OOC: Star Wars Into the Unknown

Sakutian

With the Rebel Alliance's victory at the Battle of Endor and the death of Emperor Palpatine many assumed that the Empire had been defeated once and for all. They were mistaken. Even without the will of the Sith who engineered its birth the Empire was too large and too powerful to be toppled so easily. Imperial officers with warships and troops divided up large portions of the Empire and styled themselves as warlords of their own realms while the rest of the galaxy became a battlefield.

The New Republic steadily gained ground liberating one world after another. However with the reappearance of Grand Admiral Thrawn and his forces the galaxy faced the terrifying possibility of Imperial rule once again. Were it not for the presence of a traitor and assassin within his own ranks Grand Admiral Thrawn's bid for conquest might very well have succeeded.

As the New Republic struggles to find a sense of stability while maintaining order throughout the galaxy eyes turns continually towards the Outer Rim and beyond to the Unknown Regions. Evidence that the rumors of great armies and armadas waiting in the uncharted depths of space are more than wild stories weighs heavily on the mind of the newly elected Chief of State Leia Organna Solo.

If Grand Admiral Thrawn was able to hide an entire armada in the cloying darkness of the Unknown Regions than one can only imagine what other terrors might be biding their time there.

Into the Unknown

What is this?

This is a Star Wars Saga game set in the New Republic Era, 11 ABY to be precise. Since I just acquired a copy of Star Wars Unknown Regions I can finally run a campaign I’ve wanted to see brought to life for more than a year. Rather than focusing on Coruscant, Corellia, Alderaan, or even the Outer Rim this time the party will be journeying into the unknown regions of space. Exploration, battles with hostile alien species, intrigue, and lots of opportunities for amazing social encounters are all on the menu.

Can I play?

The party has already been chosen and will consist of Heir, Klivian, El Skid, Psolms, and Solar assuming they are all interested in playing. I'm hoping for a group of 3-4 players who would be willing to venture into the Unknown Regions so if those numbers at met by the already mentioned players I'll open recruitment.

Do I have to post daily?

Please try and post at least once per day. If something occurs that prevent you from doing so fine, I'm realistic and I do understand that sometimes lives are too hectic to plan for everything. If you can't post for more than a day or two though let me know what the situation is. This is an obligation that goes both way and I will make a sincere effort to post as often as possible. If something occurs to prevent me from doing so I will of course try to let everyone know what is going on.

What are the guidelines for character creation?

*32 point buy system
*Level 5
*You can roll stats as outlined in the core rulebook.
*No Ewoks
*Droid characters aren’t forbidden but you really need to impress me with your concept to make it in.
*Jedi characters can be students of the New Order or survivors of the Jedi Purge.
*You do not need to roll/pay for equipment licenses.
*Please include a backstory of your character, and answer the following questions for you character in you submission post:
1. Why is your character willing to travel into the Unknown Regions?
2. What is one rumor your character has heard about the Unknown Regions that interests them?
3. What is your character leaving behind?

Rolls

You can do your rolls on orokos, invisible castle, or any other online dice roller of your choosing. If you are going to use Geth to roll dice please only do so in the OOC thread.

The Horseshoe Rule

The Horseshoe Rule is named in honor of the GM who has been running the Clone Wars campaign on this forum for three years.

Simply put the rule is that your actions can, and more than likely will, change the history of the Star Wars universe. For example if you failed to prevent the assassination of Luke Skywalker…that will probably have a direct effect on the war between the Alliance and the Empire. Just probably though. You are not going to be puppets of the universe we're playing in, you’re the puppet masters. Shape it in whatever way you see fit.

House Rules

1. All PC characters of a species that cannot speak Basic receive a translator as part of their starting equipment. This device is able to translate their native language into Basic.
2. New Plympto was devastated by Imperial forces during the Battle of Bilagen. As such nearly all inhabitants were killed and the planet itself was desolated.
3. Jedi always have the option to use Dark Rage, but you'll gain a DSP if you do so.
4. Severing Strike is assumed to be a talent of any Force User.

