all rules discussions. It
is important that he listens to the players' arguments
for their side of an interpretation. Rules discussions
should not dominate playing time. The GM should
make a ruling to keep the game moving and review
the rule in detail later. If the ruling was incorrect, the
GM may try to make it up to the player or group in
question in a future session, or simply acknowledge
the mistake and chalk it up as a lesson learned.Sometimes the GM feels the rules are unclear or he
has an unusual situation. The GM may create a house
rule to address the issue. However, the GM might also
gain further insight from discussing the issue with
other GMs or rules-proficient players, in person or on
online gaming forums. However, rules lawyering—us-
ing the minutiae of the rules to gain an unfair, unex-
pected, or unintended advantage in game—should be
avoided by both players and GMs.PLAYER KNOWLEDGE VS. CHARACTER
KNOWLEDGEPlayers generally know a lot more about a given situ-
ation than the characters they are playing. It is im-
portant that they differentiate between information
learned outside of the game, and information that
their characters are aware of. To aid in the suspension
of disbelief, players should not use information their
characters cannot logically know within the game.This is particularly true when the party is split, with
characters in different locations. For ease of play, the
GM may allow all players to remain at the table while
they play their individual scenes. However, the unin-
volved players should not have their characters act on
any information gained by listening to the interaction
between the GM and the rest of the group.
Additionally, players may know a great deal about
the Star Wars universe. While the use of such knowl-
edge can add great details to the game, players must
be careful not to use information their characters do
not know about the universe or political situation. It is
highly unlikely, for instance, for the characters to know
the intimate history of Darth Vader, despite his depic-
tion in the movies and elsewhere.INTERPRETING THE DICE POOLOne of the GM's primary responsibilities is to interpret
the results of die rolls. Given that the exact makeup of
each dice pool varies wildly, it gives the GM and the
players many opportunities to translate the results into
narrative effects. During the heat of the game, the play-
ers may rapidly assess the roll for only success or fail-
ure, then quickly pick up the dice for the next roll. The
GM should discourage this, especially if the story is atTHE GAME MASTER
EDCE OF THE EMPIRE