Edge of the Empire Book

CONTINUING THE STORY ABSENT PLAYERS

Absent and no-show players are a common

• •problem for GMs. Such absences can dis-
  rupt or derail a storyline, so it is best if the GM
  plans ahead to deal with absences.
  If the player isn't there, find a reason for the
  character to be off screen during the session.
  There are a number of plausible reasons; may-
  be he's sick, wounded, training, taking care
  of other business, fixing the ship, or even de-
  tained by the authorities.
  If the absent player's character is central to the
  session or the encounter at hand, someone else
  may run the character. If the character holds se-
  cret knowledge unknown to the rest of the group,
  the GM may run the character. Otherwise, it is
  recommended that someone from the group, or
  the group as a whole, runs the character. It is nor-
  mally considered bad form to allow serious injury
  or death to occur to the character while being
  controlled by someone else.
  If the character is absolutely critical to the
  storyline, sometimes it is best to cancel the
  session and play when everyone can attend.
  Obviously, this should be the last resort. How-
  ever, when the story itself has a major event
  that everyone wants to be a part of, cancella-
  tion is often the best route to avoid disappoint-
  ment and hurt feelings by the absent player.

Once the first adventure is completed, what happens
next? First, the GM should find out if the players had
fun and discuss how the next session might be im-
proved. If the campaign is to continue, the GM should
also award XP (see page 301) and other rewards
such as credits or equipment.

Next, the GM should give the players the opportu-
nity to alter, adjust, or scrap their characters if they so
desire. Players should not be burdened with characters
they do not like, especially when they are first learning
the game. As players try out their characters, they may
decide their original choices do not match their play
style or see other options they like better or simply
find more fun to play. Players changing or creating new
characters should not be penalized for doing so.

The GM is free to follow up on the storyline from
the first adventure, or encourage the characters to
move to a different storyline. This might be another
published adventure or one of the GM's own cre-
ation. For more detail, see the adventure and cam-
paign creation sections later in this chapter.

MANAGING THE PARTY

Managing and maintaining a gaming group takes work,
even when the players are friends. Sometimes sched-
ules conflict with game times. Sometimes there are
distractions during the game. Personality differences
may come to the forefront due to differing play styles,
or in reaction to issues brought up in an adventure's
storyline. Players may become angry when things go
badly for their characters, particularly if they feel they
were the victim of another player's actions.

Most of the time, none of these issues are enough
to derail a campaign or split up a group. However, it
can happen. Conflict can still make for some uncom-
fortable sessions, even when properly addressed.
This section contains advice to help prevent or diffuse
these situations.

TABLE RULES

Table rules are usually unwritten guidelines understood
by all involved that Game Masters use to cover situations
pertaining to player actions beyond the rules of the game
itself. There are no hard and fast rules that pertain to ev-
ery GM or every group. However, it is best to establish
guidelines for some common situations, so the players
know what to expect before they arise. Table rules may
apply to any of the situations below, and others that may
arise due to specific circumstances within a given group.

• Off-Topic Discussions: Gaming is a social gath-
  ering and an entertaining pastime. Players often
  joke and talk amongst themselves. While this is all
  fine, it can derail a dramatic moment or otherwise

disrupt game play. This is especially true when

the GM is only focused on one or two players.

The amount of discussion allowed or tolerated

depends very much on the group, but players

should be considerate of others if asked to turn

their focus to the game at hand.

• Distractions: Much like off-topic discussions,
  distractions at the table should be minimized.
  This includes laptop computers, tablets, phones,
  music players, TVs, and anything else that draws
  the players' attention from the game.


• Table Talk and Metagame Discussion: Some-
  times even game-related discussions can be a dis-
  traction. During game play, particularly combat,
  players often attempt to coordinate their character's
  actions. While some planning is acceptable, talk in
  the middle of a combat round should be discour-
  aged if their characters are not in a situation that
  allows it. A secondary problem occurs when a player
  suggests actions to another player. While this can be
  helpful to new players, it can lead to unrealistic coor-
  dination. It may irritate other players at the table if
  it occurs every session. See Player Knowledge vs.
  Character Knowledge on page 294.

THE GAME MASTER

'EDGE OF THE EMPIRE