SW Rules Character Creation

Star Wars – Rules

Character Creation in Fantasy Flight Games

Source: Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook (sw-ffg-ee-cr-56), No Disintegrations (sw-ffg-ee-nd)

Step 1 – Background

As the player begins sketching out his character’s background, he should consider the general status level of the character’s previous life.

• Did he come from squalor and poverty?
• Did he live a comfortable life?
• Was he destined for a greater position later on?

Even something as simple as “my character was a formally rich heir to a noble family” provides a wealth of ideas upon which to build his back-story and help determine both his starting Obligation and Motivation.​

Backgrounds are not mechanical aspects of character development; instead, they are thematic facets of a character that help define him as more than a set of numbers. Players do not need to give their characters backgrounds, but they help make characters far more interesting. Shown here are four broad descriptions of social backgrounds to help provide the players with ideas about where their characters came from and what they left behind when they began their lives of adventure.​

• Background – Fomer Career
• Background – Career Transition

Background (Former Career)

Select a Former Background:

• Middle Class Struggles (Fringer)
• The Down and Out (Fringer)
• The High and Mighty (Fringer)
• The Outsider (Fringer)

Middle Class Struggles (Fringer)

Sometimes a character comes from modest, but comfortable conditions prior to entering a life of adventure. The character and his family did not come from vast wealth and they know the meaning of hard work to get ahead. This “middle class” background may be the hardest of all to leave, for the character had a taste of the good (or at least decent) life and finds that getting into adventuring is harder than it appears.​

This broad category could include anything from a skilled technician, minor political official, professional soldier, or any other lifestyle that typically involves hard work – but with the pay to make it worthwhile. The character lived comfortably, but put in long hours to make ends meet. He’s no stranger to hard work and certain levels of injustice, but may have been shielded from the truly darker side of the galaxy – crime, corruption, slavery, and conflict.​

The Down and Out (Fringer)

The player may decide that the character comes from humble or hardscrabble beginnings. Perhaps he was a moisture farmer on some barren world, an indentured servant working for the Hutts, or abandoned from a young age to survive in the depths of Coruscant’s underworld. This character starts out knowing that life is nasty, brutish, and short and probably has seen more than his share of horror. He may have seen friends and family members dies from malnutrition, disease, or violence and witnessed tremendous injustice done to the weak or vulnerable.​

Despite (or because of) this harsh, early view of the universe, characters from this type of background strive to better themselves and do their utmost to escape their plight. The character either trains incessantly, picking up knowledge any way that he can, or simply enough to go out on his own.

However, leaving this rough-and-tumble life might not be as easy as it seems. The character may still have family left behind in squalor, former comrades that take a dim view of him leaving a gang, or former “employers” that want the character to finish up their “contracts.”​

The High and Mighty (Fringer)

As the saying goes, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Even characters from high social standing, great wealth, or an existence of comfort can still be subject to the whims of fate and find themselves cast out from the life they once knew. This fall from grace could come in many forms – scandal, poor business decisions, war and revolution, or revenge from enemies. Regardless of the method, the character is irrevocably wrenched from his world and cast into the murky shadows of Edge of the Empire.​

Characters from this type of background include landed gentry, wealthy business owners, doctors, politicians, and any other position or upbringing that brings with it money, power, and status above that of the common rabble. After the events that push them out of that world, however, these previously entitled characters find a rough life ahead. The character might find himself fleeing his former life with only the (admittedly upscale) clothes on his back and nothing else but his abilities, skills, and will to survive in the unforgiving galaxy.​

A character from this background typically finds his Obligations tied to the cause of his downfall. Perhaps his fall came from a huge gambling debt, blackmail from a family enemy or bringing shame upon his clan that results in exile. As the wealthy and powerful typically rub elbows with those of their own social level, enemies or “holders” of the character’s Obligation are also typically wealthy, powerful, and influential in their own right.​

The Outsider (Fringer)

A character from this background came from a society outside of the galactic norm. This includes isolated planetary systems not yet marked on the maps, prison colonies, or even the rare case of the character growing up in the solitude out in the wilderness. The character is probably ill-informed about or completely unaware of the politics, customs, and even technology of the rest of the galaxy. He may be superstitious of the strange sights around him or embrace the wonders that he encounters.​

This choice works better for some careers than others – a Mechanic from a primitive world stretches credulity, for example – unless the player and GM come up with a good reason for this to happen. Maybe the Mechanic character was the sole survivor of a downed ship on a backwater planet and learned his skills from tinkering with the ship’s equipment.​

Of course, the player must come up with a good reason regarding how the character managed to leave his isolated or primitive upbringing. Perhaps his character was brought back to civilization by an explorer or slipped on board a trade vessel that landed on his planet.​

Background (Career Transition)

Entering Life as a Miscreant – Once a player determines his character’s former background, he should then consider what caused him to enter into the nebulous and dangerous world of Edge of the Empire.

