Adventure 6

I haven't had a chance to write up what happened in Adventure 6 yet with school starting. Hopefully I'll have some free time to do so. Justin returned to play, so I was challenged to keeping all 3 players in the game despite their characters being spread across the galaxy. Lance's was floating in space, mourning his long-dead race; Rob's was running around Coruscant, enjoying some R&R; and Justin's was attached to Thrawn's Navy at the Battle of Dantooine. Eventually, they met up, but it was a good lesson switching between the three solo adventures.

The pair of Kinsei landed on the Coruscant surface, trying to evade Black Sun agents until they could be extracted. They hid out in a pawn shop owned by an elderly Rodian named Freego, who recognized them as Kinsei and allowed them to hide in his "special" section. Princess Leia Skywalker lead the extraction team, using mind trick to distract the agents. The Dashade, still seething over what he had done on the skyhook, was sullen and withdrawn.

Skywalker arranged for him to gain a Kinsei ship and gave both Kinsei a 3 week R&R pass. Maliss immediately took the ship and flew to the former location of his home planet to meditate and mourn. The Prodigy, on the other hand, tried to do some work and research. Kyle Katarn, his superior officer, insisted that he go out and have some fun; he jokingly threatened to dismember the youth if he didn't leave the premises. He arranged a penthouse suite of a local hotel for him to stay, and went out with him (and a disguised Luke Skywalker) to a few bars.

The Prodigy ended up sleeping with a beautiful, dark-haired woman named Shira, who wasn't present in the morning. However, she had left a card with the address of a nearby warehouse and a time. He went to the factory, where he met an organization calling themselves the Emperor's Hands. As explained by their leader, Mara Jade, they were a number of Kinsei willing to accept morally difficult tasks so that the Emperor would not have to. He (and the Imperial family) was unaware of the organization, but they were nevertheless devoted to him. She suggested that it was them who had caused the destruction of Alderaan. The Prodigy, despite any personal misgivings and the opposition of a few of the Emperor's Hands, joined the organization.

IG-203 was meanwhile busy at the Battle of Dantooine. Acting on a very unorthodox plan by Captain Han Solo, the droid rode on the outside of a TIE-X flown by Captain Soontir Fel. The Rebel fighters were still a mystery to the Empire, as they had been unable to capture any. However, IG-203 magnetically latched onto a SoroSuub YB-3, destroyed the astromech droid, killed the pilot, and flew it back to the Imperial fleet despite being exposed to vacuum. The overall battle was a resounding Imperial success: Thrawn had caught a Rebel fleet in transit from Dantooine to their next base and destroyed a dozen frigates, plus several dozen transport ships. Unfortunately, Vice Admiral Tarkin simultaneously bungled the Battle of Yavin, losing 3 Star Destroyers and failing to destroy Freedom Station.

Nos Maliss had been in the former orbit of his planet for a few days when he heard the taunting voice of Diospholos, who he had killed on Freedom Station a few weeks prior. He taunted the Dashade about dooming his planet, but Maliss was not swayed from his decision. They argued for a while until Diospholos went silent.

After the three weeks were over, the Kinsei both returned to Headquarters, where they were joined by IG-203. The droid had been assigned to join them on their mission. Katarn explained to them that they were to pursue a radical Jedi sect called the Sentinels. They had been sighted on the planet Anaxes; the trio was assigned to investigate the rumors.

On Anaxes, they discovered a terrorist plot to destroy a nuclear plant. A Hutt crime lord gave them the information because the Jedi had bought detonite from a competitor. The Sentinels, along with some local mercenaries, had killed the guards and were rigging up the explosives when the Kinsei team arrived. The pair of Kinsei engaged a pair of Sentinels while the droid began taking out the mercenaries. One dying mercenary fell on the detonator, starting the timer. Both Jedi and the mercenaries began to flee, but one Sentinel was caught by the Kinsei teamwork.

The droid disabled the explosives and collected the detonite. While back in transit to Coruscant, each tried to gain as much information as possible from the Jedi. They discovered that the Sentinel cells were independent, but still received orders from a hierarchy.

Adventure 5

It appears that Parker has left the campaign completely in favor of LARPs and a few other games. Justin didn't show up today, but presumably he hasn't left yet. Lance, Rob, and I had an interesting adventure with just the 2 of them as PCs. I dislike DMPCs, so I just gave them an adventure without skill-based challenges. (This is not to say that it was a combat fest.)

A few days passed with the party recovering from their wounds on Freedom Station. News reports flooded the galaxy about the destruction of Alderaan: the Rebels claimed that Luke Skywalker had infiltrated the station and destroyed Alderaan at the order of his father, while the Empire denied anything to do with it and renounced the usage of superweapons. Supporters on both sides polarized about the conflict, resulting in several systems seceding from the Empire. Corellia was one of these systems, along with Mon Calamari and Sullust, giving the Rebels a much larger military base. The Rebellion had become a full-fledged Galactic Civil War with the destruction of Alderaan. Additionally, the Ithor, Cerea, and Bothawui systems all declared neutrality, while the Hutts cut diplomatic ties with the Empire. The traditional allies of the Hapes Consortium, Chiss Ascendancy, and Corporate Sector all pledged their loyalty to the Empire.

Nos Maliss saw a doctor about the ear that had been damaged on Freedom Station, who told him that it was irreversibly damaged and would need cybernetic replacement. Knowing that this would dampen his connection to the Force, he consulted with Leia Skywalker about potential Force-based healing, but she was unable to help him find an answer beyond years of meditation and trances. He did not decide immediately whether or not to take the surgery. During their meeting, she gave him and his partner an official invitation to a formal party of the Imperial Court, to be held the next night.

IG-208 and Ensign Nor'ein returned to Thrawn's fleet, which had returned to orbit around Coruscant, for their orders.

The Kinsei reported to Kinsei Station in the morning, the headquarters that were built around the Jedi Temple. They scheduled a meeting with their immediate superior, Kinsei-Captain Kyle Katarn. He informed them that he could not give them an assignment, as they had been tapped for a special assignment the following day. In the meantime, they would be able to prepare for the party.

They received their formal uniforms from headquarters, then prepared their gifts for the Imperial family, as was custom in the Court. For Emperor Skywalker, they chose the gaffi sticks they had taken from the Sand People; for Luke Skywalker, they chose the torn cloak of Diospholos; for Leia Skywalker, they chose an elaborate bouquet of flowers from all across the galaxy. Their adventures had been widely reported by the Empire, and thus the flower vendor gave them a steep discount.

When evening arrived, they made their way to the Imperial Palace, which was at the center of the Imperial, the cultural center of the Empire. Walking in to the main hall, they were stunned by the marble-and-stone beauty and grandeur of the Palace. As the criers announced the invitees, the pair of Kinsei received a bout of polite applause when they entered. Emperor Skywalker, on a throne on a raised platform with his two children flanking him, called out to them and engaged them in the gift ceremony, titling them as the Guests of Honor.

The Kinsei gave their gifts first, all of which were well-received. Emperor Skywalker praised their defeat of the dangerously lawless Sand People; Luke Skywalker thanked them for their saving his life; Leia Skywalker praised their ability to look after all corners of the galaxy. In turn, they presented two artifacts which had been handed down by the Jedi for thousands of years: to the larger, a lightsaber crafted by the Qel-Droma family during the period between the Great Sith War and the Mandalorian Wars; for the smaller, a talisman once belonging to Jedi Lord Valenthyne Farfalla of the New Sith Wars. Afterwards, Emperor Skywalker presented both with medals, inducting them into the Order of the Central Star.

