Star Wars Introductory Adventure Game

Credits

Design: Peter Schweighofer Adventure Book Design: Stephen Luminati Editing: Peter Schweighofer, Paul Sudlow Proofreader: Jen Seiden Previous Edition Designers: Greg Costikyan, Greg Gorden, Peter Schweighofer, Bill Slavicsek, Bill Smith, Ed Stark, George Strayton, Paul Sudlow, Eric S. Trautmann Art Design & Graphics: Tim Bobko, Richard Hawran, Tom O'Neill, Brian Schomburg Cover Art: Cantrell Interior Illustrations & Photographs: Lucasfilm Ltd., Jordi Ensign, Ron Kulp, Christopher Trevas Card Art: Lucasfilm Ltd., Christopher Trevas Stand-Up Art: Tim Bobko, Tom O'Neill, Stephen Crane Map Art: Tim Bobko, Peter Schweighofer Rules Consultants: George Strayton, Paul Sudlow, Eric S. Trautmann Playtesters: Matt Ahearn, Ryan Besenner, Brian Blaum, Bob Briody, Howard Butler, Brian Cousins, Jacob Crouse, Billy Culley, Keith & Ryan Federico, Craig Levengood, Garrett Leonard, Daisy Pilbrow, Steven Rogers, Mike Salamone, Marcella & Weston Schreiber, Jamie Traver, Dan & Holly Verssen, Josh Wehrmann, Ben Wood Special Thanks to: Kathy Burdette; Liz Arneth and J.P. Sutich; Sue Rostoni, Allan Kausch, Lucy Autrey Wilson and Julia Russo of Lucasfilm Ltd.; Daniel Scott Palter, Richard Hawran and Jeff Kent of West End Games.

Publisher: Daniel Scott Palter Associate Publisher/Treasurer: Denise Palter Associate Publisher: Richard Hawran Editors: Peter Schweighofer, Bill Smith, George Strayton, Paul Sudlow, Eric S. Trautmann Graphic Artists: Tim Bobko, Tom O'Neill, Brian Schomburg Sales Manager: Jeff Kent Sales Assistant: Carl Klinger Licensing Manager: Ron Seiden Warehouse Manager: Ed Hill Accounting: Karen Bayly, Mary Galant, Wendy Lord Billing: Sue Hartung

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Players Booklet

Welcome

You are about to enter the Star Wars universe -- a galaxy of desperate heroes, evil villains, great battles and breathtaking adventure. In this game, you take on the role of a character -- one of the people who lives in this galaxy. You'll decide what your character says and does. With your fellow players and the narrator, you'll create an exciting adventure -- your own Star Wars story.

This game uses dice and your imagination to determine what happens during your adventure. You can do anything you want in this game, but the dice determine whether your character succeeds or fails. This booklet will explain the rules and walk you through a sample adventure.

What You Need to Play

• This booklet
• Two six-sided dice
• One character template per player
• Pencils
• The Narrator Booklet (for the narrator)
• The Adventure Book (for the narrator)

Choose a Character

Each person playing the game picks a character template. (The character templates look like file folders and come with the game.) Each template represents a different type of character. Read through the templates and find one you like.

Each template describes one character, including his or her attributes, skills, equipment and background. You'll play that character throughout the adventure. Here's what you'll find on each template:

Type. The character's type is the "job description" of the character -- examples include "smuggler," "young Jedi," and "outlaw."

Name. Each template has a suggested name, but you can come up with your own if you prefer.

Background. The background is a short description of the character -- who he is, what he does, and why he's involved with the Rebel Alliance.

Personality. This section gives you a feel for the character's personality.

Objectives. The character's goals.

A Quote. Something the character might say -- this gives you an idea of how the character talks.

Connection With Other Characters. This section recommends how you can link your character to the other characters in the game.

Attributes and Skills

Each template has six attributes. An attribute is a general measure of a character's abilities. These are:

Dexterity: A measure of your character's eye-hand coordination and agility.

Knowledge: A measure of your character's "common sense" and education.

Mechanical: A measure of your character's mechanical abilities, such as his ability to pilot a starship, drive a landspeeder, or operate heavy weapons.

Perception: A measure of how well the character notices things -- his "intuition" and ability to interact with other characters.

Strength: A measure of the character's physical strength.

Technical: A measure of the character's ability to repair, modify and work with technology.

Each attribute has a die code, such as 2D, 3D, 3D+1 or 4D. The higher the number, the better the character is with that attribute. A character with a Strength of 4D is quite strong, while a character with a Strength of 2D is somewhat weaker.

Listed under each attribute are several skills. A skill represents one specific area of knowledge or ability. For example, the skill blaster represents a character's ability to fire a blaster. Skills are listed under the attribute which most closely matches the skill. As with attributes, a higher die code is better.

Template Skills. Some skills are in italics on the character templates. These are skills that have been "boosted" -- the character starts with a higher die code in those skills. For example, a smuggler might start with 5D in blaster instead of 3D because smugglers are known for their shooting skills. These boosted skills are what make each character different.

Using Skills. When a character wants to do something, the player rolls the die code for the skill. If a character doesn't have the skill listed (or boosted), the player rolls the die code for the attribute listed above the skill. For example, if a character wanted to climb a wall and his climbing/jumping wasn't boosted, the player would roll the character's Strength die code.

Other Template Information

Force Points. Force Points represent the influence of the Force over a character's destiny. You can spend a Force Point during a game to double all of your skill and attribute rolls for one round. Most characters start with one or two Force Points. Spent Force Points may be earned back at the end of the adventure.

Character Points. Character Points represent a character's experience. You can spend a Character Point to roll one extra die when making a skill or attribute roll. (Just roll the extra die and add it to the total.) You may spend Character Points one at a time, and you can decide to spend another Character Point after seeing how the extra die turned out. At the end of an adventure, the narrator hands out Character Points for the characters to keep -- this is how characters "get better" over time.

Dark Side Points. Characters who give in to anger, aggression and other evil emotions get Dark Side Points. If a character gets enough Dark Side Points, that character turns to the dark side and becomes a narrator character -- a villain!

Speed. All characters have a Speed of 10.

Equipment. Items the character currently has.

Customizing Your Character

Each character template comes with 7D (seven dice) to distribute among skills. You can split these dice up among skills however you wish, but there are a few restrictions:

• A beginning character can't place more than 2D in any one skill.
• You may split a single die into three "+1" bonuses (called "pips"). For example, you could give one skill +1, rather than a full die. It takes three pips (+1 each) to equal one die. (A die code of 3D+2 is the same as getting two "+1" bonuses on top of a 3D.)
• You may only add dice to skills listed on the template; you may not add new skills.

How the Game Is Played

The game is controlled by the narrator. He or she describes the scenes and events the characters encounter. Since you're a player, you decide what your character does in the story. You describe what your character does and says. The narrator decides how the environment and other characters react.

When a character does something that's easy or routine, the narrator doesn't require a die roll. But when a character tries to do something risky or difficult -- such as shooting a blaster, dodging a shot, or flying a speeder through a thick forest -- the narrator will ask for a skill roll. The player rolls the number of dice listed for the character's skill (or attribute if the character doesn't have the right skill) and adds them up. If the total is equal to or greater than the difficulty number, the character succeeds.

Difficulty Numbers

The Wild Die

Whenever a player makes any roll, one of the dice must be different from the rest -- this is the "Wild Die." (If you don't have a die of a different color, just pick one die to be the Wild Die before you roll.)

If the Wild Die comes up as a 2, 3, 4 or 5, add the result to the other dice normally. But there are two special results:

Wild Die = 6. If the Wild Die comes up as a 6, add the 6 to the other dice and roll the Wild Die again. Add the new result to the total (and if the second roll is also a 6, add and roll again, and so on).

Wild Die = 1. If the Wild Die comes up as a 1, the narrator has two options. Option one: remove the 1 and the highest single die from the roll and add the remaining dice for the total. Option two: a "complication" occurs. The character has made a mistake, or something has gone wrong -- the narrator decides what the complication is.

Opposed Rolls

Sometimes, instead of a difficulty number, a character's action is opposed by another character. Both characters roll their appropriate skills, and the higher total wins.

Example: A Rebel is trying to sneak past a stormtrooper guard. The Rebel rolls her sneak skill, while the stormtrooper rolls his Perception attribute. If the Rebel's total is equal to or higher than the stormtrooper's, the Rebel sneaks past.

Combined Actions

Sometimes characters want to work together on a task. When characters combine their actions to accomplish a single goal, one character is chosen as the leader. The other characters each make a skill roll:

• If their result is a Very Easy (5) difficulty or higher, the acting character gets a +1D bonus for each character helping.
• Characters who fail to meet the Very Easy (5) difficulty don't provide any bonus.

Combat

Combat is divided into rounds. In each round, every character (both the players' characters and the narrator's characters) gets to take one action.

At the beginning of each round, each player declares what his character is going to do (shoot, dodge, run, etc.). The narrator determines what his characters are doing. Then all dice are rolled.

Shooting. The attacker rolls his blaster skill (or Dexterity if the character doesn't have blaster). The difficulty to hit depends on the range:

If a target is dodging, the target rolls dodge and the dodge total replaces the difficulty number (if higher).

Damage. If a shot hits, the attacker rolls damage for the weapon. The target rolls his Strength to resist damage. Compare the damage total to the Strength total:

Stunned: -1D to all actions for the rest of the round. If stunned a second time, the character is knocked unconscious for 2D minutes.

Wounded: The character falls prone. -1D to all skill and attribute rolls until healed. A character who is wounded a second time is wounded twice.

Wounded Twice: The character falls prone. -2D to all skill and attribute rolls until healed. A character who is wounded a third time is incapacitated.

Incapacitated: The character is knocked unconscious and can't do anything until healed.

Mortally Wounded: The character will die in 1D rounds unless another character administers first aid.

Hand-to-Hand Combat. When fighting hand-to-hand, the attacker uses brawling or melee skills and adds Strength for damage if no weapon is used. The target may dodge or use brawling or melee to parry. If the parry roll is higher, the attack misses.

Multiple Actions

A character may take more than one action in a round, but each additional action imposes a -1D penalty on all actions that round. (A character taking two actions would roll -1D on both; three actions would be -2D on all three, and so on.)

Combat Turns

Here's a brief summary of how combat turns work:

1. The narrator describes the situation.
2. Players declare their actions. The narrator declares actions for narrator characters.
3. Everyone rolls dice. The narrator determines the results.
4. The narrator describes the results, and the next round begins.

Healing

First Aid. A character with the first aid skill can attempt to heal a wounded character. The difficulty depends on the level of injury. If successful, the character's injury improves by one level.

Medpacs. A character must have a medpac to use first aid on someone other than himself. Without a medpac, all first aid difficulties increase by +5.

Natural Healing. Characters can heal naturally over time. A wounded character heals back to normal in a few days. A character who is wounded twice takes about a week to heal one level.

The Force

Some characters are Force-sensitive. These characters have special abilities.

Force Skills. There are three Force skills: control, sense and alter. These skills represent a character's ability to use the Force:

• Control allows a Jedi to control his own body.
• Sense allows a Jedi to sense things about his environment.
• Alter allows a Jedi to change things in his environment.

Force Powers. Force-sensitive characters have access to Force powers. Some powers use one Force skill; others require combinations. Force powers and their descriptions are found in the Narrator Booklet and on the reference cards.

Using Force Points. When a player spends a Force Point, all of his character's skill and attribute die codes are doubled for one round. This represents a moment of supreme effort or heroism. Force Points spent in a heroic fashion (to save others, fight evil, etc.) are returned at the end of the adventure; Force Points used for selfish or evil purposes are not returned and may earn the character a Dark Side Point.

The Dark Side. Characters who use the Force for evil, or who perform evil acts, earn Dark Side Points. If a character gets as many Dark Side Points as he has Character Points, he turns to the dark side and becomes a narrator character.

Improving Characters

At the end of each adventure, the narrator awards Character Points. You can spend Character Points between adventures to improve your character's skills. It costs a number of Character Points equal to the number in front of the "D" of the skill you want to improve. (For example, improving a 3D skill costs 3 Character Points.) Each expenditure increases the skill by +1 (a pip). When a skill has been improved three pips, it goes up by one die (e.g., 3D+2 plus one pip becomes 4D).

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Sample Adventure: Assault on Edan Base

This adventure introduces you to the game. If you've never played a roleplaying game before, this is where you start. One player should be the narrator -- read the Players Booklet and the Narrator Booklet before playing. The other players just need to read the Players Booklet.

Introduction

Read the following aloud:

The Rebel Alliance has established a small outpost on the temperate world of Edan II. While the base has seen little activity since its founding, intelligence reports suggest that the Empire has recently detected the base and may launch an assault.

You are stationed at Edan Base, serving in various capacities. You've been called to the main briefing room. Commander Drayson, the base commander, steps up to the podium. He is a tall, older man with a stern face and steel-gray hair. He gets right to the point.

"We've just received word from Alliance Intelligence. The Empire knows we're here. A Star Destroyer has entered the system. It will be in attack position within the hour."

"There's no way we can stop a Star Destroyer. Our only choice is to evacuate. Grab whatever gear you can carry and get to the transport. We'll rendezvous at one of the emergency points I've marked on the surface. Good luck... and may the Force be with you."

Getting Ready

The characters have a few minutes before the Imperial assault begins. They may grab any available equipment. Each character already has the equipment listed on his or her character template.

The characters must now get to the transport bay and escape Edan Base. As they race through the corridors, read the following aloud:

The base shudders as the first turbolaser bolts slam into the surface above. Dust fills the air, and the lights flicker. You hear distant explosions as the Imperial bombardment intensifies. Up ahead, you can see the entrance to the transport bay.

The Transport Bay

When the characters arrive at the transport bay, read aloud:

The transport bay is in chaos. Several vehicles have already launched, and the remaining pilots are scrambling to get their ships off the ground. You can see one medium transport warming up -- it looks like it has room for your group.

Suddenly, a section of the ceiling gives way, collapsing in a shower of rock and metal. The main doors are blocked! The only way out is through the emergency tunnel on the far side of the bay.

A character can make an Easy (10) Perception check to notice a stack of equipment crates near the emergency tunnel. The crates contain extra medpacs and survival gear that might be useful in the wilderness.

Escaping the Base. To reach the emergency tunnel, each character needs to make an Easy (10) Dexterity roll to avoid falling debris. Anyone who fails takes 3D damage from falling rock.

Once outside, the characters find themselves in the Edan wilderness. The bombardment has devastated the base, and the Star Destroyer's TIE fighters are patrolling overhead.

Read aloud:

You emerge from the emergency tunnel into the cold night air. Behind you, Edan Base burns. The sky is lit by turbolaser fire and exploding munitions. In the distance, you can hear the scream of TIE fighter engines.

You have no transport, limited supplies, and an entire Imperial occupation force between you and freedom. But you're alive... and as long as you're alive, the fight continues.

This is where the sample adventure ends, and the Adventure Book picks up the story. The characters are now on the run in the Edan wilderness, with the Empire hunting them.

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Narrator Booklet

Becoming a Narrator

As a narrator, your job is to create exciting Star Wars adventures for the players. You describe the settings and situations, play the roles of all the characters other than the players' characters, and determine the results of the players' actions.