• Was it because of a single, traumatic event?
• Was the character put into an untenable situation from which he had to flee?

Figuring out the “last straw” that pushed a character into a life on the fringe is an excellent source of inspiration for both the player and the GM.​

Presented here are several “hooks” that describe ways in which a character moves from his former life into one of adventure and danger.

​Select (transition from background)

• A Failure of Character (Fringer)
• A Higher Calling (Fringer)
• Enemies and Antagonists (Fringer)
• In it for the Money (Bounty Hunter)
• Lawbringer (Bounty Hunter)
• Opportunity Knocks (Fringer)
• Thrill of the Hunt (Bounty Hunter)
• Wrong Place, Wrong Time (Fringer)

A Failure of Character (Fringer)

Some inherent flaw in the character causes him to leave behind the life he knew for the unknown. This background hook ties in well with some Obligations such as Addiction, Obsession, or Betrayal. Regardless of the cause, the character finds himself shut out from his former society, left to deal with his own problems. However, the character may view this in a positive light seeing himself freed from the pressure of scrutiny or keeping on the move to leave trouble behind.​

A Higher Calling (Fringer)

Even in the rough-and-tumble world of Edge of the Empire, there are those who strive to change the galaxy – often for the better, but sometimes for the worse.

• Perhaps the character has made a vow to help other, which works nicely into the Oath of Obligation.
• A character may receive some sort of sign that tells him to leave behind his former life and make his way to the fringes of the galaxy to serve a higher calling.

Enemies and Antagonists (Fringer)

Simply out, the character rubbed someone the wrong way and found himself fleeing his former life. Even if the player decides that the enemy may not be the source of an Obligation, or may not be around any more to cause the character grief, this could be used as a hook to reintroduce the enemy later on in a campaign.​

In It For the Money (Bounty Hunter)

Bounty hunters are, at their core, exceedingly mercenary. While many bounty hunters may claim to adhere to some higher order or service a greater good, at the end of the day, they all server one master – money. Those individuals in the business who have embraced their love of credits may seem crass and avaricious to others, but they are, perhaps, the most honest about their trade.

Lawbringer (Bounty Hunter)

Law and order is not typically the first thing that comes to mind when considering the bounty hunting trade. Most galactic citisens, when they consider bounty hunters at all, imaging freewheeling loose cannons who skirt the edge of the law, useful only in desperate situations to capture difficult fugitives. While this is largely the case, there are among the profession whom the rule of law is sacrosanct. The hunters conider themselves extensions of ligitimate law enforement or, in some caes, agents of justice in an unjust galaxy.

Opportunity Knocks (Fringer)

The simplest reason for a character to live on the fringes of society is the basic desire to grasp some opportunity or challenge oneself.

• A character from a hard, poor background may strive to better himself and jumps at the first chance to improve his lot.
• A well-off character may be bored with the steady rhythms of high society or realizes that his chances for advancement must come from his own hard work rather than waiting for things to occur.
• Lastly, this could be as simple as making a spur of the moment decision to board a starship bound for some far-flung part of the galaxy.

Thrill of the Hunt (Bounty Hunter)

The hunting of sentient beings is said by some to be the most thrilling and treacherous challenge in the galaxy. Though some beasts are more powerful, faster, or more savage than any sentient creature, few kinds of prey are as cunning. For most bounty hunters, teh pursuit of targets from world to world and sector to sector is simply a means to and end. For some, however, the hunt is an end unto itself, and the payout for collecting that bounty is simply an added bonus.