Recent Events in the Star Wars Universe

Destruction of Byss
Death of Emperor Palpatine’s last clone at the hands of Han Solo
Leia Organna Solo elected as New Republic Chief of State
The New Republic retakes Coruscant
New Alderaan is liberated from the Empire by the New Republic
Luke Skywalker establishes a Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4 and declares himself Jedi Grandmaster of the New Order.
Jedi Headquarters constructed on Coruscant over the ruins of the Jedi Temple.

Sakutian

Since this is functioning as something of a reboot you guys can choose to play your characters from the Lost Hope campaign or you can create something new. I leave that up to you. Please just make sure to adjust your character's biographies since the galaxy just jumped ahead by nearly a decade.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions they are appreciated and welcomed.

El Skid

Whelp, that certainly answers the question of "when do I move Jado's stats into Adult from Adolescent?"! :P

I am most definitely in

Sakutian

Fantastic, glad to have you on board again El Skid. I'm excited to see how Jado's character will develop.

Were you thinking of having her be a member of the New Jedi Order?

El Skid

I think I'll want to come up with a bunch of stuff that ended up happening after Lost Hope and walk through some stuff with you, incorporte any suggestions you might have etc.

I know for sure we need to figure out the circumstances of how the status of Jado got erected in that Gungan temple, so I'll start there :P

Sakutian

When the Gungans rebuilt their city a statue of Jado was built alongside that of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padme Amidala.

Heir

Same CL?

Titus will of course be around, but I may retool him some.

Sakutian

Yeah we're sticking with level five.

El Skid

Nooo...all my hard work levelling up to 6, all gone!

:P

Sakutian

El Skid on the plus side I'm pretty sure your stats will still go up when you advance Jado's age.

Sakutian

So there are a couple of important timeline notes I need to make.

1) Luke Skywalker didn't die of disappear after his duel aboard the second Death Star. We're going back to the standard model where he made it out and went on to do great things. Like start a new Jedi order.

2) Titus, Jado, Kandor, and Tendau were instrumental in liberating Naboo from Imperial control and facilitating the peaceful transition of power. As a result they were awarded special honors and enjoy a degree of fame throughout the Rebel Alliance.

psolms

3) Cado was instrumental in convincing the captain to retract his harsh punishment of half rations. As a result, a small party was thrown in his honor with lots of booze.

Sakutian

Mon Calamari only carry water, various delicious fruit beverages, and a seaweed based drink that if ingest in large quantities can induce delusions. This is usually due to the fact that it causes dehydration in most species not capable of ingesting saltwater.

Klivian

Looking forward to the reboot. I'm going to tweak Tendau's stats a bit.

I'll get you the character questions soon, too.

El Skid

And this is the worst part about the reboot- I have to find a different photo somewhere for Jado as an adult :P

Sakutian

I'm really excited about seeing how these characters will answer the new questions.

Balosar do seem to suffer from a lack of artwork. Being galactic drug dealers doesn't draw the imagination of artists apparently. The only images I've been able to find just don't seem to work, but I'll try to ease your burden El Skid.

This one just doesn't seem like Jado at all, unless she's hit a rebellious age.



This one isn't quite right either.

El Skid

Thanks for the attempt, Sak.

Maybe I'll just go with a female in a hooded cloak and cheat :P

Sakutian

Write a letter to J.J. Abrams and ask him to work some Balosar into the background for his Star Wars movies, just enough to require some concept artwork. Then Jado can make a cameo in a movie and you can have some cool artwork.