The narrator is like the director of a movie. The players are the stars, but you set the stage, write the script (roughly), and make sure the story keeps moving. Being a narrator is a lot of fun, but it also requires some preparation.

What Does A Narrator Do?

• Describes the setting and situations. You tell the players what their characters see, hear, smell and feel. You paint the scenes with your words.
• Plays narrator characters. All the other characters in the story -- the stormtroopers, the bartender, the informant, the Imperial officer -- are played by you. Give them voices, mannerisms and motivations.
• Determines results. When a player wants his character to do something, you decide how difficult the task is, and have the player make a skill roll. You interpret the results.
• Keeps the story moving. If the players are stuck, you give them hints. If they're getting bored, you throw in an action scene. Keep the pace up and the excitement high.

Some Important Rules

The "Rule" Rule. The most important rule of the Star Wars Introductory Adventure Game is this: if you can't find a rule that covers a specific situation, make something up. Go with your gut instinct, pick a difficulty number, have the players roll dice, and move on. Don't let rules slow down your game.

Scale. The characters will encounter a variety of opponents, from lone stormtroopers to towering AT-AT walkers. Here are some guidelines:

When characters are shooting at vehicles with personal weapons, increase the difficulty by +10. (Vehicles are harder to damage with blasters.) When vehicles are shooting at characters, decrease the difficulty by -10. (Vehicle weapons are very powerful against characters.)

Difficulty Guidelines

As the narrator, you must assign difficulty numbers to the characters' actions. Here are some guidelines:

Repairing Damage

Characters can attempt to repair damaged equipment and vehicles. The difficulty depends on how badly the item is damaged:

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The Star Wars Universe

Characters

The Star Wars universe is filled with interesting characters. Here are some of the typical characters you'll encounter.

Rebel Alliance Soldiers

Rebel Alliance soldiers are the backbone of the Alliance military. They serve in a variety of capacities, from front-line infantry to base security. They're well-trained but often outgunned by the Empire's forces.

Rebel Alliance Soldier. All scores are 2D except:
Dexterity 3D+2, blaster 5D+2, grenade 4D, brawling 4D
Speed 10.
Equipment: blaster pistol (4D damage), blast vest and helmet (+1D to Strength when resisting damage), 1 grenade (5D damage, hits 1D targets nearby), comlink.

Mon Calamari Scouts

Mon Calamari are an amphibious alien species who joined the Rebel Alliance early in the Galactic Civil War. Mon Calamari scouts are highly skilled reconnaissance operatives, using their natural swimming abilities to traverse aquatic environments with ease.

Mon Calamari Scout. All scores are 2D except:
Dexterity 3D, blaster 3D+2, Mechanical 3D, planetary systems 4D,
com-scan 3D, gunnery 3D+2, starship piloting 3D+2,
shields 3D+1, Technical 2D+1, starship repair 3D+2
Speed 10.
Equipment: blaster pistol (4D damage), comlink, datapad.

Rodian Bounty Hunters

Rodians are a green-skinned alien species known for their love of hunting and violence. Many Rodians become bounty hunters, using their natural tracking instincts to chase down prey for the highest bidder.

Rodian Bounty Hunter. All scores are 2D except:
Dexterity 4D, blaster 6D, dodge 5D, Knowledge 3D,
languages 3D, streetwise 2D+2, Mechanical 4D+2,
starship piloting 3D+2, gunnery 4D+2, Perception 3D,
bargain 4D, search 5D, Strength 3D+2,
brawling 4D+2, starship repair 3D
Speed 10.
Equipment: blaster pistol (4D damage).

Gamorrean Guards

Gamorreans are large, pig-like aliens known for their strength and ferocity. They are often employed as guards by crime lords such as Jabba the Hutt.

Gamorrean Guard. All scores are 2D except:
Dexterity 3D, melee 5D, survival 3D,
Strength 4D, brawling 6D
Speed 8.
Equipment: force pike (7D damage), vibro-ax pike (7D+1 damage).

Bounty Hunters

Bounty hunters are independent operatives who track down and capture (or kill) people for a price. They work for the Empire, for crime lords, and for anyone else willing to pay. Some are honorable; many are not.

Bounty Hunter. All scores are 2D except:
blaster 4D+2, dodge 4D+1, grenade 4D,
streetwise 3D, Strength 3D,
brawling 3D+2, sneak 3D+2
Speed 10.
Equipment: blaster rifle (5D damage), bounty hunter armor (+2D to Strength when resisting damage, -1D to Dexterity and related skills), 1 grenade (5D damage, hits 1D targets nearby), knife (4D damage).

Imperial Stormtroopers

The faceless soldiers of the Empire, stormtroopers enforce the Emperor's will throughout the galaxy. Encased in white armor, they are trained from birth for combat and obedience.

Imperial Stormtrooper. All scores are 2D except:
blaster 4D, dodge 4D, brawling 4D
Speed 10.
Equipment: blaster pistol (4D damage), blaster rifle (5D damage), stormtrooper armor (+2D to Strength when resisting damage, -1D to Dexterity and related skills).

Imperial Scout Troopers

Scout troopers are specialized stormtroopers trained for reconnaissance and patrol duty. They operate speeder bikes and are often found scouting ahead of the main Imperial force.

Imperial Scout Trooper. All scores are 2D except:
blaster 4D, dodge 4D, Mechanical 3D,
gunnery 3D+2, repulsorlift operation 3D+2, brawling 3D
Speed 10.
Equipment: blaster pistol (4D damage), blaster rifle (5D damage), 2 grenades (5D damage, hits 1D targets nearby), scout armor (+2D to Strength when resisting damage, -1D to Dexterity and related skills), survival gear.

Imperial Officers

Imperial officers command the Empire's vast military forces. They range from low-ranking lieutenants to powerful admirals and generals.

Imperial Officer. All scores are 2D except:
Dexterity 2D+2, blaster 4D+2, dodge 4D,
Knowledge 3D, bureaucracy 4D,
planetary systems 3D+1, Mechanical 3D+2,
starship piloting 3D+1,
Perception 3D+1, bargain 5D+1,
Strength 2D+1, brawling 3D+2,
Technical 3D, starship repair 4D+1
Speed 10.
Equipment: blaster pistol (4D damage), comlink.

Imperial Army Troopers

These are the standard soldiers of the Imperial Army. While not as well-equipped as stormtroopers, they make up the bulk of the Empire's ground forces.

Imperial Army Trooper. All scores are 2D except:
Dexterity 3D, blaster 4D+1, dodge 4D+1,
grenade 3D+2, survival 2D+2, gunnery 3D+2,
repulsorlift operation 2D+1, Strength 3D+1,
brawling 4D+1
Speed 10.
Equipment: blaster rifle (5D damage), field armor and helmet (+1D to Strength when resisting damage), 2 grenades (5D damage, hits 1D targets nearby).

Sullustan Smugglers

Sullustans are small, mouse-eared aliens with a natural sense of direction. They make excellent pilots and navigators, and many have become smugglers and free-traders.

Sullustan Smuggler. All scores are 2D except:
Dexterity 3D, blaster 4D, dodge 4D,
bureaucracy 3D, planetary systems 4D,
Mechanical 4D+1, astrogation 5D, gunnery 5D+1,
shields 5D, starship piloting 6D,
Perception 3D+1, bargain 4D, con 4D+2,
Technical 3D, starship repair 5D
Speed 10.
Equipment: blaster pistol (4D damage), Corellian YT-1300 freighter, datapads, 500 credits.

Twi'lek Merchants

Twi'leks are tall, thin aliens with twin head-tails called lekku. They are known as shrewd negotiators and traders, often operating on the fringes of legality.

Twi'lek Merchant. All scores are 2D except:
blaster 3D, dodge 4D, Knowledge 4D, languages 4D,
bureaucracy 4D, con 5D+2, Perception 4D+2,
streetwise 4D, search 5D,
Technical 3D, computer programming/repair 4D,
droid programming/repair 4D
Speed 10.
Equipment: comlink, datapad, 2,000 credits.

Wookiee Outlaws

Wookiees are considered slaves by the Empire; free slaves are outlaws. Some Wookiee outlaws join the Rebel Alliance, but many simply wander from system to system, avoiding the Empire and using their incredible strength to earn enough credits to get by. Wookiees make good bounty hunters and mercenaries; but outlaws like privacy, and Wookiee outlaws rarely stay in crowded starports and cities for long.

Wookiee Outlaw. All scores are 2D except:
Dexterity 3D, blaster 5D, dodge 4D,
Mechanical 3D,
Strength 5D, brawling 7D, climbing/jumping 6D,
starship repair 3D+2
Speed 10.
Equipment: bowcaster (4D damage), satchel.

Jawa Traders

Jawas travel the sandy Tatooine wastes in their immense sandcrawlers, picking up whatever scrap they find and selling it to moisture farmers. They collect abandoned droids, broken machinery, and other discarded bits of advanced technology they can find. A good Jawa trader can refurbish and sell anything for a profit, taking parts from one machine to make another one work. Although they're good at bargaining, they're not very brave, and shy away from fights.

Jawa Trader. All scores are 2D except:
blaster 2D+2, dodge 3D, streetwise 4D,
survival 4D+2, Mechanical 3D, bargain 4D,
con 3D+1, climbing/jumping 2D+2,
Technical 3D, computer programming/repair 4D,
droid programming/repair 4D, repulsorlift repair 4D+2
Speed 8.
Equipment: Jawa demp gun (3D stun damage against droids only), tool kit, 200 credits.

Tusken Raiders

These savage nomads inhabit Tatooine's more desolate regions. Tusken Raiders often attack small moisture farms, but they avoid the larger settlements. They prey on anyone foolish enough to wander into their rugged territory. The Tusken Raiders' clothing protects them against Tatooine's hot suns, and helps them blend into their rocky surroundings. They ride across the wastes on banthas and use gaffi sticks in combat.

Tusken Raider. All scores are 2D except:
Dexterity 2D+1, blaster 3D+1, dodge 4D+1,
melee 4D, survival 5D+1,
beast riding 4D+2, search 2D+2,
sneak 3D+1, Strength 3D+2, brawling 4D+2
Speed 10.
Equipment: blaster rifle (5D damage), breath mask, gaffi stick (5D+2 damage).

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Droids

Droids are an almost everyday aspect of life in the galaxy. These robotic servants are used for tasks which are too complex, dangerous or even dull for organic beings. They are often programmed for several specific tasks. Some are shaped to interact well with humans, others are built to serve their particular function. Here are some typical droids most often encountered in the Star Wars universe. Assume they have 1D in all attributes and skills, although boosted scores have been listed. The droid's speed and equipment are also shown.

Protocol Droids

These human-shaped droids are programmed for etiquette and translation. The 3PO-series droids are capable of reproducing any sound that their audio sensors pick up, allowing them to speak almost any language. They are frequently used by diplomats and wealthy traders to better understand aliens they meet. These droids have pleasant personalities with emphasis on their masters' well-being.

Protocol Droid. All scores are 1D except:
Knowledge 3D, cultures 6D, languages 10D
Speed 8.
Equipped with: two visual and audio sensors, vocabulator speech/sound system.

R2 Astromech Droids

Astromech droids are designed for in-flight and post-flight starship operations and maintenance duty. They interface with starship computers during flight, and can assist computerized repairs, allowing the pilot to keep his full attention on flying. Their processors can store up to 10 pre-programmed hyperspace jumps.

R2 Astromech Droid. All scores are 1D except:
Mechanical 2D, astrogation 5D, starship piloting 3D,
Technical 2D, computer programming/repair 4D, starship repair 5D
Speed 5.
Equipped with: extendable video sensor, fire extinguisher, holographic projector/recorder, small circular saw.

Probe Droids

Originally designed for peaceful exploration, probe droids have been extensively used by the Empire. Probots search for hidden Rebel outposts, smuggler bases and pirate shadowports in remote areas. Imperial probe droids are also used to survey asteroids, monitor starport traffic and spy on the Empire's enemies.

Probe Droid. All scores are 1D except:
Dexterity 3D, blaster 4D, Knowledge 2D+2,
planetary systems 4D, Mechanical 3D, com-scan 6D,
Perception 3D, search 5D+2,
Strength 4D, Technical 2D+1
Speed 14.
Equipped with: blaster cannon (4D+2 damage), long-range sensors (+1D to search when scanning for objects between 100 meters and 5 kilometers away), self-destruct mechanism.

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Creatures

Strange worlds and alien environments breed all kinds of creatures. Many are used as pack animals. Creatures don't have all the scores regular characters have. They're listed below with their Dexterity, Perception and Strength (with any skills they might use), plus comments about damage they do when attacking, and their speed. Orneriness measures how tame they are to ride. Characters mounting and controlling a creature must roll their beast riding skill equal to or greater than the dice rolled for an animal's orneriness.

Banthas

Banthas are used as pack beasts by more primitive peoples, including the Tusken Raiders of Tatooine. These huge beasts are covered in long, shaggy fur. Their large, spiral horns protect them from predators. Banthas can go for weeks without water or food, and can survive in harsh environments.

Bantha. Dexterity 2D, Perception 2D, Strength 5D.
Horns inflict 6D damage, trample attack inflicts 5D damage.
Speed 15. Orneriness 2D.

Dewbacks

These lizard-like beasts are native to Tatooine. Tamed dewbacks are often used as patrol animals since they can withstand the desert's high temperatures. Although they are faster and more agile than banthas during the day, at night they become slow and inactive.

Dewback. Dexterity 3D, Perception 2D, Strength 4D, brawling 4D+1.
Bite inflicts 5D damage.
Speed 35 (during day), 7 (at night). Orneriness 3D.

Tauntauns

Natives of the ice planet Hoth, tauntauns are used as riding beasts by the Rebel forces there. Although they are easily tamed as mounts, they are easily startled by the unexpected. Tauntauns can withstand severely cold temperatures, but cannot do so for too long without occasional rests in warmer environments.

Tauntaun. Dexterity 2D, Perception 3D, Strength 4D.
Charge attack inflicts 5D+1 damage.
Can withstand arctic temperatures.
Speed 16. Orneriness 1D.

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Vehicles and Starships

The fantastic machines used for transport and combat are part of Star Wars' appeal. Some of the most popular vehicles and starships are described below. When players' characters aren't piloting these vessels, use the scores listed for the typical crew's skills. Each vessel's information is shown: maneuverability, speed, sensors, hull and shields. Weapons are listed with their fire control dice and damage; those which are "fire-linked" can be fired once, inflicting the combined damage shown.

AT-AT Walkers

Imperial All Terrain Armored Transports (AT-ATs) are four-legged giants that shake the ground as they plod along. The massive machines are considered virtually unstoppable. They are front-line battle vehicles used to assault enemy positions and smash opposing forces. In addition to their weapons, AT-ATs can carry up to 40 stormtroopers each.

AT-AT Walker. Crew scores: Mechanical 4D, gunnery 5D.
Maneuverability 0D, speed 4, sensors 0D, hull 10D, shields 0D.
Weapons: 2 fire-linked heavy laser cannons (fire control 2D, combined damage 10D), 2 fire-linked medium blasters (fire control 2D, combined damage 7D).