Wrong Place, Wrong Time (Fringer)

The character finds himself embroiled in a life of adventure through no fault of his own. He could have been captured by pirates, the sole survivor of a deadly plague, or even something as mundane as being unemployed and forced to find some new way to bring in the credits. Regardless of the method for the character’s push from society, he finds it nearly impossible to return to the way that things used to be. The character must quickly adapt to his new and dangerous situation.​

Step 2 – Obligation

Character can either choose an obligation relating to their character or roll on this table.

1. Addiction
2. Betrayal
3. Blackmail
4. Bounty
5. Contract
6. Criminal
7. Debt
8. Dutybound
9. Fame
10. Family
11. Favour
12. Fervor (Enter the Unknown)
13. Keeper of the Faith
14. Oath
15. Obsession
16. Responsibility
17. Rule Breaker
18. Sponsorship (Enter the Unknown)
19. Thrill Seeker
20. Vigilante
21. (or higher) Two Starting Obligations

Addiction

• Fringer – The character has a strong addiction he must keep feeding. Whether it’s a physical addiction to stims, dust, or alchohol, or a mental addiction such as gambling, law-breaking, or priceless antiques, the character devotes a lot of time, energy, and resources to pursuing or obtaining the object of his addiction.​
  • Avoiding this Obligation has an almost immediate result – withdrawl. The exact nature depends on the addiction, but the character finds it increasingly difficult to concentrate on even mundane tasks, often reflected in the GM adding anywhere from one setback dice to three setback dice to skill checks.​

Betrayal

• Bounty Hunter – In the course of the job, the character has either suffered some kind of deep personal betrayal at the hands of another bounty hunter, or is the perpetrator of such a betrayal. The betrayal affects the character’s day to day life, whether through physical reminders, emotional scars, or some combination of the two. If the character was the betrayer, the victim may come looking for answers, compensation, or revenge at any moment.
• Fringer – This Obligation can work in one of two ways: either the character is the target of a deep and personal betrayal, or the character is the one who betrayed others. Whether it’s as simple as a betrayed confidence or broken promise or as serious as treason or mutiny, the betrayal eats awat at the character and affects his everyday life. The target of the betrayal may seek answers, compensation, or simply revenge.​

Blackmail

• Bounty Hunter – Some group or individual has dirt on the character and is using it to the greatest advantage possible. Perhaps she killed another bounty hunter and claimed the bounty, or maybe she is operating in the Core Worlds without the required Imperial Peace Keeping Certificate. Whatever the case my be, the blackmailer welds am inordiante amount of power over the character. However this power is leveraged – money, favours, services rendered – the character is subject to the blackmailer’s moods and whims, lest the dirty secret become common knowledge.
• Fringer – Someone has discovered one of the PC’s dirty secrets and is using that knowledge for some sort of gain. To make matters worse, the blackmailer possesses evidence that could possible leak out – a holovid, bank records, a weapon used during a crime, and so on. In order to keep the secret safe, the character must do what he is told, although the blackmailer is savvy enough to keep the demands simple enough to maintain the blackmail for as long as possible, generally demanding money or favours.​

Bounty

• Fringer – For some reason, the character has a price on his head. This may be in the form of a legal warrent or a contract by criminals, collection agencies, or even someone who felt his honour violated in some way. What he did to earn this mark is up to his background, and the severity of his actions can be based on the size of his Obligation.​

Contract

• Bounty Hunter – A powerful and strick contract binds the character to a specific employer. This could be a crime boss an imperial courtier, or a weathly corporate CEO. Whoever holds the character’s contract has nearly total control over the characters future career. All bounties are furnished by the contract holder, and deviating from the terms of the contract can lead to a number of potentially harsh fines and punishments.

Criminal

• Bounty Hunter – The character has been accued of commiting a crime during the collection of a legal bounty. This could be anything from stealing a speeder in order to chase a fleeing fugitive, or interference with bonded lae enforcement to killing innocents during a shootout. Whatever the case, the constant threat of discovery and incarceration hovers over the character. Whenever the accusations are true is irrelevant, the character has been accused and there is an outstanding warrent that makes the PC an appealing target to otehr bounty hunters.
• Fringer – The character has a criminal record, or was accused of a crime (perhaps one he didn’t even commit), and is somehow embroiled in the legal system. Obligation may be settled by paying ongoing legal costs, making attempts to bury evidence, or efforts to prove his innocence.​

