Edge of the Empire Book

a critical juncture. While not every die roll needs exten-
sive interpretation, important moments should always
be influenced by the dice results.

The die symbols generated by each check go well
beyond the simple task of indicating success or fail-
ure. Success indicated by a O can mean something
different than if it occurs on an 4} or O In this case,
it might indicate the character's skill overcame all
other challenges. If the same result occurred using
a Q fortune may have stepped in at the right mo-
ment. The CM should inform the story via the dice
whenever possible.

• and • indicate the influence of fortune and mis-
  fortune in the results. Failure indicates that the in-
  herent difficulties in the situation, terrain, or task at
  hand were too much to overcome. Success indicates
  that luck, the Force, or a beneficial circumstance af-
  fected the outcome.

USING STAR WARS CANON (OR NOT)

O

ne interesting aspect of the Star Wars uni-

verse is, generally speaking, almost every-

thing that is officially published is considered

part of the official history. Anything officially

licensed but not produced directly by Lucas-

film (i.e. outside of the movies and TV shows)

is referred to as the EU, or Expanded Universe.

With 35 years of material and counting, it is a

huge resource for newcomers to get a handle

on a universe that spans thousands of years.

When running a Star Wars game, the GM

should decide early on whether he is going to

stick with Star Wars canon as his stories devel-

op. In most cases, it is not a big issue. If the sto-

ryline does not involve notable characters and

events from official stories, the game plot may

peacefully coexist with the universe at large.

However, some GMs and players feel con-

strained by the knowledge that their heroes

aren't the center of the universe, or are un-

able to affect certain galactic events. It is the

GM's prerogative to use as much or as little

Star Wars canon he feels comfortable with. If

the GM wants to run a game based on an al-

ternate version of events, or one where known

events can come out differently, that is per-

fectly acceptable. However, he should inform

his players.

4) and 4} represent the battle between a character's

natural abilities and knowledge versus the inherent

difficulty of the task at hand. Failure indicates that the

task was just too hard to accomplish this time around.

O and # represent the character's trained skill

versus the most difficult challenges. Similar to the 4)

and ^, success indicates that the character's train-

ing has prevailed, while failure indicates that the cir-

cumstances were just too difficult to surpass.

O and <§) indicators are often less clear-cut in their

influence on the dice pool. Sometimes, they may trig-

ger certain abilities or effects built into talents or spe-

cial abilities. More often, they give the GM or player

the opportunity to describe how the results place the

character in a better or worse position than before

the action.

($) and ^ indicators should generate excitement

at the game table. indicates a critical success,

which should also grant the character an advantage

in the scene. ^ indicates a critical failure, which

should disrupt the character and make the situation

much worse.

Usually, the makeup of the dice pool does not evenly

align dice types that are in direct opposition to each

other. Instead, T and other indicators will be

spread across different dice in different amounts. It will

often be up to the GM to decide which of the & or Y

is relevant to the story interpretation.

USING BOOST & SETBACK DICE

Boosts and Setbacks are basic GM tools for manipu-

lating fortune and misfortune in the game. Beyond the

normal guidelines for setting difficulty within the dice

pool, • and • enable the GM to allow characters to

try unusual or insane ideas during play. The players

enjoy the chance to try creative solutions within the

game, and the GM can regulate the difficulty through

the addition of more •, instead of saying no to the

idea. Note that • and • are not normally upgraded

to other die types.

Alternatively, the • may be used to reward a Player

Character for good planning or creative thinking. They

may also be used in situations not covered by the rules.

If the Player Character comes up with a good idea and

the GM wants to allow it, he may add Q This is espe-

cially encouraged if the idea is in keeping with the spirit

of the Star Wars movies and stories.

USING STRAIN

Strain is a non-lethal way for characters to suffer

physical and psychological effects beyond wounds

and significant injuries. See page 31 for a complete

description of strain. For the GM, strain represents an

opportunity to add mechanical emphasis and conse-

quences to narrative aspects of the scene or combat.

In combat, strain effects dictated by the GM should be

limited to give the players the opportunity to voluntarily

suffer strain for an additional maneuver or to use talents.

THE GAME MASTER

EDCE OF THE EMPIRE