AT-ST Walkers

All Terrain Scout Transports (AT-STs) are faster and more maneuverable than their larger walker cousins. The Empire uses AT-STs for scouting and patrolling large areas and to give heavy fire support to infantry operations. They don't carry any troops, but can be operated by only two crewmen.

AT-ST Walker. Crew scores: Mechanical 3D, gunnery 4D.
Maneuverability 1D, speed 6, sensors 0D, hull 7D, shields 0D.
Weapons: twin blaster cannon (fire control 1D, damage 8D), twin light blaster cannon (fire control 1D, damage 6D), concussion grenade launcher (fire control 1D, damage 7D).

Speeder Bikes

These repulsorlift vehicles sacrifice safety and protection for speed and maneuverability. They can't carry as much as a landspeeder or skiff, but they're fast. Imperial scout troopers use speeder bikes for patrols -- civilian versions are not equipped with the laser cannon.

Speeder Bike. Crew scores: gunnery 3D+2, repulsorlift operation 3D+2.
Maneuverability 3D+2, speed 35, sensors 0D, hull 4D, shields 0D.
Weapons: laser cannon (fire control 2D, damage 5D).

Landspeeders

Landspeeders are common ground-based repulsorlift vehicles on planets throughout the galaxy. Most families and individuals have their own landspeeder, especially on remote worlds where there is very little public transportation.

Landspeeder. Crew scores: repulsorlift operation 3D.
Maneuverability 2D, speed 23, sensors 0D, hull 4D, shields 0D.
Weapons: none.

Skiffs

Skiffs are used to transport passengers and large cargoes. They tend to be slow and clumsy, and can be easily operated, even by low-intelligence labor droids. Skiffs are a common sight around starports.

Skiff. Crew scores: repulsorlift operation 3D.
Maneuverability 0D, speed 14, sensors 0D, hull 3D, shields 0D.
Weapons: none.

A-wing Fighters

A-wing starfighters were designed as fast, maneuverable interceptors for the Alliance. Their agility can compete with the most maneuverable TIE fighters. A-wing engines put the hull under great stress, and they require constant maintenance to remain spaceworthy.

A-wing Fighter. Crew scores: gunnery 4D+2, shields 3D+1, starship piloting 5D.
Maneuverability 4D, speed 45, sensors 1D, hull 2D+2, shields 1D.
Weapons: 2 fire-linked laser cannons (fire control 3D, combined damage 5D), enemy targeting jammer (-2D from enemy ship's fire control).

B-wing Fighters

Originally developed by Admiral Ackbar's research team, the B-wing starfighters are heavily-armed escort starfighters. The hulls contain a gyroscopically balanced cockpit, and enough weapons and armor to make them formidable opponents in battle. B-wings aren't very maneuverable, though, and can be outflown by skilled TIE fighter pilots.

B-wing Fighter. Crew scores: gunnery 3D+2, repulsorlift operation 3D+2.
Maneuverability 1D+1, speed 33, sensors 1D, hull 3D, shields 2D.
Weapons: laser cannon (fire control 1D, damage 7D), 2 proton torpedo launchers (fire control 1D, damage 9D), 3 fire-linked medium ion cannons (fire control 4D, combined damage 4D), 2 auto blasters (fire control 2D, damage 3D).

X-wing Fighters

The backbone of the Rebel Alliance starfighter fleet, X-wing fighters have seen extensive action. They're not as new as some other starfighters, but the X-wings are durable and effective in combat. Luke Skywalker piloted an X-wing when he destroyed the Death Star.

X-wing Fighter. Crew scores: gunnery 4D+2, shields 3D, starship piloting 5D.
Maneuverability 3D, speed 37, sensors 1D, hull 4D, shields 1D.
Weapons: 4 fire-linked laser cannons (fire control 3D, combined damage 6D), 2 proton torpedo launchers (fire control 2D, damage 9D).

Y-wing Fighters

Y-wings were adopted at the inception of the Rebel Alliance. These versatile fighters remain popular despite their old, almost obsolete design. The ships are easy to maintain since parts for them are much more readily available than those for newer starfighters.

Y-wing Fighter. Crew scores: astrogation 3D+2, gunnery 4D+1, shields 3D, starship piloting 4D+2.
Maneuverability 2D, speed 35, sensors 1D, hull 4D, shields 1D+2.
Weapons: 2 fire-linked laser cannons (fire control 2D, combined damage 5D), 2 proton torpedo launchers (fire control 2D, damage 9D), 2 fire-linked light ion cannons (fire control 3D, combined damage 4D).

TIE Fighters

The Twin-Ion Engine starfighter (TIE) is the prime Imperial starfighter. TIEs are designed to be fast, but they are also light and very fragile. They are stationed at Imperial outposts throughout the galaxy. Short of Star Destroyers, TIE fighters are the most visible sign of Imperial power along the space lanes.

TIE Fighter. Crew scores: gunnery 4D, starship piloting 4D+1.
Maneuverability 2D, speed 42, sensors 1D, hull 2D, shields 0D.
Weapons: 2 fire-linked laser cannons (fire control 2D, combined damage 5D).

TIE Bombers

The Empire uses TIE bombers for surgical bombardment of targets on asteroid and planetary surfaces. One pod carries the pilot, flight computers, life support and power regulators, while the other pod contains targeting systems and 16 concussion missiles.

TIE Bomber. Crew scores: gunnery 5D, starship piloting 4D.
Maneuverability 0D, speed 33, sensors 1D, hull 4D+1, shields 0D.
Weapons: 2 fire-linked laser cannons (fire control 2D, combined damage 3D), concussion missiles (fire control 3D+2, damage 9D).

TIE Interceptors

TIE interceptors were designed to counter the advantages of Rebel Alliance X-wing starfighters. They feature larger engines and more powerful energy converters in their solar panels. Although TIE interceptors were introduced shortly before the Battle of Yavin, they were not put into general use until just before the Battle of Endor.

TIE Interceptor. Crew scores: gunnery 4D+2, starship piloting 5D.
Maneuverability 3D+2, speed 44, sensors 2D, hull 3D, shields 0D.
Weapons: 4 fire-linked laser cannons (fire control 3D, combined damage 6D).

Imperial Lambda Shuttles

These personnel shuttles can ferry up to 20 passengers and their cargo. Lambda shuttles are capable of jumping to hyperspace, so they can transfer troops between starships and planet surfaces, and between different star systems.

Imperial Lambda Shuttle. Crew scores: gunnery 5D, shields 4D, starship piloting 5D.
Maneuverability 1D, speed 30, sensors 1D, hull 4D, shields 1D+2.
Weapons: 3 double blaster cannons (fire control 2D, damage 4D), 2 fire-linked double laser cannons (fire control 3D+1, combined damage 4D).

Corellian YT-1300 Freighters

YT-1300s are like thousands of other light freighters travelling the galaxy. These Corellian ships are reliable, durable and easy to modify. They are the favorites of free-traders, smugglers, and even some bounty hunters. The famous smuggler Han Solo's Millennium Falcon is a heavily modified Corellian YT-1300.

Corellian YT-1300 Freighter. Crew scores: gunnery 4D, shields 3D, starship piloting 4D.
Maneuverability 0D, speed 28, sensors 1D, hull 4D, shields 0D.
Weapons: laser cannon (fire control 2D, damage 4D).

Imperial Star Destroyers

Imperial Star Destroyers are among the most fearsome weapons of the Imperial war machine. The Emperor uses these awesome battleships to instill fear in the hearts of citizens throughout the galaxy. In addition to its weaponry, one Star Destroyer carries a wing of 72 TIE fighters, a full stormtrooper division, 20 AT-ATs and 30 AT-ST walkers.

Imperial Star Destroyer. Crew scores: astrogation 4D, com-scan 4D, gunnery 4D+2, shields 4D+1, starship piloting 5D+1.
Maneuverability 1D, speed 33, sensors 3D, hull 13D, shields 3D.
Weapons: 60 turbolaser batteries (fire control 4D, damage 11D), 60 ion cannons (fire control 2D+2, damage 9D).

Mon Calamari Star Cruisers

The Mon Calamari provided the Alliance with virtually the only star cruisers in the Rebel Fleet. Cobbled together from Mon Cal exploration vessels, the ships have proven surprisingly effective in combat. The Mon Calamari crews are better trained, and the ships are protected by extra deflector shields.

Mon Calamari Star Cruiser. Crew scores: astrogation 4D, com-scan 3D+1, gunnery 5D, shields 5D, starship piloting 5D+2.
Maneuverability 2D, speed 33, sensors 2D, hull 12D, shields 6D.
Weapons: 48 turbolaser batteries (fire control 2D, damage 10D), 20 ion cannon batteries (fire control 3D, damage 9D).

Corellian Corvettes

Corellian Corvettes are used by private corporations, pirates and the Rebel Alliance. They can be used for blockade running, heavy combat duty, and freight transport.

Corellian Corvette. Crew scores: astrogation 3D, com-scan 3D+1, gunnery 4D+1, shields 3D, starship piloting 3D+2.
Maneuverability 2D, speed 33, sensors 2D, hull 10D, shields 2D.
Weapons: 6 double turbolaser cannons (fire control 3D, damage 10D+2).

Nebulon-B Frigates

These vessels are the Alliance's best close support vessel. The Nebulon-Bs are able to escort convoys and cause damage to larger star cruisers in combat. They are well armed with turbolasers and protected by shields. Some frigates have been converted into hospital ships.

Nebulon-B Frigate. Crew scores: astrogation 3D, com-scan 3D+1, gunnery 4D+1, shields 3D, starship piloting 3D+2.
Maneuverability 1D, speed 28, sensors 1D, hull 9D+2, shields 2D.
Weapons: 12 turbolaser batteries (fire control 3D, damage 10D), 12 laser cannons (fire control 2D, damage 2D).

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An Exciting Universe

The Star Wars galaxy is filled with adventure. It's a place teeming with conflicts -- situations which could easily inspire adventures for your players. The Empire is trying to put down the Alliance. Rebels battle stormtroopers, TIE fighters and other Imperial minions in a galaxy-spanning civil war. But there are others. Every day, smugglers struggle to make a profit shipping cargoes past Imperial Customs inspectors, all while dodging bounty hunters trying to collect on debts owed to powerful crime lords. Scouts push beyond the Outer Rim Territories into Unknown Space, seeking new worlds and making contact with strange and often hostile alien species.

The Adventure Book will bring you and your players through the story of how a handful of Rebels liberate a planet from the Empire's grasp. What happens after that?

Creating Your Own Adventures

The Adventure Book has some good examples of how to create scenarios. It's really very much like writing a good short story. Your players have provided the characters, you just provide an interesting setting and a conflict -- usually with squads of stormtroopers and angry bounty hunters.

Give the characters a goal in each adventure. Maybe they have to find something, like stolen Rebel information. An adventure might start in an Imperial prison, and the characters have to break out. Perhaps they have to track down an Imperial spy before he betrays the location of a secret Alliance base.

The settings, villains and situations from the Star Wars movies, novels and comic books can give you ideas for your own adventures, too. The characters might need to rescue a smuggler friend from the dungeons of an infamous Hutt crime lord. Or they might pilot scouting missions seeking a new location for a hidden Rebel base.

Using Star Wars Roleplaying Game Adventures

The Star Wars Introductory Adventure Game is based on the Star Wars Roleplaying Game, a more complicated version of the rules you're reading now. You can use published adventures from one game to continue your characters' exploits using the Introductory Adventure Game rules.

There are a few differences between the two games. Many skills are the same, but some are more specific. Melee and brawling are broken into melee combat and melee parry, and brawling and brawling parry. Droid programming/repair becomes two skills, one to program droids and another to repair them. Starship piloting, weapon and repair skills are divided up into skills for space transports (for freighters and shuttles), starfighters and capital ships (immense cruisers like Star Destroyers). There are some additional skills, too, like running, forgery and intimidation (most of which are self-explanatory). Don't worry too much about these skills -- just use the ones that look familiar.

Scores for vehicles and starships might seem more complex. Use those scores with familiar names, like hull, shields, maneuverability, and fire control. For vehicles, hull becomes body strength. The move score replaces the Introductory Adventure Game's speed -- you'll need to divide vehicle speeds by 5 and starship atmosphere speeds by 10 so they work with the introductory rules.

Playing the Star Wars Roleplaying Game

If you're ready for a greater challenge, give the Star Wars Roleplaying Game a try. It's a bit more complicated, but the same principles apply. Use the directions above to help translate characters to the regular Star Wars game. If you're a narrator, you'll want to take some time and read the entire Star Wars Roleplaying Game to see where some things are different. Although the rules are more complicated, they allow you to do more within the exciting Star Wars galaxy. You can play many other characters. There are more Force skills Jedi can use. Both personal and vehicle combat give you more options and strategies.

Translating Characters

Here's how to convert characters from the Introductory Adventure Game into the Star Wars Roleplaying Game format.

Your character's attributes remain the same. Most of the skills are the same, too. Some skills in the Introductory Adventure Game become several more specific skills in the regular game. For instance, melee becomes melee combat and melee parry. For these skills, figure out how many extra dice you've put into it: just subtract the corresponding attribute's dice score from the skill. What you have left shows how much you've improved the skill. Now divide those dice among the related new skills.

Example: A character has a Mechanical of 3D and a starship piloting of 6D+2. He's boosted his skill 3D+2 over his attribute. In the Star Wars Roleplaying Game, he must divide this extra 3D+2 between capital ship piloting, space transports and starfighter piloting. He's not going to be flying any capital ships soon, so he wants to split his 3D+2 between space transports and starfighter piloting. He puts 2D in space transports to make it 5D, and 1D+2 in starfighter piloting to make it 4D+2.

Here's a list of skills divided up into several more specific skills in the Star Wars Roleplaying Game:

If you're playing an alien, check the Star Wars Roleplaying Game rules for any special abilities you might have.

Speed becomes your move score, but the number doesn't change. Force Points, Character Points and Dark Side Points all remain the same. Jedi characters and others with Force powers have a listing that "This character is Force-sensitive." Injuries are listed under "Wound Status" -- the levels are the same, although the effects of injuries are not shown.

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Adventure Book

Introduction

Corsair cursed as his fingers blurred over the X-wing's flight computer. The base hangar's ceiling trembled again. As several suspended conduits buckled, dust rained down on his starfighter's canopy. Corsair glanced upward. The hangar bay was littered with debris, but his launch path was still clear. If he could just get the engines warmed up...

Six TIE bombers flying in standard echelon formation screamed over the Edan landscape. The Rebel base, already crippled by the orbital bombardment, had ceased resisting early in the siege. Now the Imperials knew the Rebel vermin would flee their nest and scatter into the wilderness. That was the reaction the TIE bombers were to stifle. The lead ship roared forward and issued commands to its escorts. "Omega group: ten seconds to target. Synchronized drop on my mark."