Debt

• Bounty Hunter – The character owes quite a bit of money to one or more individuals. This could be money owed to a shipyard for some expensive modifications done to the character’s ship on credit, or funds put forth by a patron who backed the character’s entry into the bounty hunter’s guild and expects to be repaid or services rended.
• Fringer – The character owes someone a great deal, whether that debt consists of money or something else. Perhaps the PC has a huge gambling dept to a Hutt, is indebted to the Czerka Corporation for his starship, owes a wealthy family for patronage, or has some other serious financial obligation. To make matters worse, depending on who owns the debt, even fully paying it off might not get the character completely off the hook – if the character can get that money, he can surely get more.​

Dutybound

• Fringer – The PC has a deep sense of duty that he feels compelled to fulfill, such as military service, making good on a contract, or following some sort of thieves’ code. Unlike the Oath Obligation, a Dutybound character has some legal or ritualistic bind to an organisation or cause making it extremely difficult or detrimental if he fails to live up to that commitment.​

Fame

• Bounty Hunter – The character’s reputation casts a long shadow. Perhaps the PC took a famour and difficult bounty, or owns a recognisable and deadly ship, or has beaten another well-known hunter to th punch in the past. Whatever the case, it is hard for the character to move unnotices throughout the galaxy. This makes covert operations more difficult, but also means that informants are more likely to spill what rhey know when the PC arrives.

Family

• Bounty Hunter – Theis hunter’s family holds an incredible incluency over the character. Perhaps the PC comes from a long line of bounty hunters whose honour must be upheld. Alternately, the bounty hunter could also be supporting a struggling family, and is always eager to pick up contract to send money home.
• Fringer – The character has deep ties with his family that require a great deal of time and attention. This could include providing care or assistance to siblings or parents, the management of an inheritance, trust, or family business, or simply mediating between squabbling family members.​

Favour

• Bounty Hunter – The character owes a favour to someone in a position of power. However, this favour came about, whether personally or professionaly, repayment of that favour is coming due with interest. This favour may be called in all at once, or a little at a time, prolonging the character’s Obligation.
• Fringer – The PC owes a big favour. Perhaps officials looked the other way when he smuggled in goods, or a friend got him out of prison. Regardless, the favours are stacking up, and soon he’s going to be asked to pay them back or return the favour. This favour may be called in a little at a time, prolonging the Obligation.

Keeper of the Faith

• Bounty Hunter – Much to many other freelancers ammusement, this character has sworn to faithfully uphold both the spirit and the letter of some code of honour. The PC believes very strongly in these edicts and adheres to them with an almost religious fevor. The character never knowingly breaks any of the rules laid down in the code, and may turn on colleagues who do so.

Oath

• Fringer – The character has sworn some sort of oath that dictates his thoughts and actions, shaping his moral view of the world. This could be an oath to a deity, a way of living (such as the Jedi Code), or a willingness to sacrifice for the betterment of some group or cause. Whatever the case, the Oath should be both serious and make life difficult in some ways for the character. It is a personal and deep undertaking, possibly without a truly obtainable end goal in sight. Characters who do not live up to this oath face an internal and moral struggle.​

Obsession

• Fringer – The PC has some unhealthy obsession that tends to interfere in his life, whether with a celebrity, a region, a political movement, a cultural icon, or some other facet of society or life. He must pursue this, possibly to the detriment of his health, finances, or well-being. A character with this Obligation tends to get akong well with others that share his interest, but is looked at with pity, amusement, or even a bit of fear from others who don’t understand.​

Responsibility

• Fringer – A character with the Responsibility Obligation feels a strong sense of accountability or relationship to a person, place, or thing (a responsibility to kin falls under the Family Obligation). This could include a strong connection to a mentor, a strong desire to care for orphans in a given location, or taking on the needs of an under-represented minority.​

Rule Breaker

• Bounty Hunter – Either the character very publicly and flagrantly broke one of teh rules laid down in the bounty hunter’s code, or everyone wrongly believes she did. Whatever the case, this breach of the rules of the code affects the character’s personal and professional life in a very real way. Contracts dry up, collegues refuse to speak to or help the character, or the character is treated in a condescending or iritating sympathetic manner.

