The campaign continues to evolve, but much of the early work is solidifying. Here I begin to run into one of the other issues that keeps coming up for me, which is second-guessing myself. Do I keep the mission/campaign on rails, or let players run rampant ( and for examples of that, everyone should be reading Darths and Droids, which is hilarious). Does this mission need more combat, or have the creative twists I’ve put in there pose the better challenge? How much loot is right, and am I under-doing it? But it’s all coming together. 

This will all be a Star Wars Saga Edition dealio, probably set between 10-5 BBY. I like the time period, even though there’s strangely little fiction covering it. The previous attempt I’d mentioned included a ban on player Jedi. That’s always annoyed me in a lot of the games. Between Episode 3 and Episode 6, they’re supposed to be ultra-fucking-rare, so why does every third character end up being a Jedi?

I think I’ve come up with a solution though.

I’m borrowing a mechanic from Vampire: The Masquerade… specifically, I’m borrowing the Masquerade. If a Jedi does anything visibly Jedi-ish in view of civilians (levitating an object, force jump, and DEFINITELY using a Lightsabre), they accrue a violation of the Masquerade, while less visible uses (mind tricks or suggestion, or just being careful about it) don’t. And then there will be cases where you’re in combat and there won’t be surviving witnesses where it’s ok, and ‘Elysium’, places where everyone is completely cool with Jedi and are therefore safe.  

The first violation, security will investigate. Second time, harder-core Imperial security. Third time, etc., and harder and harder. The original Masquerade would only give you five violations so I’ll do the same… once the last one is wasted, you’re going to be facing a lot of dark jedi who are taking an interest in you.

So, for instance, let’s say you’re in a public cantina and one of the locals is messing with your friend. You slice them up… but you better not be surprised when Stormtroopers show up and start taking an interest in your handiwork.

It adds a lot of very interesting challenge, I think, and keeps the oppressive feel of the Jedi Purge, without dropping the draconian “no Jedi” rule on the players.. And to make it just a tad easier on them, I’ll give a free pistol proficiency feat for starting Jedi, uncivilized as that may be. 

I haven’t seen something like this done before (though I’m certain it has been done somewhere) but it seems like a brilliant solution. And, of course, I am brilliant…