The X-wing was silent in the desolate hangar bay. Inside, Corsair was hoping for an engineering miracle. Without an R2 unit in back, the ship couldn't reroute his commands around the damaged components. He yelled, punching the flight computer in complete frustration. The panel sparked as two sundered wires deep within the computer connected with the force of the impact. The engines immediately started to cycle as Corsair cheered in triumph. Then he looked out of the cockpit -- a tight formation of ships was flying extremely low, directly toward the base. Corsair fidgeted as he waited for the engines to build significant power to launch.

The six TIE bombers soared over the last rise before Edan Base. As the landscape blurred beneath them, the targeting computer in each starfighter beeped twice in unison. The first of the shimmering spheres dropped from their bomb bays.

The engine meter crept upward at an agonizingly slow pace. Corsair glared at it, hoping that his will alone could influence the physics of the ion drives. Then he heard the roar of the TIEs overhead, and the unnerving whistle of multiple objects dropping from above. "Close enough," he mumbled, and jammed the X-wing's throttle to its farthest forward position. There was a roar behind him. As his ship shuddered under the sudden and premature acceleration, he saw the hangar bay begin to recede behind him.

The first high-yield proton bomb struck the back of the hangar bay. The other volleys followed, walking explosions across the once-proud Edan Base. As if it had a last request, the base spat out a lone X-wing fighter, which immediately banked hard and rocketed away from the dying base.

Gasping for breath, Corsair checked over his shoulder at the terrain swirling beneath him. He had to clear this area fast and put down before the orbital energy scanners could react to his launch. As he set a course, he thought he saw several groups of footsoldiers running from their former home, diving for cover in the lush Edan forest. Given their variety of uniforms, they could only be Rebels.

Good luck, he silently wished them, and see you at the Rendezvous Point.

Start Your Own Star Wars Saga

You and your friends are ready to begin creating your own series of Star Wars adventures. Assuming your players enjoy blasting through this exciting galaxy, you as narrator will probably be running more than just one game.

One session of a roleplaying game is often called a "scenario," "mission" or "adventure." The three words all mean the same thing -- one night of gaming in which the players accomplish a short-term goal. You've seen two sample scenarios already in this boxed game. One of them was in the Players Booklet, and the other was in the Narrator Booklet.

An adventure describes the general plot of the game session. Elements of a mission include the characters' location, their current goals, and the obstacles they face. Writing scenarios can be tricky, so we've provided a bunch of them in the Introductory Adventure Game, plus some ideas to help you create your own.

Some of the most popular and suspenseful adventures are those that link together to describe a grand story. Where one scenario ends, another one starts, similar to the events shown in the Star Wars movie trilogy. In Star Wars: A New Hope, we meet Luke, Leia, Han, and others in their battle against the Empire's Death Star. Along the way, horrific enemies such as Darth Vader and Jabba the Hutt are introduced. Star Wars ends when Luke and Han destroy the first Death Star, scoring a major victory for the Rebel Alliance. The Empire Strikes Back continues the story from Star Wars. In the beginning of the movie, the mighty Imperial Fleet is hunting down the Rebel Alliance with ruthless efficiency. In typical cliff-hanger fashion, one of the heroes is captured by the Empire, and taken by Boba Fett back to Jabba on Tatooine. Return of the Jedi begins with the heroes rescuing their imprisoned comrade, eventually leading up to a final confrontation between the Empire and the Alliance.

Missions that are linked together to tell a larger story are called a campaign. That's exactly what this whole book is filled with; scenarios that are tied together to form a campaign. In these adventures, your players will repeatedly run into familiar allies and old enemies. Their actions in one scenario affect their situation in the next one. If they save a Rebel technician in one mission, he'll help them fix their equipment in the next one. If they don't save the tech, well, he won't be around later, so the Rebels will have to make their own repairs or make do with what they have.

So... what do you do now? Start by reading the campaign summary and introduction. That will show you where the saga is going, and give a feel for what's in store for your players. While you can read the whole book cover-to-cover, it's not really necessary. Before play, read the scenario your players are about to run. You'll find lots of read-alouds, maps, and other aides to help you get into the role of being the narrator. You'll see summaries before each scenario that outline the Rebels' performance in the previous adventure. These will help you remember what the players did, and how their actions will affect the next scenario.

If you're a player, stop reading right now! This book is for the narrator to help him create a world you can adventure in. If you don't stop reading, you'll know what challenges your character will face. As tempting as that might sound, it'll make the game much less exciting for you. Plus, narrators don't take kindly to players snooping through their books. Some mischievous narrators have been known to change things around if players read ahead to the adventures -- adding some extra stormtroopers here, a bounty hunter there, an unexpected thermal detonator right beneath the heroes' noses. Consider yourself warned.

Freedom for Edan

Freedom for Edan is broken into seven missions. The first is a little shorter than the others, to provide more examples of how to run the game. Here's an overview of the events:

Adventure 1: Defeated! The heroes have escaped the Imperial bombardment of Edan Base. Now they must struggle to survive in the wilderness. They discover an advance Imperial patrol station and have the opportunity to steal valuable vehicles and equipment.

Adventure 2: Salvation on Silver-Tipped Wings The characters arrive in the settlement of Southview, seeking the freedom cell group mentioned in the first scenario. They may get involved in a bar fight when bitter farmhands discover their ties to the Alliance. Eventually they meet the freedom fighters, and help them discover the cause of an increasing number of strange disappearances. If they play their cards right, the cell group gives them a Y-wing starfighter that survived the Imperial assault.

Adventure 3: The Convoy After multiple attacks by Imperial forces, the Rebels are low on power and supplies. In a desperate move to replenish their resources, the characters ambush an Imperial armored convoy. They also learn that a secret Rebel base survived the Imperial occupation on the southern continent. Rumors from Rebel sympathizers indicate the base plans to mount a counter-strike against the Imperial invaders.

Adventure 4: Bright Lights, Empty City The Rebels make their way to the city of New East Bay, hoping to find transport across the great ocean to the southern continent. While the characters are in the city, Imperial forces become aware of their presence. The Rebels must sneak onto the transport and remain undetected during the flight over the ocean.

Adventure 5: Hope Falling The Rebels witness an Alliance frigate careening through the atmosphere, having lost a battle with the Star Destroyer in orbit. They rush to the scene of the crash in the hopes of finding survivors and additional equipment.

Adventure 6: Vindication The characters discover the Rebel Base known as Rendezvous Point 4. They play an important role in the desperate plan to destroy the Imperial Star Destroyer orbiting the planet and liberate Edan II.

More Power, More Challenges

This campaign tells the story of the characters' attempt to overthrow the Imperial occupation of Edan II. Over the seven scenarios, the Rebels build their resources and armaments from the humblest of beginnings to a sizable strike force. Keep this scale of events in mind when running Freedom for Edan.

At first, a small squad of stormtroopers poses a formidable challenge to the fledgling Rebels. As the campaign continues, they gain additional experience and resources that allow them to tackle greater opposition. Their first speeder bikes increase their mobility, allowing them to selectively engage foot soldiers. When they recover and repair a disabled Y-wing starfighter, they gain aerial reconnaissance and the ability to strike stronger targets. By the end of the fifth scenario, the characters may have as many as four starfighters at their command. However, the challenges must increase to match their growing capabilities. Read over the campaign summary above and you'll see. In the later stages of the campaign, they won't be attacking four lone foot soldiers, but a flood of stormtroopers and armored vehicles.

That's all the introduction you need. Remember what you learned in the Players and Narrator Booklets. Now it's time for you, the narrator, to start telling your own story. The audience has filled the theater, the curtain recedes to unmask the silver screen. The first musical chord plays, and as the credits scroll on screen, read the introduction to "Adventure 1: Defeated!" to your players.

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Adventure 1: Defeated!

Read aloud:

You gaze through the fading mist of your own breath into the Edan night. It's cold; cold and eerily silent on the edge of a deep forest. The pristine atmosphere of Edan II -- unmolested by industrial pollution -- lets the stars shine in perfect clarity. As you look up to the myriad of distant suns, and the war which you know is occurring between them, you wonder if you'll ever be among the stars again.

It has been four days since the Imperial siege of Edan Base. Once the main generator collapsed under a power overload, the Empire easily decimated the fragile outpost from high orbit. The base's ion cannon barely managed a single shot before being silenced by the orbiting Star Destroyer's turbolasers. Meanwhile, the Rebel Alliance's fighters were the first craft to fall from the sky -- if they weren't buried in the collapsed hangar bay. Any shuttles and transports which managed to escape crashed into unyielding rock or disintegrated in mid-air. It was a desperate hour for the Alliance.

You and your friends managed to escape the base and flee into the surrounding wilderness. The retreat was chaotic at best. You have no idea if any evacuation teams survived. For the past few days you've been putting as much distance as you can from the fallen base, knowing that the Empire would establish a tight net of guard posts, speeder patrols, and fighter escorts in an attempt to catch escaping Rebels. So far, you still have your freedom; however, without starcraft, speeder bikes, or major weapons, your freedom is about the only advantage you have.

The sky slowly changes hues, lightening from a midnight black to a deep blue. The dawn is coming -- and with it another day of survival on a lonely world. You've heard of major settlements on this continent and the one that lies to the south. With any luck, you'll find fuel and weapons, spare equipment, and Rebel sympathizers there.

You heard Commander Drayson mention five rendezvous points scattered around the planet. Perhaps your fellow Rebels are waiting for you at one of them.

But there will be no escape as long as that Star Destroyer is in orbit. In the deepest part of your mind, you know that you'll have to deal with the Imperial Star Destroyer Havoc before you can leave this world.

The faintest crest of the sun rises over the eastern mountain range, and the chirping of a hundred Edan birds begins to fill the silence.

Snowcat Attack

Right now the characters believe they're alone. While they're breaking camp and discussing their plans for today, four ravenous Edan tigers or snowcats are stalking them...

Noticing A Snowcat: Moderate (15) Perception. Ask each player to roll his character's Perception. Anyone getting a 15 or higher notices a snowcat. But just don't tell them this. If a character sees one of the tigers, try being descriptive about his view of the animal. Don't say, "Oh, you see a tiger stalking you." Describe the monstrous beast, with its white and black stripes blending into the morning twilight. Mention its huge fangs and cruel, lifeless eyes. You might be able to make a tiger growling sound, or describe how one of the beasts causes the branches to rustle ever so slightly. Using these graphic descriptions will involve your players in the situation. One or two might even get spooked by the mental image you paint. Which, of course, is the whole idea.

Whether the Rebels see the creatures or not, the Edan tigers attack next round.

If a character sees an Edan tiger, he'll be able to warn the others and everyone has an opportunity to take one action before the tigers attack.

If no one sees the tigers, the tigers surprise the group. The tigers get to attack first while the characters gape dumbfounded at the fierce creatures pouncing on them.

4 Edan Tigers. Dexterity 3D, Perception 2D, Strength 4D.
Claws inflict 3D damage. Bite inflicts 4D damage.
Speed 15.

Here's a brief reminder on how to referee a combat situation. We'll describe this combat in detail, so you can see how to run the next one on your own.

Remember that combat is broken up into a series of combat turns. During a combat turn, each participant (that's the players' characters and the ones that you as the narrator manage) decides what he's going to do. The players roll the appropriate dice, and then the results of their actions are determined.

Character Actions

Here are some of the actions your players are likely to choose, and how to manage each one:

Shoot a Tiger: Easy (10) blaster. Some characters might want to shoot the tigers to save themselves or their friends. Players whose characters are shooting should roll their blaster dice. The tigers are already at Close range, so the difficulty to hit them is 10.

It's possible that intelligent creatures will attempt to dodge an attack. However, these tigers don't understand what a blaster is, so they will take no avoiding action. If the player rolls a 10 or higher, he hits the tiger he was aiming at. If he rolls a 9 or lower, he misses.

Dodge a Tiger's Attack: dodge. A character may spend his whole combat turn avoiding an attack. Tell the player to roll his character's dodge skill. Write this number down, so you'll remember what the tiger must roll to hit the dodging character.

Run Away: Dexterity plus character's speed. If the character tries to flee the scene, have him roll his Dexterity and add his speed (usually 10). If a tiger attacked him last round, the tiger will pursue in its next action. Ask the player to write down the result of his roll; you'll need it later to determine if the tiger caught the fleeing character.

Fighting A Tiger Hand-to-Hand: Very Easy (5) brawling. If an Edan tiger pounces on a hapless character, the Rebel may not be able to bring his blaster to bear. To throw a tiger off, hit it, or otherwise do damage to it with a punch (or a kick), have the player roll his character's brawling score. An Edan tiger, understanding the finer points of hand-to-paw combat, will not attempt to block such an attack. A character hitting the snowcat inflicts damage equal to his Strength dice.

If a character's opponent is somewhat more intelligent (for example, an Imperial officer, although that fact is debated in certain Alliance circles), it might try to block the attack. If that were the case, you would roll the enemy's brawling dice. If the enemy's roll is higher, it succeeded in blocking the attack. If not, the character connected and inflicts damage.

Multiple Actions. A player may declare that his character is going to shoot and dodge, fire twice, or heal a companion and shoot at a tiger. In this case, each skill is rolled at -1D of the score on the character sheet. For example, if a character had first aid at 4D and blaster at 3D, the player would roll 3D to heal his companion, and 2D to shoot at the tiger. Check out "Combat Turns" on the reference sheet included with the templates for more information on multiple actions.

Other Situations. Players will never ever ever proceed through a scenario the way you expect them to. For now, your Narrator Booklet can be your best friend for managing untried situations. Refer to it if you have a question on rules, skills, or dice scores.

Edan Tiger Actions

When it's the tigers' turn, each one will take one of the following actions -- you're the narrator, so you choose how they attack:

Close in on a Character. To attack with its paws or teeth, a snowcat must move in on its prey -- one of the characters! This action succeeds automatically, and the tiger will be close enough to attack in the next combat turn.

Pounce on a Character: Easy (10) Strength, or Strength against character's dodge score. For a snowcat to pounce on a character, you'd normally roll the tiger's climbing/jumping skill. Since it doesn't have one specifically listed, that skill falls under Strength -- roll the tiger's Strength dice (an Edan tiger's Strength is 4D). A tiger needs to beat an Easy (10) difficulty to connect with its intended target. Unless, of course, that target has declared that it is dodging, in which case, use the character's dodge score as the new difficulty number. If it succeeds, the tiger inflicts 3D damage.

Claw a Character: Very Easy (5) Strength, or Strength against character's dodge score. If a tiger is at Point Blank range (that includes being on top of a character), it can attack with its claws. You'd usually roll the tiger's brawling score -- since one isn't listed, roll its Strength instead. The tiger needs a Very Easy (5) result to hit. If its target is dodging, the dodge roll becomes the tiger's new difficulty number. If it succeeds, the tiger inflicts 3D damage.

Bite a Character: Very Easy (5) Strength, or Strength against character's dodge score. A snowcat can bite a character only if it has pounced on him. Follow the same procedure as "Claw A Character" above. If the attack is successful, the tiger inflicts 4D damage.

Chase a Fleeing Character: character's Dexterity plus speed against the tiger's Dexterity plus speed. If a player decides his character is going to flee, an Edan tiger pursues. Roll the tiger's Dexterity (3D) and add its speed of 15 to see if it can catch the running character. Compare the tiger's roll to the character's Dexterity roll (made during "Run Away" under "Character Actions"). If the snowcat's total is higher, the tiger catches the fleeing character. If not, the character successfully flees the scene.