Thrill Seeker

• Bounty Hunter – Some people are addicted to alcohol or chems, others to gambling or other seedy vices. This character, however, is a confirmed adrenaline junkie, and chooses bounties not by their challenge or price, but by how exciting or dangerous they are. Avoiding the Obligation – Perhaps by being a responsible business operator and considering every job’s cost benefit analysis – results in an almost immediate case of excitement withdrawal. When inactive, the character is edgy, moody, easily distacted, and generally unpleasant to be around.

Vigilante

• Bounty Hunter – The character has seen the wheels of justice grind up the innocent and let the guilty walk free. The character has sworn to take the law – or a version of it, at any rate – and bring justice to those who deserve it. When taking on new contracts, this character tends to pursue the most hardened criminals.

Optional Rule – Increase Starting Obligation

A player may increase their obligation to gain the folling benefits:

• An extra 5 XP starting for an additional 5 Obligation
• An extra 10 XP starting for an additonal 10 Obligation
• An extra 1,000 credits starting for an additional 5 Obligation
• An extra 2,500 credits starting for an additioal 5 Obligation

Step 3 – Selecting a Species

Before rushing off and selecting one of the numerous races in the link below, first make sure what is appriopriate for your campaign aand your team.

• Star Wars Species – Reference for all available races in FFG rulebooks

Step 4 – Selecting a Career

Before rushing off and selecting one of the numerous careers in the link below, first make sure what is appriopriate for your campaign aand your team.

• Careers and their Specialisations – Reference for all available Carrers

Step 5 – Selecting a Specialistation

Before rushing off and selecting one of the numerous specialisations in the link below, first make sure what is appriopriate for your campaign aand your team.

• Careers and their Specialisations – Reference for all available Specialisations

Step 6 – Invest Experience Points

• Agility – This measures the characters manual dexterity, hand-eye coordinationand body control. These characters have a good sense of Balance, flexibility and deft hands. Agility is used for a number of physical skills such as Coordination, and is key to ranged skills such as Ranged (Light) and Ranged (Heavy)
• Brawn – This meaures the characters brutal power, strength, and overall toughness. They are physically fit and hardy, tend not to get sick often, and have strong consitutions. Brawn is used for a number of physical skills such as Athletics, and Brawl. This is also used to determine their Starting Wound Threshold.
• Cunning – This measures how the characters crafty, devious, clever and creative aspects are. They are savy, quickly pick up on social and environmental clues, and good with short-term plans and tactics. This is used for mental skills such as Deception, Perception and Survival.
• Intellect – This measures a characters intelligence, education, mental acuity, and ability to reason and rationalise. They are good at extrapolating or interpolating data, can recall details and draw from previous experience, and good with long term strategies and remifications of existing actions. Intellect is used for Astrogation, Computers and Knowledge skills.
• Presence – This measures the characters mixie, charisma, confidence and force of personality. They are natural leaders, draw attention when they enter the room, can easily strike up a conversation with anyone and are quick to adapt to social situtions. Presence is used interpersonal skills such as Charm and Leadership.
• Willpower – This measures the characters discipline, self control, mental fortitude, and faith. They can withstand stress and fatigue, remain composed during chaotic situations, and exert influence over the weak-minded. Willpower is used for Coercion and Vigilance. This is also used to determine their Starting Strain Threshold.

• Attributes
  • Upgrade Cost 10x the next upgraded level. i.e upgrading from 2 to 3 costs 30 XP There is a limit of 5 at character creation.
  • Note: this can only be done in starting characters and not done with campaign XP.
• Skills
  • Upgrade cost of career skills 5x the next upgrade level. Rank 1 = 5 XP, Rank 2 = 10 XP
  • Upgrade cost of non-career skills is 5 + 5x next upgrade level. Rank 1 = 10 XP, Rank 2 = 15 XP
  • Note: No starting character can start with more than Rank 2 at character creation.
• Talents
  • Talents cost 5 XP per tier. Tier 1 = 5 XP, Tier 2 = 10 XP
  • Note: Ranked talents can only be taken from the Base Tier, and can only be advanced by taking same talent on the next Tier. This may require multiple specialisations to advance some talents.
  • Note: A character cannot take a higher tier talent unless once they have they taken it they have one more talent at the previous tier. i.e. to take your first 2nd Tier talent you need to have 2 1st Tier talents.
• Specialisations
  • New Career specialisations cost 10x the number of specialisations this takes you to.