After the gift ceremony, the party began in earnest. Many admirers came to talk to the pair, offering their congratulations. One such person was Captain Han Solo, who was stationed with Thrawn's fleet like them. Maliss, who had developed a crush on Leia Skywalker, jealously noted him talking to her later. He interrupted them to ask the Princess for a dance, but nervously danced a bit gracelessly. She politely thanked him and returned to her conversation with Solo; they were later spotted sharing the last dance of the evening.

The prodigy, meanwhile, felt a bit out of place because of his young age. At one point, he awkwardly rebuffed the amorous advances of a female Mon Cal. Seeing this, a young and famous fighter pilot, Soontir Fel, introduced himself and let him know that he had just accidentally insulted a Navy Admiral.

The night wore on and the party eventually ended. The two Kinsei returned to their dormitory, awakening the next morning to head to the briefing Katarn had told them of.

When they arrived, they found Emperor Skywalker himself giving their briefing. He informed that that their heroics had warranted a promotion, and he "unofficially" congratulated the Dashade and the prodigy on becoming a Captain and a First Lieutenant, respectively. Skywalker went on to give them their assignment: they were to drop from high altitude on specially-designed jetgliders that would mask their sensor presence onto a skyhook belonging to the Black Sun. A conventional assault would result in too many civilian casualties on the surface of Coruscant, so the two of them would provide a swift and decisive strike, escaping to the planet surface before other Black Sun operatives could arrive. Their main objective was to kill the Black Sun Vigo, Veknos, who was attempting to raise his status by creating some sort of genetically-enhanced super-soldier for use in the Rebellion. Their other objectives were to take the information on the project that he was known to carry on his person and destroy the prototypes that were rumored to exist.

I would like to point out that this has been heavily roleplayed. Until this point, there has been zero combat. Hooray for character development. Also, an awkward teenage prodigy with the Force is an angst-ridden force to be reckoned with.

Midday arrived to find the Kinsei on board a dropship in high atmosphere. Saying "Force be your tool," the pilot opened the bay doors for them to make their drop. They fell for a mile, quickly reaching terminal velocity. Their cumbersome jetgliders masked their sensor signature and inhibited their speed, allowing them to get within approximately a kilometer of the skyhook before being noticed by sensors. They continued to fall at the controlled rate of about 30 meters per second, dodging the anti-air laser fire which began to target them. After about 30 seconds of falling under fire, they landed safely on the Black Sun skyhook. They stripped the cumbersome jetgliders and entered the structure with a hacked keycard.

The duo entered and moved swiftly toward the Vigo's office. They knew that they had anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes to complete their mission before reinforcements arrived from another skyhook or planetside, so time was a limited resource. They ran into a few patrols of guards consisting of droids and mercenaries; the Dashade took violently took care of the droids while the prodigy used the Force to non-lethally take care of the organics, if possible.

Making their way to the office, Maliss stopped in surprise as he passed a wide window. He saw a lab room filled with cloning tubes; inside the tubes were Dashades. The Black Sun was cloning his long-dead race as super-soldiers. While he stared at this possibility, a hulking Dashade warrior arrived in front of them, along with two Black Sun mercenaries. The Dashade, Tellis Krath, was an imposingly large and strong figure, wearing only military pants and boots. He had a belt with a number of tubes leading out into injection points on his body.

He greeted Maliss as a brother, saying that he had seen his exploits in the service of the Empire. He presented the Kinsei with the offer to join him and the Black Sun to watch the Dashade species return to the galaxy, eventually conquering it through their force of arms. Maliss seemed tempted by this, as he had felt great loneliness and alienation without his people. He spoke against being in the service of the Black Sun, which had wasted the potential of the Dashade people for thousands of years, but Krath countered by saying that the Empire was doing exactly that with him. The young prodigy tried to interject in the Dashade language, which had been taught to him by his partner, resulting in a spitting retort by Krath, saying that an inferior such as himself had no right to speak in the tongue of the Dashade. Suddenly, with a flash of speed, he dashed forward and snatched the prodigy with his great strength, holding him in a chokehold, buffeted by the adrenal drugs that made him even stronger. He demanded that the other Dashade strike down his ally and join him as a Dashade brother should.

Nos Maliss found himself at a crossroad in his destiny. He could choose to strike down Krath and perhaps lose his only assured chance at recovering his people, but that would mean betraying the Empire and his friend. He could choose to strike down the prodigy and give in to the temptation that Krath offered him. He hesitated for a moment, unsure of which road to take.

At this point, I gave Lance a Destiny Point to use as he wanted, to decide which destiny he would pursue. It took a while with lots of discussion (OOC) and weighing. Rob wouldn't care if his character got killed, as he would just create a new Black Sun operative, which was nice for making the choice a very real and weighty one. He ended up using the DP to grant an auto-crit and rolled (with Force Powers) a weighty 86 for his damage.

With a cry of anger and anguish, Maliss brought his lightsaber down on his fellow Dashade, who moved to shield himself from the blunt of the powerful blow. His arm was severed at the shoulder, with the force of the blow causing him to let the Kinsei go and went flying back through a wall, where he fell down apparently unconscious or dead. The prodigy, barely able to catch his breath from his bruised neck, reached out with anger and released a withering barrage of Force lightning on the downed Dashade. The pair of mercenaries took a few shots but quickly retreated, clearing down a nearby hallway as quickly as possible. While taking a moment to gather himself, the prodigy noted that the Dashade's life force was quickly fading from the Force.

Now slightly injured, the pair made their way to the Vigo's office to complete the mission. Bursting in and sealing the door open with their lightsabers, the pair of Kinsei demanded the Twi'lek Vigo's surrender. He scorned them and clenched his fists. Prepared for resistance, the Dashade lunged across the Vigo's desk and slammed him into a wall, while his partner used the Force to crush his windpipe. Despite this, they saw that Veknos had a red beacon in his hand, and noticed that a pair of hidden doorways had opened in the office. Out of the doorways were a pair of Destroyer droidekas, known for their powerful laser cannons that could lay down devastating barrages and their shields, which were the strongest available without a stationary generator.

The droidekas unleashed one of these barrages, which the Kinsei deftly deflected. Maliss picked up the crime lord and flung him into the nearest droideka, then the prodigy picked that one up with the Force and brought it down on him, crushing him to death under the massive weight. Meanwhile, the droidekas continued to fire, wearing down the Kinsei's defenses with their laser fire, landing several shots. The prodigy used the Force to absorb the energy of one of the shots, strengthening his own resolve. They likewise began wearing down the powerful shields of the droidekas, eventually destroying one. The second, which had maneuvered into a corner of the office, continued its devastating laser fire against them both. The Dashade charged towards it, cutting a searing hole in its side, but the droideka responded with a point-blank charged shot that surely would have hit him critically and perhaps killed him; he let the Force guide his lightsaber, drawing heavily on its power, and deflected the dangerous shot. A counterattack and another barrage of Force lightning destroyed the droideka. They retrieved the information from the Vigo's corpse, then proceeded back to the lab.

The Dashade placed the grenades in the lab personally, not looking back as he threw the final grenade into the room and destroying the cloned Dashade troops. On their way out, they noticed that Krath's body was gone. They found no more resistance, but a few more minutes would find significant reinforcements to the skyhook. They made their way back to the landing pad, re-donned their jetgliders, and made their way back to the planet surface.

