Edge of the Empire Book

BEWARE OF BORING BATTLES

B

attle scenes and skirmishes may happen in most

any locale. However, some locations are naturally

more available during the course of the campaign.

Setting too many encounters in these locations

quickly becomes monotonous and restrictive. They

should not be ignored or abandoned, but limited

and controlled by the CM, spontaneous battles not-

withstanding. Likewise, if Player Character tactics be-

come too predictable from skirmish to skirmish, the

CM should introduce surprise elements to break the

Player Characters out of their routine.

Corridor, doorway, and airlock fights should

be minimized or eliminated whenever possible.

These battles typically discourage movement,

as characters take cover or clog the doorway. A

better solution is to get the characters into the

larger (and hopefully more interesting) room or

space beyond the door before the battle begins.

End boring chases quickly. Chases should be fast,

exciting, dangerous, and finish quickly. If it becomes

apparent one side will never catch the other, the

CM should find a way to end it and move on to the

next scene. Unexpected obstacles, a sudden burst of

speed, or a mysterious disappearance behind a mo-

mentary impediment can halt a chase immediately.

Player Characters who consistently use the

same Initiative order or choices may be making

good tactical moves, but might also be irritating

those who never go first. The CM can mitigate this

issue by initiating battles with those who normally

act later, while the rest are otherwise occupied.

DEVELOPING INDIVIDUAL ADVENTURES CREATING AND USING MAJOR VILLAINS

When creating the campaign, it is not necessary to fully
flesh out all adventures at the beginning. The GM may
develop each adventure in order. By waiting until the
adventure is needed, the GM may adapt the specifics
to the exact situation as it has developed in the game.
At this point, the adventure concept should be outlined
and developed. New locations should be mapped out
and the appropriate NPCs created or noted. Below is a
sample adventure concept, using one of the examples
from the campaign notes above.

Example Adventure Concept: The Player Characters

are hired to smuggle a Wookiee family off of Kashyyyk

and bring them to Kwenn Space Station in Hutt Space.

Sample Adventure Story Arc Progression:

1. The Player Characters sneak past Imperial pa-
   trols, land on Kashyyyk, con/bluff/break the
   Wookiees out of their slave pens, and avoid Impe-
   rial interceptors to escape the system.
   1 The Player Characters arrive at Kwenn Space Station
   to discover that their Wookiee employer has been
   captured by bounty hunters. It takes time to track
   down the hunters. They discover the Wookiee has
   been handed over to a Hutt crime lord. He has already
   taken the Wookiee to Nar Shaddaa, the smuggler's
   moon deep in Hutt territory. The Player Characters
   must free the Wookiee if they want to get paid.


2. The Player Characters arrive at Nar Shaddaa. The
   crime lord has multiple lairs. The Player Characters
   must discern which one holds the Wookiee. They must
   devise a way into the Hutt's hideout and negotiate for
   the Wookiee's freedom, or plan a way to break him
   out. If successful, the Player Characters must retreat
   through Nar Shaddaa, with the Hutts pursuing them.
   Once the Wookiees are reunited, they hire the Player
   Characters to take them to another world.

Campaigns usually include at least one major villain op-

posing the Player Characters. While the villain could be

something generic, like the Empire, it is much more ef-

fective to make him or her an individual person or small

group roughly equal in power. This puts a face on the

faction he or she is part of. This is especially helpful

when the faction is unlikely to be defeated by the Player

Characters. The villain can be defeated, even if the over-

all organization cannot. The villain may be known from

the beginning or may be revealed as the plot develops.

Major villains must be memorable (see Assembling

the Cast, on page 302). They are most effective if

their handiwork is seen in operation, even when they

are not around. Villains must do evil, villainous things

to motivate the Player Characters and set up a rivalry

for good roleplaying. That's not to say every villain

must be evil incarnate, but major villains should be

worse than the average bad guy.

Villains in an EDGE OF THE EMPIRE campaign usually

come from the darker side of the galaxy. Pirates, con

artists, raiders, hardened criminals, slavers, crime

lords, brutal mercenaries, out of control bounty hunt-

ers, and others make good villains. Imperial ship cap-

tains and high level Imperial Security Bureau agents

can ruin any Player Character's day.

THE GAME MASTER

OF THE EMPIRE