Step 7 – Determining Derived Attributes

• Wound Threshold
• Strain Threshold
• Defense
• Soak Value

Wound Threshold

A characters wound threshold is how many wounds – physical damage – they can withstand before being knocked out.

• Attribute – Wound Threshold
  • Racial Starting Bonus + Starting brawn + talents

Strain Threshold

A characters strain threshold is how much strain – psychological and mental damage – they can withstand before being stunned, dazed or incapacitated.

• Attribute – Strain Threshold
  • Racial Starting Bonus + Starting willpower + talents

Defense

A character defence determins how difficult they are to hit in combat. It is divided into Range defence and Melee defence. A starting character has zero defence, which is usually increased with talents or equipment

• Attribute – Defence
  • Ranged Defence 0
  • Melee Defence 0

Soak Value

A characters soak value is how much incoming damage they can ignore before they gain wounds. This number is taken from any damage received.

• Attribute – Soak Value
  • Brawn + Talant + Gear

Step 8 – Determining Motivations

1. Ambition (Fringer)
2. Cause (Fringer)
3. Code (Bounty Hunter)
4. Relationship (Fringer)
5. Select one from any two motivations

Ambition (Fringer)

Source: Edge of the Empire – Core Rules (sw-ffg-ee-cr-95)

A character with this Motivation is driven by a specific goal. This Motivation is internal and often abstract, and possibly selfish in nature. A character with the Ambition Motivation wants to better himself in some way – gaining love, status, power, or spiritual knowledge, for example. The player should determine the character’s ultimate goal and why he does things the way that he does to get there.​

1. Expertise – ​The character wants to excel in his chosen profession and constantly practices to achieve perfection. Alternately, this character picks a skill or two in which to excel.​
2. Fame – The character seeks the limelight and wants to be famous. He wants his deeds and actions to make the HoloNet for all to see and revels in the attention given by fans and supporters.​
3. Freedom – The character desires the freedom to do what he wants. This could be a passion to overcome one or more of the current Obligations or to see others freed from the shackles of bondage and servitude in all its forms.​
4. Friendship – The characters seeks to be liked by others and goes out of way to make a good impression. He may or may not be gregarious, relying on his actions and deeds to foster friendship.​
5. Greed – Money is the prime motivator for this character. The character may be active in business, investing, or the tried and true method of theft to increase his credit bank.​
6. Love – The character is driven by love or intimacy. The character already has a true love or strives to find the one he is meant to be with.​
7. Power – The character craves power and authority over others. His rule may not be despotic, but he wants to control his situation and those around him, often bettering himself in the process.​
8. Religion/Spirituality – The character is both drawn and follows the sway of a particular religious or spiritual calling. This could be the tenets of the Jedi or the Sith or some other belief.
9. Status – ​The character wants to elevate his social standing – gaining titles, commendations, and accolades. The character may come from hunble beginnings or otherwise strive for a higher position than where he began.
10. Wanderlust/Novelty – The character is driven to explore the galaxy and rarely stays in one place for long. He’s motivated to uncover remote or unexplored regions and seeing everything that can be seen. Alternately, this character is driven to experience new sensations and activities, pehaps rather hedonistically.​

Cause (Fringer)

Source: Edge of the Empire – Core Rules (sw-ffg-ee-cr-95)

Where the Ambition Motivation deals with an internal drive, the Cause Motivation is typically an external group or conceot on which the character focuses. The Motivation is something so important that the character is willing to take risks or operate outside his comfort zone. Although this Motivation focuses on the needs of others, belief in a cause need not be altruistic by nature or for the common good – the cause could support some tennets that are dangerous or harmful to others, in fact.​