The game was very unusual. I was rolling unnaturally well while Lance and Rob were rolling extraordinarily poorly. Lance, who usually rolls in the average range of 14-17, rolled below 5 more often than not. I rolled 15 to 18 almost exclusively, forcing them to use their deflections and Force Points to survive the encounter. All in all, it was a really enjoyable encounter, as combat only took up the last hour or so of the session. At one point, Lance rolled 6 below the requirement to block a critical hit from the droideka guns; we convinced him to try a Force point to deflect the shot, and his dice finally gave him the love when he rolled a 6. Lance is going to try to get his dice to love him again this week, so he can get back to rolling 20s. Also, I cannot remember Rob's character's name, so I'm going to start calling him "The Prodigy" as a title.

Adventure 4

Parker didn't show up again, and Bruce had moved to Florida, so it was just the few of us. I began to work some music into the game, although Lance took issue with me occasionally using tracks from World of Warcraft.

The trash compacter was utterly disgusting, covering them with filth and grime. The group managed to pull their injured out, rushing to get back into the cleaner (although more deadly) Freedom Station halls. Brushing themselves off, they cleared as best they could and made their way to the power control center to shut off the tractor beam, open the hangar bay, and escape. The Verpine carried Calrissian, who was unable to walk, while Nor’ein carried Skywalker. The pair of Kinsei took the lead while the IG-208 took the rear to protect the group.

A pair of unfortunate Rebel troopers rounded a corner just as the Imperials came to the intersection. Maliss cut one down with a lightsaber swing while his partner flung the other into the opposite wall with bone-crushing intensity. IG-208 shot another Rebel who ran out to investigate the cries as the rest ran down the corridor.

When they reached the control center, they were staggered by its size. It stretched as a void vertically as far as they could see in both directions, with a central power cable connecting computer consoles that extended from alternating catwalks. The Verpine stated that it would only require a minute to take the necessary steps and walked forward, only to be shot with a blaster by a waiting Mandalorian commando. It dropped to the ground as the party reacted, pulling it back and spotting both the Mandalorian who had made the shot as well as his partner. They were prone on the upper catwalk, which was 15 meters above them, on the other side of the cavernous room. A second shot rang out from the original gunman, striking the IG-208 squarely in its chest, sending it sparking to the floor. Making matters worse, the door behind them abruptly closed, sealing them in with the soldiers.

Suddenly with 4 members of the group out of commission, only the Kinsei and the brash Ensign remained. The Dashade was at a disadvantage against the ranged attackers, but the prodigy simply grabbed one with the Force, throwing him into the bottomless pit. The Mandalorian caught himself on the side, but a second tug with the Force threw him to his death. The second Mandalorian shot a grenade at the pair, cutting both with shrapnel, then rolled out of sight.

Skittishly, Nor’ein moved towards the console, the only one available to complete the computer objectives. Maliss, his blaster pulled out, watched the upper level warily while moving towards the turbolift to confront the Mandalorian directly. Just as he was to enter the turbolift, he sensed a trap with the Force, sending the thought telepathically to his partner. The younger Kinsei, seeing an opportunity as the Mandalorian came into view briefly, stunned him with the Force.

At that point, with Nor’ein beginning to start the work on the console, IG-208 began to reboot its damaged systems, while the Kinsei tried to figure a way to circumvent the traps on the turbolifts to get to the next level. At the suggestion of the prodigy, the Dashade ran and jumped up towards the next level. With the help of his partner moving him with the Force, he reached out and grabbed the bottom of the next level, having successfully leapt almost 15 meters in the air, and dragged himself up. Simultaneously, the droid swiftly sprinted across the catwalk, leapt in the air, and attached his magnetic feet to the wall, dragging itself upward against the station’s artificial gravity.

The Dashade stood, ran again, and tried to leap across to the Mandalorian, who had been unsuccessfully blasting him, but fell short, catching himself just in front of the soldier. The small Kinsei then gripped the neck of the mercenary with the Force, giving his partner a chance to climb up, ignite his lightsaber, and thrust it into the helmet of the enemy. IG-208 arrived next to him and gleefully began stripping the valuable Mandalorian armor, while the Kinsei took the opportunity to find out the details of the traps on the turbolifts. (They were some sort of gas designed to activate when the lift was activated.)

Just as Nor’ein finished his work at the console, shutting down the tractor beam, opening the hangar bay doors and the door they had entered through, 4 more Mandalorians arrived on the second level. Their leader was a fearsome Wookiee whose bowcaster bolt was barely deflected by the Dashade. With a fearsome shout in Shyriiwook, the Wookiee prepared to take a second shot at the Kinsei from across the catwalks. The hulking Kinsei dove down onto the first level, landing in a painful crouch. The IG-208 ran to the nearest turbolift, holding his prized armor, and entered, setting off the poisonous gas trap. Fortunately for him, he had no nervous system to shut down, and emerged a moment later on the first level, green gas pouring around him.

One of the Mandalorians chose that time to latch his magnetic grappling hook on the floor, swinging over the side. He tried to pull out his vibroblade at the same time, but the prodigy thrust him backwards with the Force, buying an extra moment to prepare. He gathered his anger, controlling it as a burst of Force lightning that coursed through the Mandalorian. The Mandalorian blademaster then brought out his weapon, feinted a charge but rolled next to the Kinsei, slashing his left hip when he came out of the roll. The extra moment of preparation allowed the Dashade to catch him with his lightsaber just after, cutting deeply through the armor of his shoulder. Flanked on both sides, the Mandalorian was very open to the younger Kinsei’s suggestion of terror, and fled without protecting himself, allowing the Dashade to cut him off at the knees, killing him.

As Ensign Nor’ein sprinted from the console to the door where his allies waited, the other Mandalorians swung down on their grappling hooks. The IG-208 slowed them down with cover fire, while the Kinsei threw a smoke grenade to mask their withdrawal. Dragging their wounded with them, the party activated the door’s control, closing it on their pursuers. The human prodigy allowed for another burst of lightning as the Wookiee howled in rage, denting the door as it closed in front of him. The group continued to return to the Falcon as quickly as possible, throwing down smoke grenades in their wake.

Upon arriving at the hangar bay, they were exhausted, wounded, covered in grime and blood. Calrissian and Fi’kz’ta were conscious, although barely able to walk on their own, but Skywalker was still drugged and out. Nor’ein was given the task of aiding them and carrying Skywalker while the rest provided protection. The last thing they needed was another fight, but it had found them anyway.

Greeting them was the sight of a handsome man wearing armored robes and carrying no weapons, flanked by two similarly dressed men. IG-208 was the first to respond, throwing his only remaining grenade, a stun grenade, at them. Despite being prepared for something, the leader was only able to move it slightly with the Force, still being caught in its blast. A little off-balance, he still gave them the order to give the Prince over, which the Imperials refused. They launched into a desperate barrage against the newcomers, with the small Kinsei knocking the two others prone, IG-208 blasting down some cover fire, and the Dashade charging forward and burying his lightsaber deep in the chest of the leader.

Looking a bit shocked by the sudden turn of events, the handsome man leaned forward and whispered into Maliss’s right ear, “Strike me down here, and I will not die, not by your hand, you inferior.” He then cracked his hand on that ear, bursting the eardrum. Enraged by these words and the damaging blow, the Dashade gave in to his anger, switched his lightsaber off. He gripped the hole in the other man’s chest with his claws and tore him open with a howl of rage, dropping the destroyed shell onto the floor. Shocked, the other two jumped to their feet and fled as quickly as possible.