Heir

Titus:

Titus Antares CL 5

Medium Human (middle aged) Jedi 2/scoundrel 1/soldier 2
Init +9; Senses darkvision; Perception +7
Languages Balosar, Basic

Defenses Ref 20 (flat-footed 18), Fort 19, Will 20; Deflect
hp 58, Tested in Battle; Threshold 19

Speed 6 squares
Melee lightsaber +7 (2d8+4) or
Melee lightsaber +7 (2d8+6) with both hands
Ranged blaster pistol +6 (3d6+2)
Base Atk +4; Grp +6
Atk Options Find Openings, Instinctive Attack, Point Blank Shot
Force Powers Known (Use The Force +14) battle strike, mind trick, rebuke, surge

Abilities Str 15, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 14
Talents Deflect, Find Openings, Tested in Battle
Feats Force Sensitivity, Force Training, Improved Defenses, Instinctive Attack, Point Blank Shot, Skill Focus (Use the Force), Weapon Focus (lightsabers), Weapon Proficiency (lightsabers, pistols, simple weapons)
Skills Initiative +9, Perception +7, Persuasion +9, Use Computer +8, Use the Force +14
Possessions blaster pistol, lightsaber

Age has altered his attributes based on the rules outlined in the Core Book. He is now aged 55.

Background:

Titus Antares had been many things over the course of his life. Jedi Initiate, refugee, mercenary, solider, and jedi once again. He'd been a husband and father, a widower, and a mentor. He'd been unknown to the galaxy, a respected comrade by fellow troopers, and a galactic hero thanks to his (and his companions') actions on Naboo. However all of that had changed on Mindor.

After Naboo, Titus had begrudgingly accepted Luke Skywalker as his Jedi instructor. While he still found the young man to be idealistic to a fault, he admired him for bringing the flame of the Jedi back to the galaxy, and attempting to learn from the past Order's mistakes. In return, the Son of Skywalker had looked to Titus as something of a mentor as well, especially as he advanced through the ranks of the New Republic. The two served with distinction in several battles, though Titus slowly relinquished his command to younger, more capable soldiers. His time was more and more devoted to watching Jado grow as both a Jedi and, more importantly, as a person...no more was she just a naive child...and he couldn't help but admire the young woman she was turning into.

Everything changed with Mindor though. Skywalker, still young by all accounts, was suddenly a general, in command of thousands of troops. Titus was personally asked by him to lead a company, and while he felt weary, the elder soldier knew it would be a tough fight...his tactical knowledge would be invaluable. But it all fell apart. While they managed to win, Titus was sickened by the needless death...the enemy forces fought to the death. And Skywalker had acted brashly to defeat Cronal, triggering nearly 50,000 deaths immediately. After the battle, Skywalker had approached Titus, clearly overwrought with shock and grief at the loss of life apparently on his hands. Titus just shook his head, turned, and walked away. He commandeered the nearest shuttle, and left, picking a planet at random from the nav computer.

Nearly 6 years later, Titus's old Ithorian friend, Tendau, found him on the planet Ragoon VI. He'd heard rumors of a wandering hermit who would appear from time to time, intervening in local disputes or saving a random child lost in the forest, before disappearing back to where he came from. No one knew his name, but descriptions of a grumpy older man with a yellow lightsaber had been enough of a lead for the Ithorian. After questioning some locals, Tendau had headed off into the woods before making camp after an arduous trek. As he sat there staring into the fire, his thoughts wandering back to adventurous, more..youthful times. A voice, gruff, yet not unkind, broke the silence. "Youth is a wonderful thing, old friend..." Titus, older than Tendau had remembered him, stepped out of the dark, his hood only revealing a very white beard. The face breaks into a smile as he comes closer. "What a crime to waste it on the young."

Questions:

1. Why is your character willing to travel into the Unknown Regions?

- Over the course of Tendau's visit with Titus, he had broached the subject of a trip to the Unknown Regions. Initially he refused, but when the Ithorian mentioned that "she" would be going, he had a change of heart.

2. What is one rumor your character has heard about the Unknown Regions that interests them?

- Nothing good, all bad. Admiral Thrawn had been from there...and for all Titus knew, he was just the tip of the iceberg. Which is what convinced him to go...he hadn't seen Jado in years, but his protective instincts had kicked in nonetheless.