1. Capitalism – The character is an unabashed capitalist and fights for the rights of merchants, trading organisations, and business, sometimes running counter to the wishes of both the Empire and some criminal groups.​
2. Crime – The character supports the idea of black markets, mercenaries, and other groups that fall outside of the law. The character need not be a criminal himself, but may give aid to other criminals, especially if they are family members, childhood friends, or if corruption is deeply imbedded in the character’s originating culture.​
3. Droid Rights – The character believes that droids should be accepted as full members of galactic society, not meerly tools or servants.​
4. Emancipation – The character sees slavery and indentured servitude as an abomination that must be undone. He’ll go out of his way to aid or attempt to free anyone kept in slavery.​
5. Local Politics – The character suopports some particular political cause, typically within a single planet or system. The character actually gets involved in campaigns and candidates, and may even fight on the behalf of a political organisation.​
6. Non-Human Rights – The character fights for the rights of Non-Humans in the very xenophobic rule of the Empire.​
7. Overthrow the Empire – The character despises the Empire and everything that is stands for. He may or may not be an active member of the Rebellion, but he supports its goals and gives aid and comfort to those against imperial tyranny.​
8. Religion/Spirituality – The character actively supports some religious or spiritual organization or belief. This could include the tenants of the Jedi or Sith codes or some other belief.​
9. Support the Empire – The chaqracter actually supports the goals and methods of the Empire and does his best to advance its cause. He’ll defend the Empire in coveraton and may actively take up arms in its defence.​
10. The Weak/Charity – The character fights for the underdog, disliking bullies and totalitarianism. He’ll put the interests of those in need before his own and may donate time or money to aid the less fortunate.

Code (Bounty Hunter)

Source: No Disintegrations (sw-ffg-ee-nd-37)

1. Always Get Paid – A bounty hunter who doesn’t get paid doesn’t eat, and starving while maintaining a terrifying reputation is stll starving. This character’s principles are primarily economic, and consist of tenets such as always working for the highest bidder, never taking on jobs out of sentiment, and accepting no payment besides cold, hard credits.
2. Finish the Job – It is a rare bounty hunter who keeps pursuing prey even when it becomes clear that the hunt is not economically viable. This bounty hunter is one of the rare exceptions, her word is irrevocable, and once she had taken a contract, the character pursues it at all costs. While a job might be put on hiatus, once the hunt begins, she can never abandon or forget it – perhaps even if the client recidns the bounty!
3. Live Capture – Some bounty hunters vow to never kill their targets (thought when dealing with a crime lord who requests a target be brought in alive, this can be a cruel mercy indead). Whether the PC does not kill out of pride, pity, squeamishness, or desire for teh maximum payout, this character steadfastly refuses to take the life of a target.
4. Never Again – The character has suffered some disgrace or loss and vowed never to repeat it. Perhaps the character broke an oath to protect and serve the people, or was somehow frames for doing so after trusting the wrong person. Though the shame of failure cannot be fully erased, the character has vowed that it will never occur again.
5. No Collateral Damage – Though some particularly pemicious bounty hunters are willing to toss around thermal detonators on populated world, most try to minimise the civilian harm they cause, if only because it can be inconcenient to clean up. A few, however, are scrupulous about avoiding civilian casualties, to the point of letting a target escape to avoid hurting civilians.
6. Quiet Profesionalism – There is an old saying in the bounty hunter trade that good work makes little noise, and the character is the embodiment of that. Like a master artisan, the character pursues bounties with far greater care and attention to detail than most. The PC sees little need for flashy accouterment or ostentatious shows of prowess.
7. Reputation is Everything – To a bounty hunter, maintaining the appearance of being unrelenting, unstoppable foce is often as important as actually having the skills and strength of will to succeed in the chase. While false bravado usually falls apart in the face of the challenges a bounty hunter faces, many bounty hunters work hard to uphold their reputations, repaying slights and provocation with disproportiante violence.
8. Rule of Law – There is nothing more important than the rule of law, and the character is sworn to protect it. As a bounty hunter, the character is an externsion of galactic law and works strickly to uphold it.
9. Survival – A code is hardly relevant if there bounty hunter is too dead to uphold it, and while the character is still likely to take risks – no bounty hunter can avoid them, after all – this PC works to minimise them, and strives to be on the winning side in any engagement.
10. The Only Score that Matters – Only one things matters to the character, having the highest body count. The PC only takes a bounty alive if it doesn’t pay for the target dead, and is in constant competition with other like minded individuals to tack up the most kills.