The group limped into the Millennium Falcon, but they were not out of danger yet. Calrissian stumbled to the pilot’s seat and began takeoff while the Kinsei ran to the turrets to ward of the starfighters that would pursue them. They blasted a few Rebel ships with the Falcon’s relatively powerful guns, but a few stray shots rocked the ship. A few more moments of tense fighting took place and the Falcon hit hyperspace.

A moment of reflection allowed them to remember who the man was: one of the Rebel leaders, Diospholos, leader of the Sun Guard. This act would not be without its ramifications. It was something to dwell on as they made the short trip from the ruins of Alderaan to Coruscant.

Everyone survived, despite my promise to Bruce that he would die on the Death Star. We got some glimpses of recurring enemies, especially Chewbacca. Everyone leveled to 4 (except the absent Parker.) Justin's droid also now have some Mandalorian armor with those sweet grappling hooks. I expect great things.

Adventure 3

I hope it isn't stereotyping anyone but Lando when I portray him as drinking malt liquor yet smooth with the ladies. I also refuse to RP C-3PO for more than a few seconds, so I just kept him offline.

The trip would take a few days to get them to Alderaan. They repaired the droids and tended to the wounds of the living, getting everyone to more-or-less health. In the meantime, R2-D2 identified himself and told the Imperials of his mission. It and C-3PO had been tasked by Emperor Skywalker himself to infiltrate the Rebel Alliance and find any classified information he could. To facilitate this, they were given alternate personalities and partial memory wipes. It had gotten them assigned to the Tantive IV, knowing that a diplomatic ship would likely see more information pass through it than most. During the Battle of Tatooine, C-3PO had suggested that the Freedom Station plans be entrusted to R2. The Rebel captain agreed and gave the plans to the Imperial spy.

C-3PO had also been brought online, but kept repeating, “I am fluent in over 6,000,000 forms of communication!” At Calrissian’s request, the droid was shut off. To pass the time, R2 displayed the relatively unclassified sections of Freedom Station, allowing the group time to memorize as much as possible about the layout.

A few days into their trip, less than 24 hours out from their destination, both the Kinsei felt a powerful pain in the Force, as if millions of voices had cried out in horror and were suddenly silenced. For the Dashade, this was the second time he had felt the deathcry of a planet. Knowing that something was wrong, the group tried to access the HoloNet, but it had been shut off from civilian access. Their codes weren’t adequate to immediately circumvent the blackout, and the slicing of the Verpine and Ensign Nor’ein were not enough to get much more information than that a state of emergency had been declared. The Kinsei sent a message back to the Corps headquarters, but only a cryptic response came back the next day: “Emergency. Stand by.”

The night passed. The Falcon was due to arrive at Alderaan in less than 5 minutes, which had everyone on edge. Suddenly, the ship rocked and slipped out of hyperspace. The group flooded the cockpit to see what had dragged them out of transit. What they saw shocked them: the Imperial fleet jumping away, leaving behind a number of smaller ships and damaged Rebel ships. In addition, there was a large and imposing space station, along with a rather suspect bunching of asteroids. Alderaan had been the source of the deathcry. (Of course, this brought an interesting question to mind: why would a Rebel space station destroy a Rebel planet that was under siege by the Imperial Navy?)

Freedom Station loomed before them, catching them in a tractor beam before Calrissian could react. As it dragged them closer, they made a plan that might see them through this. The droids would all hide in the smuggling compartments while the rest pretended to be crewmembers or passengers. A few minutes later, the ship entered the one of the space station’s hangar bays. A Rebel team was soon out to investigate, apologetically explaining that all ships were being detained following the catastrophe at Alderaan. They gave few details, except that the Empire was at fault. The Imperials successfully warded off the suspicions of the Rebels, who left them with the warning not to disembark and wait until they were cleared to leave.

Destiny, again, intervened. The Verpine picked up a number of transmissions from the nearby posts, listening in on the chatter. He gleaned that the Rebels had custody of Prince Skywalker, who was scheduled for execution within the day. Knowing the cost that would have on the Empire, the soldiers began scheming on how to rescue him. Ensign Nor’ein took the initiative (without telling anyone his plan), walked outside, and dropped a grenade on a computer console. Within moments, a team entered and arrested them while he ranted about how they had kidnapped him and implanted chips in his brain. The Rebels moved to place them under arrest until they could sort out what was going on. The short Kinsei, having earlier given a cover identity as a noble heir, demanded that they be given special treatment as nobility.

They granted this request. The team of 10 Rebels took them to a nearby prison area. As the Rebels prepared to lock them up, the group struck swiftly. Despite most of them still being manacled, the advantage of surprise, the Dashade’s strength and propensity for hitting people with other people, and the small Kinsei’s near-exclusive usage of the Force as a weapon, they managed to drive back their captors in a brief fight, killing several of them, although Calrissian was badly wounded in the firefight. Looking in the door of one of the cells, they spotted an unconscious Luke Skywalker, pulled him out, and dived into a nearby trash compacter, hoping to make it out before they could be arrested again.

Seeing as they would be leveling inside a trash compacter, I didn't let them level yet. 3 is the level where I become comfortable with not letting one adventure mean leveling, but it is generally 2 adventures per level until about 6 or 7. Fortunately for me, I'm at the point where I can put some more serious foes up against them; as another bonus, they've got a few wounded, which is going to slow them down next adventure and place a limitation on their options.

Adventure 2

I had to find a reason to incapacitate Rob, Justin, and Parker, as they weren't going to show up, even though it was Bruce's second-to-last time with us before moving. Rob came halfway through, but didn't see any combat. We also got started nearly an hour late when Lance finally showed up.

Rushing to the escape pods, they launched to the pre-programmed coordinates to pursue the droids, who they were only minutes behind. An errant blast rocked the escape pod, knocking it off-course and jarring the beings inside. When the escape pod slammed into the desert planet, all its inhabitants were unconscious or disabled. A few hours passed and the hardy Dashade awoke. He checked the others, finding that only the Verpine regained consciousness. They left to undertake the mission, leaving a note on one of Fi’kz’ta’s datapads, and shielding the pod as best they could from the unmerciful heat of Tatooine’s twin suns.

The unlikely duo trekked towards the nearest settlement, guided by the Verpine’s ability to catch radio waves. The Dashade also came into telepathic contact with the human Kinsei, who woke up not too long after them and followed their course. After a few hours in the heat, they crossed a natural rock settlement to see a Jawa sandcrawler. Unfortunately for the Jawas, it had been blown off its treads and was overrun by marauding Tuskens, who had killed the Jawas and were scavenging what interested them from the sandcrawler. The pair noticed a gleam and saw their objective: an R2 droid and a C-3PO unit, which had taken a nasty beating and had been torn in several pieces. The R2 was held down by an electric net which was continually forcing it to boot down and up again.

The droids hadn’t garnered the attention of the Tuskens yet, but it was only a matter of time until one of them came over and smashed them, destroying the information that the Empire needed. Unfortunately for the pair, a few dozen Tuskens milled the area between the rock formation and the Sandcrawler, with even more inside and in the surrounding area. An open attack against a hundred angry Sandpeople wasn’t going to turn out well for them, so they turned to more subtle methods. Also unfortunate for the pair was that such subtlety was not the strong suit of the very strong Dashade.