Retreat into the Forest. If two of the four tigers fall, the other two jump into the surrounding bushes and flee the scene.

Just Some Reminders

Here are some quick notes about some other rolls which come up during combat.

Evading an Attack: When two adversaries make opposing actions (for example, one blaster and the other dodge), compare the results of the rolls. Whoever rolls higher succeeds against the other's attempt. Any tied rolls go in favor of the players.

Damage: If an attack hits, have the target roll its Strength plus any armor bonuses. The attacker rolls damage dice for its weapon. Subtract the Strength result from the damage roll. Look at the reference page included with the character sheets. Use the damage table to determine the extent of the injury and its effect on the target.

A Base in the Wilderness

After the characters recover from the snowcat attack, they'll probably want to choose a direction to travel in. When they consider their options, read aloud:

You have only seen the orbital map of Edan II a few times, and it's impossible to recall any intricate details. However, you do remember that the planet's surface is divided into two main continents, separated by a large expanse of ocean. Edan Base is on the northern continent, which is roughly oval in shape. There are two major colony efforts on this continent. One -- Fortuna City -- is on the far eastern shore. The other land mass wraps around the first continent, along its southern and eastern edges.

Edan Base is nestled in the northern rolling hills, making the colony on the eastern shore closer by at least 1,000 kilometers. You also recall a Rebel rendezvous point in that area, in addition to the other four spread across the planet's surface.

The characters will likely choose the closer colony to head towards. If they opt for the longer route, don't panic. All the events that occur along the planned eastern path can be translated to the southern one.

After several hours of hiking through the forest, the Rebels move into an area near an Imperial scout post. The encampment is little more than a mobile comlink station, two tents, and a few speeder bikes. This forward post is being established to help search for escaping Rebels; little does the Empire know that its prey is less than one kilometer away! Read aloud:

You crouch instinctively as you hear the familiar sound of a repulsorlift engine. From the sound of the device, it appears to be some sort of transport. The engine noise dims, as though it has stopped moving and is now holding its position. Then you hear several booted feet moving up and down on a metal ramp, along with the sounds of equipment being off-loaded. You try to get a glimpse of the action, but the lush green underbrush prevents any kind of view. Whoever it is, they're not far off.

If any character wishes to get a better view of the camp, he'll need to make a Moderate (15) sneak roll to get closer. If he succeeds (on a roll of 15 or higher), he approaches the border of the encampment undetected. If he fails the roll, read aloud:

You slowly move forward, brushing tree branches aside to clear your path. You catch a glimpse of two Imperial scout troopers standing guard while two others off-load a speeder bike from a moderately-sized repulsorlift transport. As you crouch to avoid being seen, your foot falls upon a wet rock and you slip! The scout troopers hear the crash of your body moving through the underbrush, and the two of them jog toward your location!

If the character holds still, and succeeds at an Easy (10) sneak roll, the scout troopers glance into the woods, but don't notice anything. If the character fails the sneak roll on a 9 or lower, or if he runs, the sentries spot the Rebel and demand that he surrenders. If the character refuses, the scout troopers open fire. The fight begins at Medium range -- to hit targets requires a Moderate (15) blaster roll.

This entire fight really isn't planned; however, you've just run a fight with the snowcats, so you're familiar with the basic actions and difficulties needed to run a firefight. Don't forget, you play the scout troopers -- if you don't want them to find the character, don't. Just give the Rebels a good scare.

If the characters get a good view of the encampment, give them the map showing the "Imperial Scout Post." There are two Imperial officers in the camp, one inside the officers' tent, the other at the communications station. There are a total of six scout troopers. Two are standing guard, two are parking the third and final speeder bike, and two are by the other speeder bikes.

As soon as one character gets a good view of the camp without being detected, read aloud:

The small clearing in the forest is seeing some unusual activity. Four scout troopers are standing by a repulsorlift carrier, unloading field equipment. It appears they've already established a forward operating base. You see two drab gray tents, which you estimate could hold two to six men. Nearby the troopers have set up a mobile communications array. Behind the array are three speeder bikes, which are being guarded by scout troopers.

One trooper backs an Imperial patrol landspeeder (complete with hood-mounted repeating blaster) out of the repulsorlift carrier. As he finishes, the speeder truck hisses and disappears into the forest. In the other corner of the camp, you watch the three troopers, adorned in standard Imperial scout armor, mount their speeder bikes and race off into the forest.

Looks like they just finished with their delivery. With the speeder bikes and transport gone, you count four Imperials: two scout troopers by the landspeeder, one by the comm array, and an officer standing near the southern tent. There could be more inside the tents...

It would take months to cross the continent on foot, but with that landspeeder, you could do it in days. Now, if only you had a plan...

The Skirmish Begins

Allow the players plenty of time to devise a plan. If they watch carefully, and make an Easy (10) Perception skill check, they notice one scout trooper storing gear in the northern tent, and an officer emerge and re-enter the southern tent. That makes a total of six targets.

4 Imperial Scout Troopers. All scores are 2D except:
blaster 4D, dodge 4D, Mechanical 3D, gunnery 3D+2,
repulsorlift operation 3D+2, brawling 3D
Speed 10.
Equipment: blaster pistol (4D damage), blaster rifle (5D damage), 2 grenades (5D damage, hits 1D targets nearby), scout armor (+2D to Strength when resisting damage, -1D to Dexterity and related skills), survival gear.

2 Imperial Officers. All scores are 2D except:
Dexterity 2D+2, blaster 4D+2, dodge 4D,
Knowledge 3D, bureaucracy 4D,
planetary systems 3D+1, Mechanical 3D+2,
starship piloting 3D+1, Perception 3D+1,
bargain 5D+1, Strength 2D+1, brawling 3D+2,
Technical 3D, starship repair 4D+1
Speed 10.
Equipment: blaster pistol (4D damage), comlink.

Ready to begin? We're going to let you run this fight on your own, with a little guidance. If you're not sure how to run combat, quickly check the Narrator Booklet's "Becoming A Narrator" section. Just remember: each combat turn the players take their actions in turn, then the Imperials take their actions. Continue the fight until all the Imperials are gone or the characters decide to flee.

Here are some things you should keep in mind:

Surprising the Imperials: If any players indicate that their characters are moving into positions, have them attempt an Easy (10) sneak roll. It's easier now because none of the troopers are actively looking into the forest. If they all succeed, the characters can get closer, and might be able to sneak into good cover (behind bushes, fallen logs, or trees).

Multiple Actions: Unlike the Edan tigers, the Imperials know exactly what a blaster is, so when they see one pointed at them, they're likely to dodge. If you feel an Imperial will take multiple actions in one turn, handle his rolls just like a player's character. A narrator character (remember, those are characters you control) can take two actions, but each skill is rolled with a -1D penalty.

Armor: Scout troopers wear armor that gives them a bonus when rolling Strength to resist damage. The scores say that stormtroopers add "+2 to Strength when resisting damage." That means you add 2 to their Strength, giving them a total of 2D+2. Remember, this only happens when they take damage.

Stray Shots: If a player misses a target standing in front of sensitive electronics, you may decide to have those electronics damaged and destroyed. For example, if a character shoots at the scout trooper in front of the communications gear and misses, read:

Your fire at the trooper in front of the communications gear. The shot misses the Imperial by inches and careens into the comm array! Sparks fly everywhere, as the electronics sizzle and pop loudly.

Fleeing Imperials: Only one scout trooper can try to flee the scene on the remaining speeder bike. If the trooper sees that things are going badly, he may try to do this. If he makes it to his bike, and spends one combat turn activating it, he'll zoom off into the forest. Since speeder bikes are so much faster than characters on foot, assume he clears the scene before the Rebels can get a shot at him.

Imperial Distress Call: If the players are foolish enough to leave the scout trooper at the comm array undistracted during the skirmish, he'll send a distress call. This would be very bad for the party, because the other Imperials will know where the escaping Rebels are located. On the fight's fourth combat turn, the trooper can send out the distress call (that is, if he's still standing).

What do you do if the characters screw up? Let's face it, sometimes players roll poorly. Sometimes they charge headlong toward the might of the Empire without a coordinated plan. If the Rebels are forced to beat a hasty retreat from the camp without acquiring the speeders, they'll have to proceed on foot. Assuming they make a safe escape into the woods, you'll skip the next section, "Forest Chase," and jump right on ahead to the next adventure. It will take them 14 days to reach the next scenario's location. Make a note of this delay in the margin of this book, or on a separate piece of paper. The more time the characters use to rendezvous with the other Rebels, the more time the Empire has to fortify its position. This will make things increasingly difficult. See how events in a campaign setting affect future scenarios?

Spoils of War

Once the Rebels have defeated the Imperial forces, they can investigate the scout camp more closely. They might be able to gather valuable equipment and supplies, and could find some clues about the Empire's plans for Edan II. If the characters dally too long in the camp, remind them that this is an Imperial post, and that someone is likely to check in on the installation soon.

Officers' Tent: Inside the Rebels find two cots, three duffel bags, and a datapad. The datapad has a map of Edan II on it. When the characters discover this item, show them the "Edan Planetary Map Narrator Booklet." The duffel bags contain several personal care items, plus one spare officer's tunic. The uniform's rank is lieutenant, and fits a human about two meters tall. There isn't an encoded ID, however, so the uniform in itself won't get a character masquerading as an officer through secure check points. The Rebels also find a locked storage chest in a corner. The chest has a simple keypad combination lock on it, which requires a Moderate (15) security roll to open. If a character blasts it with his weapon, the lock fuses into position -- it can only be opened by prying the lid off or bashing or blasting the chest to pieces. Inside the chest are six grenades (5D damage, hits 1D targets nearby).

Scout Troopers' Tent: In the larger of the two tents the characters discover six sleeping rolls along one side. In the center is a small stack of boxes and equipment. Two of the boxes contain spare repulsorlift engine parts, and aren't very useful to the Rebels. One crate contains two blaster pistols (4D damage), while another holds four medpacs. The bottom crate contains miscellaneous supplies: 25 meters of syntherope, a grappling hook, four comlinks, two glow rods, and one pair of macrobinoculars (+1D Perception or search).

Communications Array: If the array was not hit during the battle, read aloud:

The communications array is in good condition. The control panel consists of two vidscreens, a listening piece and microphone, and a small control pad. Cables run from the array toward a small antenna. Running your fingers over the keypad, you notice that the device has been disabled. The trooper remembered to sign off the system! However, the screens haven't been cleared.

One vidscreen shows a datamap of Edan II. The map is highlighted by various icons that indicate Imperial troop deployments. It appears from the map that the Empire is establishing a strong presence planetside, including a major installation on the southern continent. You can only assume that will be their main base of operations. Smaller garrisons are planned near both of the major northern cities, and several along various mountain ranges.

The other datascreen contains a list of 41 known Rebel survivors from the initial attack. Your names are listed among them. There is a small notation that some of these Rebels are believed to be in the town of Southview, some 90 kilometers east of your current location.

Show the players a map of Edan II, if they haven't already acquired one. The comm array has been disabled from receiving or transmitting more information, but the characters could attempt to slice back into the system with a Heroic (30) computer programming/repair roll. If they do, they can listen to Imperial communication traffic until the codes change the next morning.

Vehicles: When the heroes examine the Imperial landspeeder, read aloud:

The dull-blue landspeeder has been redesigned for planetary patrol. It is well-armored, and its three repulsorlift engines are tucked within the protective chassis. A light repeating blaster rests upon a mount on the forward hood. There are rudimentary targeting controls in the front passenger seat. The entire vehicle is in good condition, including the prominent "Imperial Patrol" insignia on both sides of the vehicle.

The characters may wisely elect to remove the patrol insignia markings, which will gather a great deal of attention later in the campaign. The speeder is fully fueled.

To drive vehicles, characters use the repulsorlift operation skill. To start and perform basic maneuvers requires an Easy (10) repulsorlift operation roll. Remember that if a character chooses to take an action while driving a vehicle, both actions' scores are reduced by -1D. For example, if a character flying a speeder bike wanted to fire its laser cannons, he would roll two skills: repulsorlift operation to fly the bike, and gunnery to use the weapons.

Forest Chase

While the Rebels zip off with their newly acquired speeder, the two Imperials who went on patrol have returned to their base and found it decimated. After making a quick report to their headquarters, the two troopers move to pursue the characters. Since the landspeeder can't move as fast as the speeder bikes, it's only a matter of time before the two biker scouts catch the fleeing Rebels.

After a few moments of peaceful interlude, have all players make a Moderate (15) Perception check. If one of them makes it, they happen to glance backward to see the approaching Imperial troopers. Read aloud:

The lush Edan trees blur past your landspeeder at a comfortable pace. You glance backward, and are surprised to see two white dots following you through the forest. Looking closer, you realize that they are Imperial scout troopers riding speeder bikes! And they're closing in! You scream over the din of your own repulsorlift engine to the pilot. You're not an Imperial tactician, but it looks like they're closing to weapons range...

If none of the characters notice the pursuing Imperial biker scouts, they'll be surprised. The scout troopers get one free combat turn in which the Rebels can't act. The Imperials open fire, hitting the landspeeder once and lightly damaging it (be sure to make a note of that).

Read the following aloud:

You sit back in your seat, and glance as the Edan clouds drift peacefully through the brilliant blue sky. You're beginning to think that the life of a resistance fighter isn't that bad, when you are showered by brilliant sparks. The landspeeder jerks suddenly, and you spin around to see thick, black smoke pouring from one of your craft's engines. Through the haze, you can see two Imperial speeder bikes firing their laser weapons at you!

Vehicle combat is handled just like combat between two characters. The players take their actions first, then the Imperials -- each side declares its actions and makes the appropriate rolls. However, different vehicles have varying capabilities. To accommodate for this, you'll add a vehicle's scores to a skill roll. For example, here's a listing for the Imperial landspeeder that the Rebels have stolen:

Imperial Patrol Landspeeder. Maneuverability 1D, speed 20, sensors 0D, hull 5D+2, shields 0D.
Weapons: 1 light repeating blaster (fire control 1D, damage 6D).

Whenever a character takes evasive action, or turns the landspeeder in a certain way, you add the speeder's maneuverability of 1D to the character's repulsorlift operation roll. If the vessel had sensors, you'd add the vehicle's sensors dice to any Rebel's attempt to use that equipment with his com-scan skill.

If the vehicle takes a hit, compare the damage of the weapon against the vehicle's hull dice roll. A vehicle's hull is just like a character's Strength score. When using weapons, the fire control score is added to a character's gunnery skill roll. This is a quick review from the information in the Players Booklet ("Combined Rolls") and the Narrator Booklet ("Starships and Vehicles"). Consult them for more information.

To compare the two vehicles, here are the scores for the pursuing speeder bikes. If the Rebels captured the remaining speeder bike after taking over the Imperial scout post, they'll have one as well.

Speeder Bike. Crew scores: gunnery 3D+2, repulsorlift operation 3D+2.
Maneuverability 3D+2, speed 35, sensors 0D, hull 4D, shields 0D.
Weapons: laser cannon (fire control 2D, damage 5D).

