Edge of the Empire Book

Extreme environments or circumstances may occasion-

ally increase the amount of strain the CM inserts into the

encounter. Environmental strain should be less of a con-

cern during the average combat.

In scenes outside of combat, strain adds weight to

environmental effects. Enduring long periods of expo-

sure to heat, cold, radiation or unusual weather like

sandstorms may cause strain. Psychological pressure

may also induce strain. This kind of strain may come

from strong emotional reactions to loss, extreme an-

ger, frustration, or another reaction that distracts a

character from the task at hand.

Obligation, when triggered in a game session, inflicts

strain on the affected characters (see page 41). The CM

should provide narrative descriptions demonstrating how

the Obligation is affecting the character, thus producing

the strain. Strain from Obligation is typically an emotional

effect, from the stress of dealing with the circumstances

producing or resulting from a character's Obligation.

When assigning strain, the GM should consider how all

of the different sources may interact in an encounter or

scene. Creating a scene in which strain is a primary com-

ponent is perfectly fine, but having a scene accidentally

overwhelmed with strain can alter the narrative in unex-

pected ways. Typically, the CM should assign one or two

points of strain for a given effect. Environmental effects

may inflict strain, and the amount of strain inflicted can

serve as an indication as to how dangerous the effect is.

USING FEAR

The galaxy is filled with frightful creatures and situa-

tions. Wild creatures like the savage rancor lurk in dis-

tant wildernesses or suddenly appear in surprising plac-

es such as Jabba the Hutt's dungeon. Sith and followers

of the dark side use fear as motivation and wield it

as a weapon against their enemies. War, combat, in-

timidating adversaries, and environmental hazards

may instill fear in anyone, anywhere. Fear inter-

feres with character actions and goals. It ma

reduce a character's effectiveness, make him

hesitate, or even cause him to flee.

Within the game, fear is countered by

the Discipline skill (see page 110)

and occasionally the Cool skill (see

page 108). Like any other skill

check, the CM sets the difficulty and

adds the appropriate dice to the

character's dice pool. Interpreting

the dice pool results is key to deter-

mining the effects of fear, even on a

successful roll. The Discipline or

Cool skill check represents the

character's ability to act in the face

of fear, not necessarily the level of

fear a character may feel.

EXAMPLE

A character is afraid of heights. A successful

Discipline check means he overcomes the fear

to act while crossing a high, narrow bridge

without railings...this time around. Next time,

he might not be so lucky and freeze or stumble

while making the attempt.

WHEN TO MAKE A FEAR CHECK

Any time Discipline or Cool is used to counter fear,

it is called a fear check. Not every frightening situa-

tion requires a fear check. They should be restricted

to unusual circumstances or the first time a charac-

ter experiences a particularly frightening situation. A

pirate fighting stormtroopers probably doesn't need

to make a check. If Darth Vader comes around the

corner and the pirate has never seen him personally,

a check is appropriate.

The frequency of fear checks is determined by the

CM. Typically, once a fear check is rolled, the CM

should not require another check for the same source

during the same encounter, unless the circumstances

significantly change. The CM might require more fear

checks in a story where fear is a key element. A char-

acter who is constantly afraid of losing his ship or a

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THE GAME MASTER

EDCE OF THE EMPIRE