Seeing the occasional brawl break out between the violent Tuskens, they devised a plan. The Dashade, trying his best to hide his hulking frame in the rocks, threw a few pebbles at an unwary Tusken with the Force. Believing it to be an attack from another Tusken, he lashed at the nearest and gave the pair enough of a distraction to snatch and subdue two Tuskens who had wandered near. Donning the garb of the Sandpeople, they snuck towards the droids, trying to avoid direct scrutiny.

Once they were at the entrance to the Sandcrawler where the droids were, the plan took on a role the Dashade was far more comfortable with: violence. He seized the Tusken about to begin dismantling the droids and began a tussle similar to that which had distracted the raiders earlier. As he did this, Fi’kz’ta began to get the net off the R2 unit, allowing it to boot up correctly. The distraction fight lasted a few more seconds until the powerful Dashade gathered his rage and snapped the Tusken’s neck with a powerful blow. He then caught the Tusken and began to shake him as if their tussle was continuing, which bought him and the Verpine about half a minute more as the Sandpeople began to notice that the other Tusken wasn’t really fighting back.

With a few Sandpeople moving towards them, they dragged the droids to the nearby loading bay of the Sandcrawler. It was at this point that the R2 surprised the Verpine by beeping in Binary that it was coming with them, then wheeling to a nearby landspeeder and powering it up. The Kinsei, who had carried the dead Tusken with him, charged the Tusken who remained in the loading bay and flung the corpse at him, slamming him against the metal wall of the Sandcrawler. He fell to the ground, broken. They leapt in, throwing the droids in the back, and sped out of the Sandcrawler, with Fi’kz’ta piloting the speeder.

In case you're curious, a Tusken raider does d6 damage when used as an improvised weapon. They're unwieldy.

The Kinsei had torn off the Tusken helmet and brought out his lightsaber, still gripped by the dark rage that had given him the strength to kill the Tusken earlier. He leaned out of the speeder, lashing at any Tusken who it went near. The Tuskens shot at the speeder with their slugthrowers, hitting the enraged Kinsei twice. Fi’kz’ta managed to evade the majority of their fire by using a Bantha as cover, while the Dashade cut both it and its rider down. The Verpine managed to slide the landspeeder through a pair of columns of rock, and piloted them to escape.

With their objective attained, they sped back to their escape pod to pick up the others, getting the diminutive Kinsei on the way. After loading everyone up, they made their way back to the nearest habitation, which was the spaceport of Mos Eisley. While they were there, they managed to sell the speeder for 3,000 credits, which they bartered (in addition to the Verpine helping with some modifications) for a ride to Alderaan. Their pilot was a charming and gracious rogue with a heart of gold by name of Lando Calrissian, owner of the Millennium Falcon.

There were only about 5 rounds of combat in this entire adventure, but they were really entertaining. Lance, who had been doing some HackMaster earlier that day, was presented with a challenge that wasn't kick-down-the-door, and he and Bruce came up with some pretty strange plans to complete the objective. Most of this was made up on the spot, as I had planned for a full party of 5, not 2 people who bothered to come this week. Fortunately, they were rewarded with one of the more entertaining sessions in a while and got to level up, where the other two didn't.

Adventure 1

This being the first adventure and all, it was mostly filled with the earlier exposition from the last post. You'll find that I tend to condense the battle sequences that usually take a while to conclude, especially against nameless mooks. If they don't deserve names, they don't deserve descriptions.

After their ship connected with the Tantive IV, Prince Skywalker took half the boarding force to investigate the vessel. The group, along with a few others, was left to guard the retreat. However, after a few minutes, destiny intervened. Skywalker sent them a message to shut down the ship’s communications array, then to meet him in the bridge on the second level. The group met an inexperienced resistance in the corridors of the ship, then proceeded to fight their way through the mess hall as swiftly as they could, killing several Rebels in the process. Ensign Nor’ein and IG-207 were wounded by blaster fire, but not fatally.

Upon entering the communications array, the group herded the terrified technicians into the medical ward and destroyed the door, then shut the array down despite the protestations of the Verpine, who was trying to speed up an information download that would take hours. Hurrying to the bridge, they arrived to find only Skywalker and the ship’s captain alive after what appeared to be a frenzied melee. He informed them that he had interrogated the officer with the Force, and the captain had admitted entrusting the plans to what he called “Freedom Station” to a pair of droids and launched them to Tatooine when the boarding party arrived. Skywalker was about to take the party to the surface when a trio of Mandalorians appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. Skywalker ignited his blue lightsaber and confronted them, ordering the group to carry on the mission and recover the plans, then get them to Thrawn, who would surely return to the siege at Alderaan.

That's right. The Rebels have the Death Star, except they picked an even worse name. I leveled the party up, even though I usually don't like characters to level unless they have time to look back on their actions and grow as individuals or something. However, I don't like playing with level 1 characters who I can't throw a good grenade or competent opponent at.

Party Description

Grand Admiral Thrawn arrived at Tatooine at Emperor Skywalker’s orders, only to find his fleet outnumbered by a surprise Rebel fleet. However, despite the surprise and the numbers, Thrawn managed to use his tactical superiority to hold the Rebels at bay. In the midst of the fight, he noticed a small diplomatic ship in the Rebel fleet; curious as to why such a small ship would be in the middle of a space battle, he sent a boarding party to it, led by Crown Prince Luke Skywalker.

Skywalker was accompanied by 4 Kinsei and about 20 Navy officers. Amongst this group were 2 Kinsei, a R&D specialist, a petty officer, and one of the few independent droids to be accepting into the Imperial Academy. Despite their junior status on the boarding party, this group would affect the fate of the galaxy in completely unexpected ways. Perhaps it was destiny or the Force intervening to place them in the situation that would provide the catalyst.

The first one noticed in the group was the hulking Dashade, Nos Maliss, imposing at best and terrifying at worst. While he was not particularly gifted with the finer aspects of the Force, his powerful strength and convictions made him an excellent Kinsei. After the destruction of his home planet in the Sith War of Exar Kun, he and 39 other survivors were placed in cryogenic stasis by the Black Sun; his chamber was lost tumbling through space until found by Imperial forces 2 years hence. Returning to a galaxy where the Republic was no more and his brethren had been wasted (as he saw it) by the Black Sun, he gladly took up the Kinsei offer when they sensed his Force sensitivity.

No less dangerous was the relatively diminutive Kinsei next to him. Despite his small stature and youth, the human used the Force as his weapon (usually his only weapon), training as extensively as he could. Considered a prodigy by many, he had completed his training by 15 and was one of the youngest active Kinsai in the Corps.

Next amongst the group was Fi’kz’ta, the Verpine Research and Development specialist that had been tasked onto the Imperial naval detachment by his superiors. Its main purpose was to find out more about the Rebel fleet, as to better design a suitable and efficient counter. Bright and inquisitive, it had spent most of its life to this point in studies and learning, but the rigors of the military worked well for its insectoid mindset. However, while the rest of his military crew was drawn to the weapons of the armory, he often collected empty datapads to later fill with data.

A quiet enigma to the group was the young petty officer, Ensign Altar Nor’ein, whose roguish ways made it a constant question how exactly he had passed the Imperial Academy. As it was, his father was an Admiral who longed for a son to succeed him, but saw nothing but disappointment in the son that he had. He had forced his son into the Academy at the end of his rebellious childhood, but the military had done little to temper him. He remained impulsive, tempestuous, and a little prone to kleptomania.