Note that the crew scores are for a standard Imperial scout trooper. Ignore these scores for the character's bike. As you can see from the two vessels, the speeder bike is much faster than the landspeeder. While the speeder bikes are more maneuverable (by two dice!), the landspeeder is tougher. Hopefully, the players will use that to their advantage.

Biker Scout Strategies

The scouts continue to fire on the landspeeder, hoping to disable it. They prefer to stay behind the landspeeder, where the hood-mounted repeating blaster can't reach them. They don't take evasive action unless the Rebels attempt to bring the blaster to bear.

Each round, roll the trooper's gunnery score (3D+2) and add his vehicle's fire control (2D). Remember though, the trooper is taking two actions (the first one is to fly the bike, the other is to shoot). So instead of rolling 5D+2 (combined gunnery and fire control dice), he rolls 4D+2, when firing on the Rebels' landspeeder. Since the chase begins at Close range, their target difficulty is Easy (10), unless the Rebels take evasive action in the landspeeder. In that case, the character pilot's repulsorlift operation roll becomes the scout troopers' new difficulty number.

The biker scouts do not retreat unless they are certain the characters have been destroyed.

Rebel Strategies

The characters have little choice but to engage the biker scouts, since the landspeeder has little chance to outdistance them. Here are some possible actions for them to take:

Shoot with Hand-Held Blasters: Easy (10) blaster. Each player may make a blaster roll to shoot at the troopers. Since the characters are on an unstable platform (the landspeeder is bucking and weaving underneath them), each roll must be made with a -1D penalty. The scouts stay at Close range, so the difficulty to hit is Easy (10).

Take Evasive Action: repulsorlift operation plus maneuverability. The Rebel pilot may attempt to take evasive action by weaving the landspeeder back and forth. If he opts to do so, he should roll his repulsorlift operation score, and add the vehicle's maneuverability of 1D. This becomes the new target difficulty for the pursuing troopers to hit the landspeeder with their bike laser cannons.

Detour into the Forest: Difficult (20) repulsorlift operation plus maneuverability. The Rebels may opt to fly into the forest, in the hopes of losing their pursuers. This is dangerous though, since the landspeeder is much larger and less maneuverable than its opponents. If the pilot decides to fly into the trees, he must make a Difficult (20) repulsorlift operation roll (adding the landspeeder's 1D maneuverability) to avoid slamming into a tree. If the pilot fails, the landspeeder takes from 3D to 7D worth of damage (you decide based on how bad the roll was, and whether it will add any suspense to the chase).

Turn the Landspeeder Around and Fire the Repeating Blaster: Very Difficult (25) repulsorlift operation plus maneuverability, then Easy (10) gunnery. The hood-mounted repeating blaster is the strongest weapon the characters have. However, the blaster can only fire in the forward 180 degrees of the landspeeder, so it can't shoot at targets behind the vehicle. To spin the speeder around so it points toward the speeder bikes, the pilot has to make a Very Difficult (25) repulsorlift operation roll (remember to add the 1D maneuverability dice). Because of the violent turn, each character must make a Very Easy (5) Dexterity check or be thrown from the careening landspeeder. If the pilot fails his repulsorlift operation roll, the speeder clips one of the trees, does not finish the turn, and takes 4D damage.

Once the speeder is turned around, the character in the forward passenger seat may use his gunnery skill to fire the hood-mounted repeating blaster at the bikes. Add the weapon's fire control of 1D to the character's gunnery dice. Hitting an oncoming speeder bike is an Easy (10) task at this range. If the shot hits, it inflicts 6D damage on the speeder bike.

Shift the Speeder into Reverse and Fire the Repeating Blaster: Difficult (20) repulsorlift operation, then Easy (10) gunnery. This is something only hair-on-plasma-fire bush pilots would try. This maneuver requires a Difficult (20) repulsorlift operation roll. If the roll succeeds, the driver throws the landspeeder controls into a hard reverse, letting the biker scouts race by... and into the fire arc of the repeating blaster mounted on the Rebels' landspeeder. If the roll fails, the pilot burns out the repulsorlift engines and the vehicle comes to a dead stop.

Once the speeder bikes pass the heroes, the character in the forward passenger seat may use his gunnery skill to fire the hood-mounted repeating blaster at the bikes. Add the weapon's fire control of 1D to the character's gunnery dice. Hitting a speeder bike is an Easy (10) task at this range. If the shot hits, it inflicts 6D damage on the speeder bike.

Collisions. If the characters' landspeeder hits a tree or other obstacle (for whatever reason), bizarre things can happen. The Rebels could spin the speeder around and slam it into one of its pursuers. Or the pilot could try to jam it in reverse, and the Imperials might not evade the landspeeder in time. If this occurs, each vehicle takes 7D of damage.

Taking Vehicle Damage. Remember that when a vehicle takes damage, you roll its hull dice against the damage dice of the weapon hitting it. Use the damage chart to determine the effect of the damaged vessel. Check the Narrator Booklet for a full description of the penalties a damaged vehicle incurs. In the case of repulsorlift vessels, ships that are damaged lose a turn, but the characters can still act. If a speeder's controls are ionized, it can't turn, but that doesn't stop a desperate Rebel from leaning out the back and shooting at his pursuers.

Jumping Ship: Very Difficult (25) or Moderate (15) climbing/jumping. A character may opt to jump from the side of the racing landspeeder. We didn't say it was a good option, but it's possible. The bold Rebel must make a Very Difficult (25) climbing/jumping roll or take 4D damage when he lands. If the pilot slows the repulsorcraft, the jumper's difficulty is reduced to Moderate (15).

Ending the Chase

The pursuit has one of two possible endings. Either the landspeeder is disabled, or the two speeder bikes are destroyed. If the characters are defeated, and their repulsorcraft destroyed, allow them the opportunity to escape into the woods. They'll need a Moderate (15) sneak roll to disappear into the thick forest. If they fail, a scout spots them, and attempts to blast them with his speeder bike's laser. Any equipment that was in the landspeeder (extra medpacs, blasters, and such) is lost with the destroyed vehicle. If the characters abandon a disabled landspeeder, they might have a few moments to gather some supplies.

If the heroes are the victors of the day, allow them time to repair their landspeeder. Make a note of how badly damaged the craft is, and have a character make his repulsorlift repair roll. The difficulty to successfully repair the landspeeder depends on how badly damaged it is -- check "Repairing Damage" in the Narrator Booklet. The Rebels should also use this time to patch up injuries with the appropriate first aid rolls (remember, they'll need a medpac to actually heal a fellow character's wounds).

This climactic speeder chase is the end of the first scenario. It wasn't that tough, was it? To give a sense of closure to this game session (and, if you wish, to gently indicate that it's time for your players to head home), read aloud:

Your landspeeder bumps to a stop on the side of the forest path. You climb out and shake off the recent combat. Further down the trail, you can see the smoking remains of the two speeder bikes. You glance over your comrades and note that your appointed medical expert is already attending to their wounds. Not bad for one day, you think as you dust off your hands. As the sun begins to set, highlighting the Edan sky with a hundred shades of purple, you smile to yourself. The Empire better brace themselves... 'cause you're coming for them!

Now that the adventure's over, each player receives several Character Points with which they can improve their Rebel. Give each player 2 points for his role in the Edan tiger encounter. Award 2 Character Points for each of the fights with the Imperials: the attack of the scout camp and the final speeder chase. Assign up to an additional 3 bonus Character Points to individual Rebels for good roleplaying, insightful ideas, or heroic actions.

If any player used a Force Point heroically during this adventure, give him one back. Such actions include engaging the enemy, or doing something which ultimately helped the heroes. Any character who used a Force Point in this manner in the final speeder chase gains it back and gains another one.

---

Adventure 2: Salvation on Silver-Tipped Wings

In the previous scenarios, our heroes may have acquired an Imperial patrol landspeeder, one speeder bike, and supplemental personal equipment. Aside from the vehicles and changes to personal equipment, the events in this scenario are not affected by the ones in "Adventure 1: Defeated!"

Welcome to Southview

In the late afternoon, the Rebels arrive on the northern edge of a small outpost known as Southview. Give them the Players' Map of Southview Village, then read aloud:

The small town is located on the top of a small cliff which drops off sharply toward the south end of town. The main and only significant street is a dusty, L-shaped open area that turns to the east. The buildings are worn with age, some are further scarred by blaster marks. Most of their decoration -- such as shutters, fences, gutters, and guard rails -- have recently fallen off. Some buildings appear to be occupied, including a very large two-story hall to the south edge of town, and three smaller homes spotted across the east-west portion of the street.

You can see one or two humans within the village confines. They move swiftly from one building to another, then disappear. Just beyond the town, in the fading twilight, you can see the testimony of this planet's recent history: a large and very fresh crater indents the surface of the earth. The rim of the crater is speckled by debris of at least three separate structures.

If the Rebels approach one of the humans, describe a downtrodden farmer. The villager mumbles something incomprehensible (no matter what the language skill of the character is), and shuffles along his way toward a building labeled "The K-O Bar."

There are a few buildings of importance which the characters might want to investigate:

Settlement Offices. Read aloud:

This is the largest building in town. The entire eastern side of the structure is charred black, no doubt from the orbital turbolaser volley that exploded next to it. The door is locked. Glancing in through the windows, you see datapads scattered across the floor, and almost every piece of furniture has been overturned. The pattern of the debris is very organized though: it looks like a great wind entered from the east windows -- which are all shattered -- and exited through the west side of the building.

Characters who make an Easy (10) Knowledge roll understand that this is typical evidence of an orbital laser bombardment. The majority of the building's occupants probably did not survive.

Otis' Livery. Otis' Livery is a modest-sized shop, approximately ten meters square. The interior is filled with a chaotic assortment of farming gear, most of it of little interest to the Rebels. Otis is by the back counter, working on repairs for a subsonic seed germinator. He is a squat but pleasant man, and greets the characters with a rough handshake. If asked about the devastation, he indicates that it occurred a few nights ago without warning (about the same time the Empire destroyed Edan Base).

Otis mentions that many of the farmhands heard rumor of a Rebel terrorist base that was responsible for the bombardment. He says he knows better, and hints that the characters may not be entirely welcome here... especially dressed the way that they are (if any are wearing Rebel Alliance uniforms). Otis also says the locals are particularly on edge since the disappearances started occurring the night after the bombing. The majority of the farms lie eastward, and at least 40 people have vanished in the last two days.

The Watchman. While wandering through town, a man dressed in a colonial uniform approaches the party. He speaks with them carefully, and explains that the devastation occurred during an orbital bombardment three nights ago. He finishes the conversation by quoting the settlement law which forbids the wearing of sidearms within the "settlement limits." He's happy to check their weapons, and they can stop by his office whenever they wish to leave town. He points out the K-O Bar, where the heroes can find something to eat and drink.

Watchman Whitley. All scores are 2D except:
Dexterity 3D, blaster 4D, dodge 3D+2,
Knowledge 3D, Perception 4D, search 4D+2
Equipment: 2 blaster pistols (4D damage), colonial uniform, datapad, whistle, 400 credits.

If the Rebels refuse to surrender their weapons, the Watchman asks them to leave the settlement. If they put up a fight, he blows his whistle to summon aid from the villagers. They arrive in six combat turns, armed with blasters, hand diggers, mining spanners, and other farm gear. Warn characters with Force skills that if they willingly participate in harming the Watchman, they will earn a Dark Side Point.

If the players proceed to the K-O Bar, skip ahead to "KO'ed at the K-O Bar" below. Should they decide to keep their weapons and leave town, they'll get only a little way before they're followed by Dantaree (see below) who tries to enlist their help.

KO'ed at the K-O Bar

When the characters enter this establishment, read the following aloud:

The K-O Bar is the type of cantina you'd expect to find on a rimward colony world. Most of the distillery equipment is ancient, and you are not too certain about the health one can maintain by drinking the fluids it produces. Some tables are scattered about, with a primitive open flame burning in a vial on top of each. The bar is roughly half-full with various farmhands bent over their drinks. The room smells heavily of smoke, and slurred conversation provides background noise.

The Rebels have an opportunity to choose a table and order food or drink. As they do so, they notice they are being carefully watched by a good number of the bar's patrons.

During their conversation, allow each player to make an Easy (10) Perception check. If a character succeeds, they notice one of two items of interest: 1) six of the rougher farmers nod their heads, look over at the Rebels' table, then get up from their chairs; 2) in the opposite corner, a human woman in a scout's jumpsuit notices the farmers' actions, and subtly braces her body for trouble.

If the characters do nothing, one of the farmhands deliberately kicks a character's chair, pretending to trip on it. The farmhand turns around, curses the heroes for tripping him, and demands an apology for their carelessness.

A confrontation is inevitable, since the farmers are spoiling for a fight. They've just been bombed into the stone age. They're angry and confused, and the characters are the first spacer-types to appear in the settlement. It hasn't occurred to the farmers that the Rebels were also devastated by the Imperial occupation. In their somewhat drunken state, however, a rational explanation of the Alliance's good motives will be lost on them.

6 Angry Farmhands. All scores are 2D except:
dodge 3D, melee 2D+2, brawling 3D+1
Equipment: Overalls.

Since neither the characters nor the farmhands have weapons, this fight should be considered non-lethal. A character or farmhand who is incapacitated or mortally wounded should be considered knocked out. They'll be okay, but will have one nasty headache when the morning comes. When running a brawl like this, the damage of a successful attack is the Strength of the attacking character. If a clever Rebel attempts to pick up a chair or table to use as a weapon, instruct the character to use his melee skill to attack. The farmhand still has the opportunity to defend with a brawling or melee roll (depending on whether the farmer is using his hands or another chair to parry the blow). If the character hits, he inflicts damage equal to his Strength dice plus 1D for the furniture.

Dantaree to the Rescue

The woman in the corner is Dantaree, a scout who was working for the Rebel Alliance forces based on Edan II. She watches the brawl passively, but is ready to act if anyone pulls a weapon. Should the brawl go badly for the heroes, she steps in and orders the farmhands away (possibly tossing a punch or two herself). Once the Rebels win the scuffle, Dantaree smiles knowingly and approaches the characters. Read aloud:

The woman from the corner of the bar applauds softly as she approaches. She's dressed in a jumpsuit that scouts often wear when performing land-based reconnaissance. Her long hair is tied back in a pony tail, and her sharp, angular features paint the face of a woman who's seen a good portion of the galaxy, and has enjoyed it.

"I thought I could pick out good work when I saw it," she smiles while nudging a downed farmhand with her boot. "Don't worry about these bums," she loosely gestures to the drunken and unconscious farmhands. "They haven't taken the Imperial occupation very well. Of course, many of us haven't, but we're behaving a little differently."

She offers a gloved hand to you. "My name's Dantaree," she smiles.

If the characters mention that they were stationed at Edan Base, she smirks and indicates that she didn't figure them for the mud farmers -- they definitely stick out against the Edan colonist population. If asked about a resistance group operating in this or other settlements, Dantaree becomes obviously uncomfortable with discussing the matter. She turns the conversation immediately to asking the group for help.