3. What is your character leaving behind?

- Seclusion. Titus has grown fond of the quiet. No longer does he have to fight...to kill. He's enjoyed the past several years, contemplating on the nature of the Force and life in general.

Klivian

Tendau Bendon



Background

Tendau Bendon grew up on the herdship "Tree of Tarintha" the son of midlevel bureaucrats. He found the political life his parents led wearisome and trite, however, and enlisted in the Ithorian Environmental Response Force upon completion of his primary schooling. There he was served as an ERF pathfinder. Pathfinders are the first to deploy to environmental and ecological disasters across the galaxy ranging from drought to industrial pollution to bioweapons. They gather the first samples, prioritize and triage the area, and prepare sites for larger ERF teams to follow.

During his deployment he met and married his wife Mwarii, a member of the ERF veterinary division. Mwarii died giving birth to their daughter, Jawiin. Tendau raised his daughter the best he could, but was frequently called away to remote locations and was forced to leave her with his sister-in-law. Tendau always feels guilty for the time he missed with her. Jawiin grew to be a caring and gentle being with a knack for the healing arts.

Enraged by the destruction of Alderan, Tendau joined the Rebel Alliance where he served in a recon division. He continued to serve the New Republic in this manner through the Second Liberation of Naboo where his actions earned him numerous laurels and promotions. As retirement neared, the New Republic's Environmental Council offered him a seat as an adviser. Nearly a decade passed in the Council's service and Tendau's wisdom and knowledge impacted thousands of worlds for the better. Yet he longed for the days of his youth when a new planet's dirt caked his boots and its air filled his lungs. He yearned to experience the excitement of discovery again.

Questions

1. Why is your character willing to travel into the Unknown Regions?

- He has languished in a prestigious desk job for too long and wants to go back into the field.

2. What is one rumor your character has heard about the Unknown Regions that interests them?

- There is plant species with healing qualities similar to bacta. If the species could be studied and adapted for other environments, even the poorest planets could provide advanced medical care.

3. What is your character leaving behind?
- His daughter Jawinn, head surgeon serving on a New Republic medical frigate

Stats

Medium Ithorian scout 5
Init +4; Senses Perception +12
Languages Basic, Ithorese, Mon Calamarian

Abilities Str 12, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 17, Cha 16
Defenses Ref 19 (flat-footed 17), Fort 16, Will 20; Evasion
HP 47; second wind +11/23; Threshold 16
Immune +5 to Fortitude Defense against extreme heat and cold effects

Speed 6 squares
Melee knife +4 (1d4+3)
Ranged heavy blaster pistol +6 (3d8+2) or
Ranged heavy blaster pistol +1 (3d8+2) and heavy blaster pistol +1 (3d8+2) or
Ranged heavy blaster pistol +6 (3d8+2) or
Ranged adhesive grenade +5 (special, 2-square burst) or
Ranged smoke grenade +5 (special, 2-square burst)
Base Atk +3; Grp +5
Atk Options Dual Weapon Mastery, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot
Special Actions Bellow, Sizing Up

Special Qualities Survival Instinct
Talents Acute Senses, Evasion, Sizing Up
Feats Dual Weapon Mastery I, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Focus (pistols), Weapon Proficiency (pistols, rifles, simple weapons)

Primary Skills Endurance +7, Knowledge (galactic lore) +8, Knowledge (life sciences) +13, Perception +12 (may reroll but must keep the result of the reroll even if worse), Stealth +9, Survival +10 (may reroll but must keep the result of the reroll even if worse)

Secondary Skills Acrobatics +4, Climb +3, Deception +5, Gather Information +5, Initiative +4, Jump +3, Knowledge (bureaucracy) +3, Knowledge (physical sciences) +3, Knowledge (social sciences) +3, Knowledge (tactics) +3, Knowledge (technology) +3, Mechanics +3, Persuasion +5, Pilot +4, Ride +4, Swim +3, Treat Injury +5, Use Computer +3