The final of the group was the most unusual: an independent droid known as IG-207. Droids rarely gained enough independence to be accepted as anything more than foot soldiers and cannon fodders, but this droid had succeeded in doing just that. It had developed a somewhat violent and pragmatic personality, often seeking efficient solutions to problems. A descendant model of the MagnaGuard IG-100 droids that accompanied General Grievous in the Clone Wars, it was swift and quick to shoot.

Some NPC Outlines

Emperor Anakin Skywalker: Jedi 7/Jedi Knight 5/ace pilot 2/Sith apprentice 1/Master Kinsei 5 – CL 20

Jedi Master Shaak Ti: Jedi 7/Jedi Knight 5/Jedi Master 5 – CL 17

Grand Admiral Thrawn: Noble 6/Soldier 1/Officer 9 – CL 16

Boba Fett, Mandalore: Soldier 3/Noble 5/Officer 6 – CL 14

Prince Xizor: Noble 4/Scoundrel 3/Crime Lord 6 – CL 13

Jedi Master Ferus Olin: Jedi 6/Soldier 1/Jedi Knight 5/Jedi Master 1 – CL 13

Crown Prince Luke Skywalker: Jedi 7/Kinsei Honor Guard 3 – CL 10

Princess Leia Skywalker: Jedi 4/Noble 3/Kinsei Honor Guard 2 – CL 9

Captain Han Solo: Soldier 6/Noble 1/Elite Trooper 2 – CL 9

Chewbacca Ordo, Mandalorian Commando: Scout 5/Soldier 2/Gunslinger 1 – CL 8

Colonel Soontir Fel: Soldier 7/Ace Pilot 1 – CL 8

New Consumables

- Adrenal Alacrity
A shot of this enhancer provides a temporary boost in the dexterity of the
user. The effect wears off after a short time, and side effects are considered
minimal. Stim bonuses that affect the same statistic do not stack.
Primary Effect +2 Dexterity for 10 rounds Secondary Effect -1 step on the condition track when the primary effect wears off
Weight .5 kg Cost 250 credits

- Adrenal Stamina
A shot of this enhancer provides a temporary boost in the constitution of the user. The effect wears off after a short time, and side effects are considered minimal. Stim bonuses that affect the same statistic do not stack.
Primary Effect +2 Constitution for 10 rounds Secondary Effect -1 step on the condition track when the primary effect wears off
Weight .5 kg Cost 250 credits

- Adrenal Strength
A shot of this enhancer provides a temporary boost in the strength of the user. The effect wears off after a short time, and side effects are considered minimal. Stim bonuses that affect the same statistic do not stack.
Primary Effect +2 Strength for 10 rounds Secondary Effect -1 step on the condition track when the primary effect wears off
Weight .5 kg Cost 250 credits

- Advanced Medpac
An advanced medpac contains an improved array of equipment for the treatment of wounds.
Effect provides a +5 bonus on Treat Injury rolls and allows one reroll
Weight 1 kg Cost 250 credits

- Antidote Kit
This kit contains wide-spectrum antidote hypospray injectors designed to neutralize all known poisons.
Effect provides a +5 bonus on Treat Injury rolls to remove a persistent condition caused by poison.
Weight .5 kg Cost 50 credits


- Hyper-Adrenal Alacrity
This model of alacrity stim uses a very powerful mixture of chemicals to produce an incredible increase in the dexterity of the user. Stim bonuses that affect the same statistic do not stack.
Primary Effect +4 Dexterity for 10 rounds Secondary Effect -1 persistent step on the condition track when the primary effect wears off
Weight .5 kg Cost 500 credits

- Hyper-Adrenal Stamina
Steeling the user against pain, this stim provides a very large boost in constitution. Stim bonuses that affect the same statistic do not stack.
Primary Effect +4 Stamina for 10 rounds Secondary Effect -1 persistent step on the condition track when the primary effect wears off
Weight .5 kg Cost 500 credits

- Hyper-Adrenal Strength
More effective than the basic model, this stim uses a risky cocktail of chemicals to boost the strength of the user. Stim bonuses that affect the same statistic do not stack.
Primary Effect +4 Strength for 10 rounds Secondary Effect -1 persistent step on the condition track when the primary effect wears off
Weight .5 kg Cost 500 credits

Life Support Pack
A life support pack contains dermal regenerators and other equipment for the treatment of wounds.
Effect provides a +5 bonus on Treat Injury rolls and allows two rerolls
Weight 1 kg Cost 500 credits

New Force Powers

- Battle Valor [light side]

You use the Force to enhance your defensive skills. Time: Swift action. Target: You.

DC 15: Gain a +2 Force Bonus to your Defense scores and to all Use the Force checks made to Block, Deflect, and Redirect.

DC 20: As DC 15, except the Force bonuses increase to +4.

DC 25: As DC 20, except the Force bonuses increase to +6.

Special: You can spend a Force Point to extend the duration of your battle valor until the end of the encounter.

- Stun Droid

You use the Force to deal debilitating ion damage to a droid. Time: Standard action. Target: One droid target within 6 squares and within line of sight.

DC 15: The target takes 2d10 points of ion damage. If your Use the Force check equals or exceeds the target’s Damage Threshold, the target takes full damage. Otherwise, it takes half damage. (See ion damage, page 159.)

DC 20: As DC 15, except the target takes 4d10 points of ion damage.

DC 25: As DC 25, except the target takes 6d10 points of ion damage.

- Malacia [light side]

You use the Force to nauseate your opponents. Time: Standard action. Target: One living creature touched.

DC 20: If your Use the Force check equals to exceeds the target’s Will Defense, the target takes a persistent condition (nausea). 8 hours of rest or a Treat Injury check (DC determined by your Use the Force check) will remove this persistent condition.

- Force Horror [dark side, mind-affecting]

You use the Force to terrify your opponent. Time: Standard action. Target: One target within line of sight.

DC 15: The target flees in terror for one round at top speed, even if it is wounded. After stopping, the target takes a -5 penalty to any attempt to intimidate it. This is a fear effect. If your Use the Force check does not equal or exceed the target’s Will Defense, this power has no effect.

DC 20: As DC 15, except the duration extends to 2 rounds.

DC 25: As DC 20, except the duration extends to 3 rounds.

- Force Slow [dark side, mind-affecting]

You use the Force to poison the mind of your target, slowing its reflexes. Time: Standard action. Target: one target within 6 squares or line of sight.

Make a Use the Force check. If you equal or exceed the target’s Will Defense, the target’s speed is reduced by half for one minute.

Special: You can spend a Force Point to extend the duration to an hour.

- Flash of Light [light side]

You use the Force to create a bright, even blinding, flash of light. Time: Standard action. Target: 6-square cone.

Make a Use the Force check and compare the results to the Fortitude Defense of all targets in the cone. If you equal or exceed the target’s Fortitude Defense, the target is blinded for one round, plus one round for each 5 by which your Use the Force check exceeds his Fortitude Defense.

Special: If used in an area of low light or total darkness, targets take a -5 penalty to their Fortitude Defense for the purpose of this power. The power also illuminates a 10-square radius around the Force-user for one round.

Additions

The main addition of the campaign is the new Force tradition, the Kinsei. Loyal to the Emperor and devoted to balance, practitioners do not tie themselves exclusively to neither the Dark nor Light Sides. Add the following talent tree and prestige classes.

Talent Tree: Kinsei (Available to Jedi class.)