A good percentage of the farming settlement's members have disappeared, and it's made her and a number of her friends very concerned. Dantaree indicates that if the characters will help them do a little investigating, she's certain they can provide them with some useful equipment.

Yes, Dantaree is a Rebel sympathizer. She also knows how the Empire behaves during an occupation. She believes there are already Imperial undercover agents seeking to become involved with Rebel resistance groups, so they can be exposed and neutralized. The job she has in mind for them should prove the characters' loyalties.

What if the players don't trust Dantaree or choose not to follow her? This, in short, is a small problem. She's a real contact with the underground movement, and if the characters miss the opportunity, one won't come up again until the next scenario. While it would be interesting to have the players' group cautiously investigate potential Rebel contacts, it can be a difficult job. Since we've written this campaign for beginning narrators and players, we won't turn your adventure into a full-blown cloak-and-dagger mystery. The characters are isolated and need allies. Dantaree is the first of many.

If the characters are reluctant to accept Dantaree's offer, have them make Moderate (15) Knowledge or Perception rolls. If they succeed, she seems somewhat familiar, and the characters recall seeing her name on one or two of Commanders Drayson's daily briefings. If the characters make a Difficult (20) Knowledge roll, they distinctly recall seeing her in the halls of Edan Base, and remember that she was a freelance scout operating on behalf of the Alliance.

Stake-Out

Dantaree leads the Rebels out of the K-O Bar and into one of the deserted buildings. When all the characters have entered the small two-story house, the door closes behind them. They are surrounded by six farmhands, all wearing blaster pistols. One speaks with Dantaree. Read aloud:

"This is the help you bring us?" one of the armed hoods asks Dantaree. "They couldn't fight their way out of a spice freighter."

Dantaree shoots an icy glare back at her inquisitor. "They've had a rough couple of days. And right now, Jarin, you need all the help you can get."

Jarin's associates nod their heads and shuffle their feet. They know Dantaree's right.

Dantaree continues. "Whoever has been abducting the farmers has done it without witnesses. That means they are either invisible, or are so well armed as to leave no witnesses. Either way, we'll need extra pairs of eyes and a few more trigger-fingers."

She moves over to a heavy satchel that rests on top of a table. She throws it at the feet of the party. The heavy thud it makes tells you it could only be one thing: your confiscated weapons.

"Besides," she smiles back at you, "I like their style."

Dantaree tells the characters the majority of the village's population is organized into roughly 10 farming "circles." Each member farmhouse rests on the outside of the circle, and all land and crops the circle shares are in between the 10 farmsteads. Two full circles' worth of farmers and their families have disappeared. Their plan is to stake-out the outward farming circles, and attempt to witness the disappearances first hand. They'll act if they have to, but would prefer to gather as much intelligence as possible. As Dantaree mentions, "We don't have that many resources. And those that we do," she pauses for a palpable moment, "are not easily mobilized."

6 Edan Freedom Fighters. All scores are 2D except:
Dexterity 3D, blaster 4D, dodge 3D, Strength 3D, brawling 4D
Equipment: blaster pistol (4D damage), 200 credits.

The freedom fighters have two old Mobquet landspeeders that can transport themselves and the characters. The Rebels may want to bring their own stolen landspeeder and their gear. If asked, the freedom fighters can spare two medpacs to give to injured characters. Before departing, Dantaree maps out where the stake-out teams will be located. She joins one of the Rebels' groups, but leaves it up to them how (or if) they wish to divide their forces.

Hiding in the Fields

When the players arrive at the farming circle, read the following:

The sky continues to darken as you pull up to your designated observation point. The farming "circle" is fairly large, at least 500 meters across. The circle is divided into roughly equal pie slices -- you assume that denotes the various farms' crops.

Most of the fields have been harvested, and long Edan grass grows to waist level in most of them. The fields are encircled by a lush tree line, with a wide variety of bushes, shrubs, and tall trees. The closest farmhouse juts out from the woods about 200 meters from you. As you begin to survey the field, a gentle breeze stirs, causing the tall grass to whisper in the moonlight.

The characters have a number of options:

Hide in a Tree: Easy (10) climbing/jumping, Easy (10) sneak. Climbing a tree gives the characters an excellent vantage point of most of the farms. This requires an Easy (10) climbing/jumping to ascend the tree safely, and an Easy (10) sneak roll to conceal themselves from sight.

Crouch Behind a Bush: Very Easy (5) sneak. The underbrush along the forest edge can provide a good hiding place. Each character choosing to do so must succeed at a Very Easy (5) sneak roll.

Hide in the Tall Grass: Very Easy (5) sneak. Sneaking into the fields gets the heroes closer to the majority of the farmhouses. It requires only a Very Easy (5) sneak roll to hide when lying down in the tall grass; however, they'll have no view of anything going on until they poke their head above the grassline. To do so without being seen requires a Moderate (15) sneak roll.

Hide in a Farmhouse. If Dantaree sees a character heading off toward a house, she asks, in very direct terms, what the Rebel thinks he's doing. She explains that they intend to watch the farmhouses, without letting the inhabitants know that they're there. For all they know, some of the farmhands may be connected to the disappearances.

Concealing the Landspeeder: Easy (10) sneak. If no one thinks of this, Dantaree hisses from her hiding position and points angrily at the landspeeder (who knows, its running lights might still be on...). If they push the speeder further back in the forest, no sneak roll is necessary. If they move it to the tree line, so it will be ready for action if necessary, an Easy (10) sneak roll ensures that it cannot be seen from the circular field.

Enter the Empire

During the stake-out, describe to the players that a few hours pass. Give them the opportunity to change positions (making another sneak roll if they choose to do so), make plans, or heal injuries. It's a stake-out, and often not much happens on one.

After a while, read aloud:

The serenity of the night is broken by the whisper of multiple repulsorlift engines. Squinting in the moonlight, you scan across the empty field. In a small patch of woods you see distant flashes of red and blue light by one of the farmhouses. The flashing dies almost instantly, and then multiple speeders and transports break onto the field! Your heart immediately skips a few beats, until you realize that they are not heading for you. There are two large repulsor vehicles -- armored troop transports from the look of them -- with what appear to be turrets mounted on top. There are a number of smaller patrol speeders, identical to the one you borrowed a few days ago, darting around the larger transports.

Wait one combat turn. If anyone moves to act, read aloud:

Dantaree hisses at you from her position. "Don't even think of it! There are too many of them!" She raises her macrobinoculars to her eyes, and as she glances through them, she sinks her upper teeth into her lower lip. "We'll have to watch for now. Whatever they're doing, all their weapons are set on stun."

The speeders (you count eight of them) proceed in groups of two toward each farmhouse. As they approach, they indiscriminately fire their repeating blasters into the farmhouses. You note with curiosity that the weapons are set for stun. After the vehicle-based barrage, stormtroopers swarm the afflicted house, and emerge seconds later with bodies draped over their shoulders.

You glance over at another pair of speeders returning with their human cargo. The farmhands are loaded onto the transports without ceremony. Some are simply dazed, and are led, cuffed, into the gaping maw of the armored repulsorlift.

It should be fairly obvious that the characters are far too outnumbered to take any action at this point. If a true-hearted yet foolish Rebel attempts to charge in and save the prisoners, he's met with at least six volleys of blaster stun bolts. The character must make a Heroic (30) dodge roll or be rendered unconscious.

Hey! Isn't this "fixing" the scenario?

You're right, it is. But we're doing it for a very good reason. Consider this: there are eight speeders and two transports, each with turret-mounted blasters, not to mention at least 30 stormtroopers. They're prepared for a fight, and have the weaponry to win one. If they see the Rebel charging, the blasters can cut him down before he can get close enough to make a difference.

After a few more minutes of this macabre scene, the transports are fully loaded with prisoners. They depart into the woods, escorted by their full contingent of Imperial patrol speeders. No one is left in the farms, and anyone venturing inside finds overturned furniture, walls marked with blaster bolts, and other signs of the recent chaos.

The freedom fighters gather after the patrol has departed. Read aloud:

The freedom fighters quickly jog into a tight circle. Everyone present is either shocked or enraged by the atrocities you just witnessed. As you stare into each other's eyes, your heavy breathing exhales mist into the chill night.

One of Dantaree's group breaks the silence. He's brandishing an odd-looking rifle you hadn't noticed before. He smiles grimly, "I got one of the transports with the magnograsp transmitter... don't think he noticed." He then offers the tracking device to Dantaree.

Dantaree and the six farmhands turned resistance members glance at each other for a few moments, as though silently conducting a debate. She shrugs. "I don't think we have a choice. This has to end." She exhales, then turns to face your group.

"Are any of you qualified starfighter pilots?"

Dantaree explains that they managed to salvage a downed Y-wing from the Imperial assault. The pilot didn't survive the impact, but the starfighter is flightworthy. Dantaree proposes a plan. One of the characters should take the signal tracer and follow the transport to its base. Meanwhile, she, her associates, and two of the Rebels return to Southview to pick up the fighter and some "heavier gear."

Let the players decide who is best qualified to pilot the Y-wing. It's a two-seat fighter: the pilot flies the fighter, while the co-pilot handles the shields, sensors, and some of the weapon systems. All the other characters hop in their landspeeder (or one provided to them by the freedom fighters) and begin pursuing the Imperial convoy.

Dantaree suggests they develop a plan once the pursuit team discovers where the Imperial convoy is going. The Y-wing can be used to take out the heavier targets on the base. Their first goal, Dantaree stresses, is the rescue of the prisoners. After that is accomplished, they should do as much damage as possible before fleeing into the woods.

The Rebels Strike Back

Tracking the Imperial convoy is easy. The large repulsorlift transports have pushed aside bushes and tree branches. The tracking device the freedom fighters stuck to the transport is working well, leading the Rebels along through the dark forest.

After a while the group approaches a well-lit clearing. The freedom fighters leave their repulsorlift vehicles behind and quietly follow Dantaree to the clearing's edge. To help the players visualize the situation, show them the "Imperial Collection Facility" map. Then read aloud:

The Empire has cut a large clearing ahead. Several buildings are gathered at the foot of a large landing pad, all brightly lit by illumination grids. What look like two prefab barracks sit on both sides of a command bunker. On top of the bunker you see a sensor dish and communications array.

The entire base is dominated by a large landing pad. Three service buildings rest beneath the elevated docking pad, each one jutting out from underneath it. Several hydrogen fuel pods are stacked against the sides of one of the buildings. If they were struck by a blaster bolt, the explosion would cover at least a 10 meter area. That's good if the Imperials are clustered around it, but bad if the prisoners are nearby...

From your hiding place, you can see the two transports sitting in the middle of the Imperial installation. The ground shakes slightly -- looking across the base, you see an All Terrain Scout Transport (AT-ST) walking the perimeter. You glance around at your concealed companions, when a glint catches your eye. Looking up, you see an Imperial Lambda shuttle descending from the night sky. So that's how they're going to move the prisoners!

To make matters worse, you've heard comm chatter from your comrades retrieving the freedom fighters' Y-wing -- the starfighter is just powering up, and won't be here for another half a minute! As you curse your luck, the first transport opens and the prisoners are shoved out by armor-clad stormtroopers.

Where Is Everybody?

Look at the "Imperial Collection Facility" map. The shuttle, transports, AT-ST and buildings are all marked, but where you put the troopers is your decision.

Make sure you have the Imperial forces' scores ready. Here's a list of what the Empire has on the installation:

15 Imperial Stormtroopers. All scores are 2D except:
blaster 4D, dodge 4D, brawling 4D
Speed 10.
Equipment: blaster pistol (4D damage), blaster rifle (5D damage), stormtrooper armor (+2D to Strength when resisting damage, -1D to Dexterity and related skills).

2 Imperial Patrol Landspeeders. Maneuverability 1D, speed 20, sensors 0D, hull 5D+2, shields 0D.
Weapons: 1 light repeating blaster (fire control 1D, damage 6D).

2 Armored Repulsorlift Transports. Crew scores: repulsorlift operation 3D, gunnery 3D.
Maneuverability 0D, speed 12, sensors 0D, hull 6D, shields 0D.
Weapons: 1 light repeating blaster (fire control 1D, damage 6D).

1 AT-ST Walker. Crew scores: Mechanical 3D, gunnery 4D.
Maneuverability 1D, speed 6, sensors 0D, hull 7D, shields 0D.
Weapons: twin blaster cannon (fire control 1D, damage 8D), twin light blaster cannon (fire control 1D, damage 6D), concussion grenade launcher (fire control 1D, damage 7D).

1 Imperial Lambda Shuttle. Crew scores: gunnery 5D, shields 4D, starship piloting 5D.
Maneuverability 1D, speed 30, sensors 1D, hull 4D, shields 1D+2.
Weapons: 3 double blaster cannons (fire control 2D, damage 4D), 2 fire-linked double laser cannons (fire control 3D+1, combined damage 4D).

All these units except the Lambda shuttle are marked on the "Imperial Collection Facility" map. The stormtroopers are divided into 5 groups of 3. One group is stationed by each ramp to the elevated landing pad, and two groups patrol near the unloading transports. Pick a reasonable location for the fifth group. The two transports are parked near the center of the base, each one's aft end (since that's where the door opens) facing one of the landing pad's ramps. The two landspeeders are on the outside of this facility. The AT-ST is patrolling around the installation's perimeter. Finally, the Lambda shuttle is descending onto the landing pad. For the purposes of this conflict, the Lambda will not engage in combat. If the Empire appears to be losing, the shuttle begins its lift off sequence and escapes from the area.

That's a lot for the bad guys. Let's see what the Rebels have on their side:

6 Edan Freedom Fighters. All scores are 2D except:
Dexterity 3D, blaster 4D, dodge 3D, Strength 3D, brawling 4D
Equipment: blaster pistol (4D damage), 200 credits.

Dantaree. All scores are 2D except:
Dexterity 3D, blaster 5D+2, dodge 5D,
Knowledge 3D, cultures 4D, languages 5D,
planetary systems 5D+2, streetwise 5D,
survival 6D+1, Mechanical 3D,
beast riding 4D, repulsorlift operation 4D+1,
Perception 3D+2, bargain 4D, con 4D+2, search 5D,
Strength 3D, brawling 5D,
climbing/jumping 4D+1, lifting 3D+2, swimming 4D+1,
Technical 2D+1, droid programming/repair 3D,
repulsorlift repair 3D+2
Speed 10. Force Points 2. Character Points 6.
Equipment: comlink, datapad (with mapping program), heavy blaster pistol (5D damage), macrobinoculars, medpac, scout jumpsuit, vibroknife (4D damage), 1,000 credits.

Imperial Patrol Landspeeder. Maneuverability 1D, speed 20, sensors 0D, hull 5D+2, shields 0D.
Weapons: 1 light repeating blaster (fire control 1D, damage 6D).

Salvaged Y-Wing Fighter. Maneuverability 2D, speed 35, sensors 1D, hull 4D, shields 1D+2.
Weapons: 2 fire-linked laser cannons (fire control 2D, combined damage 5D), 2 proton torpedo launchers (fire control 2D, damage 9D).