Possessions 3 adhesive grenades, aquata breather, 2 atmosphere canisters, comlink, electrobinoculars, field kit (2 condensing canteens, sunshield roll, 7 day food supply, 24 filters, 12 atmospher canisters,, 2 glow rods, 2 breath masks, all-temperature cloak), heat sensor, heavy blaster pistol with 4 spare power packs, heavy blaster pistol with spare power pack, knife, sensor pack, 2 smoke grenades, syntherope, ration pack, water extractor, 3500cr

Sakutian

Klivian I came across this image when I was getting art together for the campaign. The Ithorian in it caught my eye and he's not a Jedi as far as I can tell. I thought you might want to give it a look.

Klivian

Awesome. Now I almost want to try and retool Tendau as a dual-wielding pistoleer! =P

Sakutian

That would be a cool change, much as I love his current build. Pistols are easier to hide than that big old blaster carbine of his and he is getting on in years.

Heir

Updated my previous post with Titus's stats. They're similar, but now that's he's in his upper 50s his physical stats have diminished as outlined in the Core rulebook.

Sakutian

Nice. You mentioned the possibility of giving him a level of Scoundrel. Is that something you're planning for the future or did you want to modify Titus a bit more?

Heir

Still thinking about it.

Klivian

^ Post updated with updated stats and background.

Sakutian

I love that Tendau's reason for delving into the unknown is sheer boredom and a desire to escape his desk job. Fantastic.

Klivian

It's just like Kirk learned... don't let them promote you. Keep your command.

Sakutian

I loved when Bones and Kirk were in the woods together griping about how much it sucks to get old. Titus and Tendau should go camping.

Klivian

I can envision that exact scene.

Sakutian

They can tell stories about the difficulties of raising Jado while she gets the firewood.

Heir

Having issues with Sagasheet so for now we stick with soldier/jedi Titus.

Having issues with background and question answers. Essentially, I need to come up with a reason to explain why Titus is still a padawan after over a decade (since we're still level 5 after all this time). I think I can do it for Titus...but explaining his relationship with Jado and the fact that she still hasn't advanced in any way is hard to write.

Sakutian

Hmm. Well I'll leave it up to you and El Skid to sort out Jado and Titus but I have a thought. Perhaps the reappearance of Emperor Palpatine and Luke's temporary fall to the dark side drove Titus to take her into hiding. A pair of powerful force users like them would have been easy enough to track down. That could have set Jado's training back a fair amount depending on how long they were on the run.

Heir

Hmmm...that doesn't really mesh with Titus though..if he ever felt Jado was threatened he'd get Tendau to hide her while he went and did something about it.

I'll PM Skid and see what he thinks.

Heir

Besides, when Luke turned, it's not like there was another Jedi purge...in fact the Republic still had much of the galaxy under control. Titus wouldn't run from that until it became hopeless.

Sakutian

Heir wrote: »

Hmmm...that doesn't really mesh with Titus though..if he ever felt Jado was threatened he'd get Tendau to hide her while he went and did something about it.

I'll PM Skid and see what he thinks.

Maybe Titus took on the Emperor and got his butt kicked. Recovering from his injuries set him back a ways.

Sakutian

I do like the idea of Tendau using his connections to hide Jado while Titus takes it upon himself to bring down Palpatine and Luke by himself. He's a tough old soldier and under the right circumstances he might be able to pull it off.

Heir

No, he wouldn't just go and try and take them on unless he felt Jado was directly threatened.

Will come up with something.

Heir

Besides, Luke wasn't even turned for very long, and for part of it he was pulling a Quinlan Vos.

Sakutian

True, but that wasn't common knowledge.

I'm sure you'll come up with something truly amazing, and if not I'll just bump the level up if that's what it takes.