- Scourge of Absolutes: Against creatures with a Dark Side Score equal to 0 or his Wisdom Score, you gain a +1 Force bonus on attack and damage rolls.

- Resist the Extremes: You gain a +3 Force bonus to all Defense scores against Force powers with the [dark side] or [light side] descriptors and all Force powers originating from any Force-user whose Dark Side Score equals 0 or his Wisdom score.

Prerequisite: Scourge of Absolutes

- Harness the Dark Side: A number of times per day equal to your Wisdom modifier, you can use a Force power with the [dark side] descriptor without gaining an increase to your Dark Side Score.

- Call to Balance: As a swift action, you can expend any 2 Force powers to return any expended Force power to your suite of available Force Powers.

- Cry of Balance: As a swift action, you can expend any 1 Force power to gain a use of Surge or Battle Strike, even if you do not normally have these powers in your suite. This power must be used this encounter or it is lost.

Prerequisite: Call to Balance

Kinsei Honor Guard

A Kinsei who proves himself by valorously protecting his sector of the Galaxy can be invited into the Honor Guard. While it is a prestigious honor within the Empire, it is also a great responsibility. Members of the Honor Guard have a much greater degree of autonomy and are not tied to any specific sector, but rather used as mobile agents to investigate and respond to various threats.

Requirements

Minimum Heroic Level: 7^th

Trained Skills: Use the Force

Feats: Force Sensitivity, Weapon Proficiency (lightsabers)

Special: Must have sworn loyalty to Empire

Game Rule Information

Hit Points: Kinsei Honor Guards gain 1d10 hit points + their Constitution modifier.

Force Points: Kinsei Honor Guards increase their maximum limit of Force Points by 1. This bonus does not stack with the bonus granted by Sith Apprentice, Jedi Knight, or Force Adept.

Class Features

Defense Bonuses: +2 to Reflex, Fortitude, and Will Defense.

Talents: At every odd-numbered level, you select a talent. The talent may be selected from the Kinsei talent tree (Jedi), the Armor Specialist talent tree (Soldier), the Kinsei Mastery talent tree (presented below), or the Leadership talent tree (Noble).

Force Techniques: At every even-numbered level, you gain one Force technique.

Kinsei Mastery Talent Tree

- Golden Middle: Once per day, as a free action, when you use a Force power with the [dark side] descriptor, you may also spend a Force Point to use a Force Power with the [light side] descriptor. You cannot use other talents from the Kinsei or Kinsei Master talent trees in the same round as this talent.

- Focused Control: When maintaining Force grip or move object, you only take a -2 penalty per round.

- Dichotomy: Whenever you use a Force power with the [light side] descriptor after using a power with the [dark side] descriptor in the previous round, or vice-versa, you can either move up one step on the condition track or gain a +1 Force bonus to your Defenses and attack rolls for the remainder of the encounter. This effect cannot trigger in consecutive rounds.

- Avoid Absolutes: When using Force Points to lower your Dark Side Score, you may reduce your Dark Side Score by 2 instead of 1, as long as this does not reduce your Dark Side Score to 0.

Master Kinsei

The greatest Kinsei of the Honor Guard are considered Masters. Many of the current Masters were personally trained by Emperor Skywalker. The Masters represent the elite who have wholly dedicated themselves to the balance of the Force, the protection of the galaxy, and the will of the Emperor.

Requirements

Minimum Heroic Level: 12^th

Trained Skills: Use the Force

Feats: Force Sensitivity, Weapon Proficiency (Lightsabers)

Force Techniques: Any one

Dark Side Score: Your Dark Side Score must not be equal to 0 or your Wisdom Score. If your Dark Side Score ever becomes 0 or equal to your Wisdom Score, you lose access to all class features granted by this class until your Dark Side Score again does not equal your Wisdom score or 0.

Special: Must be a member of the Kinsei Corps.

Game Rule Information

Hit Points: 1d10 + Constitution

Force Points: Kinsei Honor Guards increase their maximum limit of Force Points by 1. This bonus does not stack with the bonus granted by Sith Lord, Jedi Master, or Force Disciple.

Class Features

Defense Bonsuses: +3 to Reflex, Fortitude, and Will Defense.

Fearless: You are immune to fear effects.

Talents: At every odd-numbered level, you select a talent. The talent may be selected from the Kinsei talent tree, the Kinsei Mastery talent tree, or any Force talent tree. You must meet the prerequisites (if any) of the chosen talent.

Force Secret: At 2^nd level and every level thereafter, you gain one Force secret.

Center Path: As a standard action, you may use your understanding of the balance of the Force to deaden another’s connection to it. Make a Use the Force check and compare it to the Will Defense of a single opponent within line of sight. If the attack succeeds, he loses one Force Point. You may spend a Force Point to cause him to lose an additional Force Point, even if the attack fails.

House Rules (Subject to Change)

GENERAL RULES - UPDATED 9/22/2007

Condition Track

Normal: 100-70% no penalty

Battered: 69-40% -1 penalty

Injured: 39-20% -2 penalty

Wounded: 19-10% -5 penalty

Critical: 9%-1hp -10 penalty, ½ speed

If an attack would knock you X steps down the condition track, you are “staggered” for X rounds instead. A “staggered” character can only take one standard and one swift action per round.

Armor now gives DR X, where X is the normal bonus to Fortitude.

Heroic characters regain Force Points at a rate of one per day, up to their maximum limit equal to their Wisdom modifier + ½ heroic level (minimum 1.) To use Force Points to reduce your Dark Side Score by 1, you must be at your maximum limit and spend all Force Point. To use Force Points to be knocked unconscious instead of killed, you must spend 1 extra Force Point for each multiple of your Damage Threshold done in damage. If you would take a class that would give you more Force Points per level than any other class you currently have, increase your maximum limit by the difference.

ACTIONS

Recover: You may spend 3 consecutive swift actions or spend a Force Point as a swift action to ignore the Condition Track for 1 round.

Grapple Rules

- Base Grapple Bonus: Base Attack + (Strength OR Dexterity, whichever is higher)

- Size Modifiers: Fine -20, Diminutive -15, Tiny -10, Small -5, Large +5, Huge +10, Gargantuan +15, Colossal +20

- Disarm: As a standard action, you may attempt to disarm an adjacent target. You and the target make opposed grapple checks. If either you or the target is using more than one hand or there is a condition that makes it particularly difficult or easy to take, that character gets a +5 bonus per extra hand or condition in their favor on this check. If you succeed, you can take the disarmed weapon or immediately throw it anywhere within 6 squares. If you fail, your opponent can make an immediate attack of opportunity against you.

- Grapple: As a standard action, you may make a grapple attack against an adjacent target no more than 1 size category larger than you. You may only make a grapple attack against a single target at time, but there is no limit to how many characters can make grapple attacks on a single target at once. You and the target make opposed grapple checks. If you win, until you or the target breaks the grapple, neither can move or attack (except with natural weapons or unarmed attacks) without another grapple check. If you have the Pin, Crush, Trip, or Throw feats, you may use them now. If you lose, the target may make an immediate attack of opportunity against you.

- While in a Grapple: If you are currently in a grapple, you must make an opposed grapple check with the other participant(s) in order to perform most actions. (If there are multiple participants, make the checks individually. You must succeed at all of them.) If you succeed at an opposed grapple check, you may maintain the grapple and perform a move action (although your speed is reduced by half). If you succeed at an opposed grapple check, you may maintain the grapple and roll damage with a light weapon or one-handed lightsaber against any participant. If you lose, nothing happens.

