Edge of the Empire Book

THAT STAR WARS FEELING RULES ADJUDICATION

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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 INSPIRATION

The 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

KNOWLEDGE

Players 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 POOL

One 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 at

THE GAME MASTER

EDCE OF THE EMPIRE