Relationship (Fringer)

Source: Edge of the Empire – Core Rules (sw-ffg-ee-cr-96)

This Motivation focuses on a character’s relationship with a specific person, creature, or even place. The relationship could be loving, respectful, and nurturing or antagonistic, competitive, or one-sided. The character looks out for the subject’s best interests and will set aside his own needs to help when needed, This Motivation could be deeply personal or highly public.​

1. Childhood Friend – The character maintains ties with a friend from his childhood. Although the two may by a galaxy apart, the character desires only the best for his companion.
2. Comrades – The character shows loyalty to those he serves alongside. This could be either the current group of PCs, former military buddies, or business associates.​
3. Droid Companion – The character possesses a fondness for a particular droid. This could be a former family servant, his starship’s astromech droid, or his trusty protocal droid. This may include a PC droid.​
4. Extended Family – The character has a large extended family, clan, or tribe that he deeply loves. He seeks both their comfort and approval despite the many voices clamoring in his ear for attention.​
5. Former Nemesis – The character formed a close bond with a former nemesis or rival. Although things are pathced between them, the two could still be extremely competitive.​
6. Mentor – The character is particularly close to a mentor, rofessor, teacher or other figure that provided support, knowledge, and wisdom to him in his early years.
7. Parents – The character has close ties with his parents (or a single parent) and sees their constant approval. This may or may not be a healthy or supportive situation.​
8. Pet – The character is close with a pet or animal companion of some sort, a relatively small non-combatant.​
9. Place of Origin – The character is deeply prideful of where he grew up. This could be a specific planet, town, space station, or ship. The character strives to better the place of origin and its people and will defend it with his life.​
10. Sibling – The character has one or more siblings with whom he maintains close contact. The sibling or siblings are unlikely to be combatants and this Motivation may or may not fall in line with a character’s Family obligation.​

Step 9 – Gear andAppearance

Characters start off with 500 credits to buy all their gear. Through obligation this might increase out to 4,000 credits. They must follow the following limitations:

• No Restricted (R) Items are available for starting characters.
• Once all items are purchase characters gain d100 extra credits to what they have remaining as their starting funds.

Their physical appearance should be noted down detailing the following:

• Height, weight, and build
• Hair and eye colour
• Skin, scale or fur colour
• Scars, tattoos and other identifying marks.

Next make any notes on the characters personality, and how you would like it to grow over the course of the storyline.

Step 10 – Team Bonus

Edge of the Empire privides the following options for a team bonus.

• Firespray System Patrol Craft (sw-ffg-ee-cr-255)
• Wayfarer Medium Transport (sw-ffg-ee-cr-263)
• YT-1300 Light Freighter (sw-ffg-ee-cr-264)

Content Updates

SW Rules

References

Character Creation

FFG Dice

Force Users: Crafting a Lightsaber, Knight Level Play

Mechanics: Awareness, Duty, Obligation, Morality

Movement: Personal, Planetary

Vehicles

Star Wars RPG

SW Menu: Adventure, New Rules, Adversary, Companies, Droid, Equipment, Galaxy Map, Location, Vehicle

Campaign: NPCs, Side Stories, Timeline

Game Management: Annotated Stat Block, Character Creation, Choosing a New Campaign, Creating a Galaxy Map, Ending three year campaign, GM’s Luck Roll, Running Games over Skype, Tracking Experience, 2016 Campaign

Character Builds: Bounty Hunter (Karlid – Assassin, Vanna – Gadgeteer, Kyanna – Martial Artist, Jed – Operator, Theya – Skip Tracer, Cadkia – Survivalist), Smuggler (Ebaya – Gambler), Technician (B1-337 – Droid Tech)

References: for Characters, for GMs, Dice, Items (Lightsabers, Modifying, Purchasing, Qualities), Knight Level Play, Mechanics (Awareness, Duty, Morality, Obligation), Movement (Personal, Planetary, Vehicles), Roles (Bounty Hunting, Investigations), Secrets (Empire, Jedi, Mandalorians, Rebels, Sith)

Creating a Campaign:
(1) Rules and Setting,
(2) Characters and Timeline,
(3) Fringes Storyline,
(4) Rebels Storyline,
(5) Force Storyline,
(6) Mandalorian Storyline

Library of Books

B5, d20 System, Pathfinder, SW

This site is constantly under revision, no blog posts are final as this is a work in progress place for me to develop my game settings and rules. Some posts might be placeholders for future content, so feel free to check back later for updated information.

General Links

Basic Links: Who Am I?, Home, Game Tools, Game Session Videos, My Campaigns, My Library, Site Map, Subscription Information

Game Systems: Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder 1 & 2, Shadowrun, Star Wars. Other Game Systems

Site sponsored by the author AS Hamilton (my wife) with her books available on amazon kindle.