- Breaking a Grapple: As a standard action, you may attempt to break a grapple. Make an opposed grapple check with the other participant(s) in the grapple. (If there are multiple participants, make the checks individually. You must succeed at all of them.) If you win, you may move the other participant to any adjacent square. That participant is no longer grappling you. If you lose, nothing happens.

Tumble check: Against a target with heroic levels, the target may attempt an attack of opportunity. Make an opposed Acrobatics check against the target’s Initiative check. If you win, you avoid the attack of opportunity. If you lose, the target may make an immediate attack of opportunity.

TALENTS

Ranged Disarm: You can disarm an opponent using a ranged attack. You must replace your grapple check with your ranged attack roll.

Indomitable: You are always treated as if you are one step higher on the condition track.

Equilibrium: Whenever you spend a Force Point to ignore the Condition Track for 1 round, you instead ignore it for 2 rounds.

FEATS

Force Boon: Your maximum number of Force Points is increased by 2.

Dodge: Once per round, you may force a target to reroll any attack made against you and take the second result.

Shake It Off: If you would take damage that is not greater than your damage threshold, but would lower you a step on the condition track, you may spend a Force Point to instead move to the minimum range of your current step. (For instance, if a character with 100 maximum hit points, 75 current hit points, and a damage threshold of 20 would take 15 damage, he could use this feat to be reduced to 70 hit points instead of 60.)

FORCE POWERS

Move object & Force grip: You take a cumulative -5 penalty on your Use the Force check for each round spent maintaining this power beyond the first.

DROIDS

Constitution Score: Droids can have a Constitution score to signify resilience or delicacy of construction.

Leveling: When receiving a bonus to ability scores at 4^th, 8^th, etc, a droid cannot select Constitution.

Factions

Empire

Emperor Skywalker created the Empire out of the ashes of the Galactic Republic, which had been destroyed by the machinations of Palpatine. Publicly distancing himself from his former secret Master, the citizens of the galaxy saw him as a savior from the Clone Wars as well as the potential horrors of a Sith Emperor.

The Empire, with its massive military and the Kinsei Corps, enforced peace through the galaxy. However, thanks to restrictive economic policies of worlds seen as potentially disloyal, many of these became disloyal. The Empire’s allies include the Chiss Ascendancy, the Corporate Sector, and the Hapes Consortium, which maintain their autonomy in exchange for support.

Slavery and criminal organizations are banned and actively hunted by the Empire. One example of this was the case of the Black Sun, led by Prince Xizor. The Empire’s campaign against it regrettably resulted in a catastrophic explosion on the Falleen homeworld.

Notable members include Emperor Skywalker, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Captain Han Solo, and Colonel Soontir Fel.

Kinsei

The Kinsei Corps, created by Anakin Skywalker, is the primary peacekeeping force in the Galaxy. Similar to the Jedi of the Republic, they act as diplomats and peacekeepers, but are loyal to the Empire above the Force. Members of the Corps are not beholden to the Light Side or the dogma of the Jedi, and authorized to use any tools necessary to preserve the peace and serve the Empire; however, it is forbidden to wantonly use the Dark Side or act outside the will of the Emperor.

The Kinsei are organized into thousands of sectors spanning the galaxy. Each sector has several Kinsei assigned to protect it, with some of the more populous or important sectors having dozens or even hundreds of Kinsei assigned to them. The Kinsei inherited most of the recruitment of the Jedi, allowing for well over 10,000 Kinsei to be trained in the relatively peaceful two decades following the Clone Wars.

The Kinsei are a paramilitary organization, officially tied to the standing military of a sector. The fleets of the Empire also have their own detachments of Kinsei to aid them. (Thus, they are members of either the Imperial Army or Navy. Their official rank is appended with Kinsei and given command of members of a similar rank, so a Kinsei-Lieutenant would outrank a Lieutenant.)

Notable members include Emperor Skywalker, Crown Prince Luke Skywalker, Kyle Katarn, Koffi Arana, Antinnis Tremayne, and Princess Leia Skywalker.

Rebellion

The leaders of the Rebellion saw the fall of the Republic firsthand as Palpatine secured his power, and declared their intent to restore the Republic. When Skywalker took power instead of Palpatine, they continued their quest to bring back the Republic. The Rebellion began as an armed conflict seventeen years into his reign when the worlds of Chandrila, Corellia, and Alderaan declared themselves in rebellion after the signing of the Corellian Treaty. The Senators of those worlds, Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and Garm Bel Iblis, formed the leadership of the Rebellion.

Several worlds quickly joined the Rebellion, including Mon Calamari, which modified its cruise ships into capital ships to challenge the Empire. Another world was Thyrsus, which was led by a charismatic noble named Diospholos. Thyrsus provided a proud warrior tradition matching the ferocity, if not the renown, of the Mandalorians.

The Rebellion has many allies in the enemies of the Empire. The Jedi, the Mandalorians, Confederate sympathizers, and various crime empires all support the Rebellion in some degree.

Notable members include Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, Garm Bel Iblis, Diospholos, Prince Xizor, and Wedge Antilles.

Jedi Order

Palpatine’s Order 66 nearly destroyed the Jedi Order. Already weakened by the Clone Wars, over 95% of the Jedi were killed in one brutal stroke. However, Skywalker chose not to pursue the Jedi after breaking ties with both them and the Sith. He instead offered amnesty to the Jedi, revealing Palpatine’s role in their destruction but hiding his own. He declared the Jedi teachings as dangerous absolutes that led to their own destruction and the near-destruction of the galaxy, and decreed the practice to be illegal.

Many of them chose to forsake their Jedi teachings and join his newfound Kinsei Corps, but many survivors simply went into hiding. They quietly recruited as many as they could, but their number never increased beyond a few hundred. Under the leadership of Master Shaak Ti, the only known survivor of the Jedi Council, the Jedi survived. When the Rebellion started, the Order offered its support. They sought to reclaim legitimacy and overthrow the Emperor, who they saw as a morally dubious oppressor.

Notable Members include Grand Master Shaak Ti, Masters Ferus Olin, Halagad Ventor, Roan Shryne, and Robilo Darté.

Mandalorians

The Mandalorians were at their weakest point in galactic history after the Clone Wars. Of all the Mandalorians to fight in the conflict, only 3 survived. Two of those survivors, Tobbi Dala and Fenn Shysa, met the young Boba Fett in the following decade. Under their tutelage, Fett embraced his Mandalorian heritage, quickly rising through the ranks of the warrior clan. The Mandalorians, seeing his potential, made him their leader at the age of 25. As Mandalore, he enacted a wide program of economic reform and training, intent of resurrecting the Mandalorians as a military power.

At the onset of the Rebellion, Fett saw an opportunity to strengthen Mandalore by overthrowing the economic restrictions of the Empire. It was also a matter of personal vendetta, as he blamed Skywalker for the Battle of Geonosis and the death of his father. This vendetta allowed him to even work with the remaining Jedi, some of whom had been colleagues with his father’s killer, Mace Windu.

Numerically, the Mandalorians are not a significant threat. Approximately 3,000,000 Mandalorians live on Mandalore, about half of whom can mobilize for combat if necessary. However, they represent a warrior elite, and a few Mandalorians are seen as a match for entire legions of troops.

Notable members include Mandalore Boba Fett, his lieutenants Tobbi Dala and Fenn Shysa, and the first Wookiee Mandalorian, Chewbacca Ordo.