Retrieving the Y-Wing

Some of the characters might decide to split from the main group to fly the freedom fighters' Y-wing into the battle. Allow the players who aren't going to take a break while you describe what the other Rebels experience. Read aloud:

Jarin, one of Southview's freedom fighters, guides you into a small, dilapidated warehouse on the northern fringe of Southview. He glances to his left and right, while he punches at a security panel adjacent to the warehouse's door. He hustles you inside, then closes the door behind him. It's pitch dark until you hear Jarin shuffle off to your left. He throws a few switches.

The warehouse lights warm up with a soft hum. Hanging from the ceiling in an improvised maintenance scaffolding is an Alliance Y-wing starfighter! You gasp with excitement, and immediately run toward the silent symbol of freedom.

Jarin clucks behind you, "It's a beauty, though I've seen them in better shape. I had to retune the entire left engine, and the ion cannon's completely shot."

You nod in his direction as you finish ascending the ladder and throw open the cockpit canopy.

"Now, watch the dorsal thrusters," he urges. You give the obligatory "uh-huh" as you check on the diagnostic computer. It beeps obediently as it monitors the Y-wing's systems. To think that any starfighter survived the occupation...

"And she only has four torpedoes in her, and less than 25% of a fuel charge..." Jarin's voice trails off, or maybe you're just not listening that closely. You're already in the pilot's seat and running the pre-flight sequence.

"So just be careful with her!" Jarin screams as the engines start to cycle.

As the power plant's comfortable throb kicks in, you smile broadly. Boy, you have got a surprise for the Impies...

It takes one combat turn to fully power up the Y-wing. Assuming the players push the fighter to its highest speed, the Y-wing will arrive at the Imperial installation 4 combat turns after the fight begins.

Salvaged Y-wing Fighter. Maneuverability 2D, speed 35, sensors 1D, hull 4D, shields 1D+2.
Weapons: 2 fire-linked laser cannons (fire control 2D, combined damage 5D), 2 proton torpedo launchers (fire control 2D, damage 9D).

Rebel Strategies

For this battle, the Rebels have little time to coordinate their actions. Allow the players to note on the map where their characters are standing when the shooting starts. They'll probably want to stake out positions by or near the repulsorlift transports.

What will Dantaree and the freedom fighters do? That's up to you as the narrator. We have a few suggestions that might help you. Have the six freedom fighters act as one group; that'll make things easier for you, since the players are likely to split up.

Since Dantaree is going to be a recurring character in later adventures, have her join the players' ground team, assisting them in accomplishing whatever goals they desire. She's also present to provide advice. If the players ask for tips on how to attack the compound, don't respond as the narrator. Speak as Dantaree might: "Well, when I was on Dragos VI, we knocked out the landing pad's support structures..." That'll feel more authentic, because Dantaree is giving them the advice... not the narrator (tor, remember, you're supposed to be impartial). Staying in character helps maintain the feeling that you're all in your own Star Wars movie.

Here's some advice Dantaree might offer if the heroes ask for it -- read these quotes aloud as if you're playing the role of Dantaree:

• "Use the Y-wing to take out the hardened targets, especially that AT-ST. We don't have adequate ground-based firepower to attack it directly."
• "We could try to take over the two transports before they're unloaded. That'll keep all the prisoners in one place, and it'll be easier to keep them out of danger."
• "Of course, the flip side of that is we could try to seize the Lambda shuttle. Never tried it, though, and we have to run up those ramps and get in the cockpit before the crew figures out what we're up to. That'll be tough."
• "We'll need to get a hold of some heavy weaponry fast, like what's mounted on those vehicles. We should also use our Imperial patrol speeder to help mop up the stormtroopers."
• "If the Y-wing arrives when the prisoners are already being unloaded, it will have to shoot very carefully. We don't want any friendly fire incidents."
• "I've spotted some fuel canisters underneath the landing pad. If we don't need to get up to the landing pad, shooting one of those should wreak all kinds of havoc."
• "Commandeer the AT-ST? Not a bad idea, assuming we could get on top of it and get inside. Don't look at me like that, I'm not doing it. Besides, I'm no good in those things anyway."

When the Smoke Clears...

The point of this battle is for the Rebels to win. They might not completely destroy the Imperial collection facility -- but if they do little more than free the prisoners and shoot a few stormtroopers before fleeing into the forest, they've won a minor victory.

Remember fates worse than death. The characters should come out of the battle alive, but they might not have reached all their goals. Maybe they didn't rescue all of the prisoners. Perhaps they lost some of their vehicles.

Of course, if the battle was a victory, the Rebels might have captured some additional Imperial vehicles they can use (the patrol speeders and repulsorlift transports). They might have completely destroyed the base, a major blow to the Empire in this part of Edan II.

When the battle is over, each player should receive at least three Character Points. Grant them anywhere between one and four more Character Points, depending on how many prisoners they were able to save, and the amount of punishment they inflicted on the Imperial forces. Then award an extra one or two points for superior roleplaying or original ideas.

If anyone used a Force Point heroically during this final battle, they gain it back and get another. Force Points used for good purposes in other parts of this adventure are returned at the end.

In the next scenario, your players will be lying low, attempting to avoid Imperial reprisals for the attack on their base. Make a note of how many torpedoes the Y-wing fired (since it only had four to start with), and any damage it suffered. Dantaree will have expressed an interest in joining the characters. Unless they expressly forbade it, she'll be traveling with them in the next scenario.

---

Adventure 3: The Convoy

In the previous adventure, Salvation on Silver-Tipped Wings, the heroes may have:

• Accepted Dantaree's offer to join them. If they did, keep her score card handy, as she'll be traveling with the characters and engaging in any skirmishes they run into.
• Recovered the Y-wing from the freedom fighters. Be certain to keep track of the expendable ordnance (the proton torpedoes) that the starfighter carries, in addition to any damage it sustains.

It has been two days since the Rebels' daring raid on the Imperial collection facility. Give each injured character an opportunity to make a natural healing roll (if you're not sure how to do this, see "Healing" in the Players Booklet). In the time between adventures, any number of medpac healing attempts may have been made on wounded Rebels.

The heroes also have enough time to repair any damage to their Y-wing, assuming it wasn't destroyed in the battle. Without a sophisticated hangar bay, only the most basic field repairs can be made. If the characters check the Y-wing's cargo compartment, they find a two-man survival pack which contains a starship repair kit. Any character using the repair kit gains +1D to his starship repair roll. The kit contains various tools and diagnostic equipment, plus compounds that can patch small hull punctures. Unfortunately, the kit can not repair the damaged ion cannon or replace major components. Any torpedoes fired are lost forever, so keep an accurate count of the starfighter's expendable weapons. Lasers derive their energy from the ship's power-plant, and do not consume ammunition in the traditional sense.

Combat on a Budget

The next day, the Rebels continue on their course toward Fortuna City, the population center located on the eastern coast. Two of the heroes are flying the Y-wing ahead of the main group, scanning for Imperial patrols. Today, however, they encounter a lone TIE fighter flying a scout mission. Have one of the Rebel pilots roll his com-scan skill, and add the Y-wing's sensor code (1D, unless that system has been damaged in a previous battle). If the roll is a 20 or higher, they have detected the TIE fighter before it has found them. They'll get the opportunity to maneuver into a firing position on the TIE fighter. If not, the TIE detects them first and attacks.

TIE Fighter. Crew scores: gunnery 4D, starship piloting 4D+1.
Maneuverability 2D, speed 42, sensors 1D, hull 2D, shields 0D.
Weapons: 2 fire-linked laser cannons (fire control 2D, combined damage 5D).

Since this is your first starfighter combat, we'll describe the battle in detail for you. Starfighter dogfights are very similar to those between characters on the ground. The players declare actions for their characters and roll dice for the skills they're using. You determine the results of their attacks, and then choose actions and make die rolls for the Imperial fighters.

When using starships, players add dice to their skill rolls, depending upon the action they are attempting to undertake and any starship systems that might help. These extra dice come from the starfighter's scores, and represent the unique abilities of each craft. For example, when attempting to perform a tight turn or evade fire, a pilot rolls his starship piloting and adds his vessel's maneuverability. If you've looked over the starship scores in the Narrator Booklet, you'll see that a Y-wing has a 2D maneuverability. That's lower than an X-wing's maneuverability of 3D, so we know a Y-wing is, in general, less agile than its lighter X-wing cousin. However, because these scores are added to a pilot's skill rolls, a starfighter's scores aren't the last word in the battle's outcome. An ace pilot in a derelict spacecraft might still be able to beat a top-of-the-line starfighter that's flown by a rookie.

Here are some possible actions the Y-wing crew may take, and how to handle them. They may take any number of actions per turn, just remember that, for each additional action past the first, they lose 1D off all skills rolls attempted in the same round.

Move Into Firing Position: Moderate (15) starship piloting plus maneuverability; or opposing starship piloting plus maneuverability rolls. If the Y-wing and the TIE have passed each other, they'll both have to swing around to re-engage. Have the pilot roll his starship piloting and add the vessel's maneuverability dice. To make a 180 degree turn is a Moderate (15) task. If both starfighters are attempting to get on the tail of the other, have each pilot roll his starship piloting score, adding maneuverability dice. Whoever rolls higher gets the advantage, and maneuvers in behind his opponent.

Take Evasive Action: starship piloting plus maneuverability. If the TIE moves behind the Y-wing, the pilot may attempt to "lose" his pursuer, or deny the TIE a good shot. This involves weaving, looping, and jerking his starfighter to make it more difficult to hit. The pilot rolls his starship piloting skill and adds the Y-wing's maneuverability. The result of this number becomes the new difficulty number for the TIE pilot to shoot the Y-wing.

Fire Weapons: Moderate (15) gunnery plus fire control, or character's gunnery plus fire control against TIE fighter's starship piloting plus maneuverability. Have the firing character roll his gunnery skill, and add that weapon's fire control score. His target number is the range of the TIE fighter -- assume the fight is at Medium Range, a Moderate (15) shot to hit. If the TIE takes evasive action, roll the TIE pilot's starship piloting of 4D+1 plus the fighter's maneuverability of 2D -- a total of 6D+1. This number becomes the new difficulty number the heroes need to hit the TIE fighter.

Jam Transmissions: com-scan plus sensors against the TIE's com-scan and sensors. The Y-wing may attempt to prevent the TIE from reporting to its base. This involves flooding known communication channels with noise so a real signal can't cut through the interference. Roll the character's com-scan score, and add the starship's sensors dice of 1D. Do the same for the TIE fighter (rolling 3D total: 2D for the pilot's com-scan, and 1D for sensors). If the Y-wing wins, the TIE can't report in. If the TIE wins, he gets the signal off -- which means the characters should get out of the area quickly, before Imperial reinforcements arrive.

Sustaining or Inflicting Damage: weapon's damage against target's hull. Roll the weapon's damage dice. Then roll the target starship's hull code. Using the chart in the Narrator Booklet, determine the effect on the starship. If the hit starship has raised its deflector shields, be sure to add those dice to the hull roll.

At some point during the dogfight, the Y-wing computer alerts the pilot that it is running critically low on fuel. At this point the Y-wing has enough power for about 10 combat turns of dogfight maneuvering, or about 20 combat turns of normal flight. Firing weapons costs one turn of fuel, and the activation of shields doubles the fuel consumption rate. The fighter's rapidly diminishing power supply should encourage the players to end the skirmish and land the fighter quickly. Once down, the fighter barely has enough energy to start up again, let alone engage in combat.

Outlaws, All of Us

While the Y-wing is engaged in starfighter combat, the other Rebels traveling on the ground find themselves surrounded by a group of outlaws. Read aloud:

As the roar of the Y-wing fades, you hear the sounds of less powerful, but closer engines. Glancing about the thick forest, you spot three landspeeders approaching your position. You brace for combat, pulling your weapon on your arm.

One of your companions sees your reaction and tugs on your arm. While each speeder carries four men, all of whom are well-armed, you notice that the lead speeder's co-pilot is standing and waving at you. Pausing to look closer, you notice that two of the speeders have the remains of Imperial patrol markings much like yours. They are piloted by a variety of individuals, mostly humans. All are dressed in worn but rugged clothing, and have obviously been hiding out in the wilderness for some time. As the speeders close to within 40 meters, they jerk to a stop. The man who signaled you dismounts from his speeder and approaches. His blaster rifle is slung over his shoulder in a casual fashion.

The Rebels have just run into a group of 12 outlaws who have been conducting hit-and-run operations against the Empire since it arrived. Their leader introduces himself as Scruts -- he cautiously greets the Rebels.

Scruts. All scores are 2D except:
Dexterity 4D, blaster 5D, dodge 5D,
pick pocket 4D+2, Technical 4D,
demolitions 5D, droid programming/repair 5D,
starship repair 5D
Speed 10. Force Points 1. Character Points 4.
Equipment: blaster rifle (5D damage), datapad, droid repair toolkit, glow rod, starship repair toolkit.

Edan Outlaws. All scores are 2D except:
Dexterity 3D, blaster 4D, dodge 3D,
pick pocket 3D+2, Strength 3D,
brawling 4D, search 3D+1, sneak 3D+2
Equipment: blaster pistol (4D damage), 200 credits.

Scruts has been running the band of outlaws for several months, since before the Imperial occupation of Edan II. Prior to their new-found job harassing the Empire, they acted as mercenaries and scouts for hire. More often than not, they worked on behalf of the legitimate Edan planetary government, although they were known to undertake one or two smuggling operations. Scruts is eager to throw the Imperials off Edan II, and is hoping to gain support from some of the Rebel Alliance's larger guns. However, he's yet to see any of them that survived the initial onslaught over a week ago.

Scruts also knows that the Empire is notorious for planting agents acting as resistance fighters, so he is particularly wary of the heroes. Before he offers them assistance, he demands proof of their affiliation with the Rebel Alliance. Medals and uniforms won't cut it, because those could be easily stolen or forged. If they mention the Y-wing, he'll agree that seeing a competent Rebel pilot at the controls would set aside many of his doubts, and he demands to see it. Of course, we know it's off engaging the TIE patrol, and likely to be so low on fuel it will set down as soon as possible at a site kilometers away from the ground party's position.

Run this interpersonal encounter as you have the others in the "Freedom for Edan" campaign. Remember Scruts' motivations. Scruts is willing to help the Rebel Alliance, as long as he gets something in return; however, he wants proof of their credentials.

If the characters prove their worth to him, either by bringing his band to the Y-wing or through other means, the Rebel characters are likely to ask for supplies. Scruts counters that he's not a charity service, and his group has to scrape by with what they can steal. He pauses for a moment, gets a wicked gleam in his eye, and then hints that he has an idea.

The outlaw band is aware of an Imperial convoy scheduled to pass the area tomorrow. It's a munitions and supply convoy, likely to contain many of the resources that his group and the players need. He suggests an alliance between his group and the players. If they agree, they work out a battle plan. Scruts recommends using the Y-wing to take out some of the heavier targets. Since the starfighter no longer has enough power to effect a launch, perhaps it could be used to lay a trap of some kind.

If the players do not agree to join the ambush, Scruts does not reveal the convoy's location, gathers his outlaw band and prepares to depart.

Enter Jarus Kai

During his negotiations, Scruts introduces his demolitions expert, Jarus Kai. Jarus is a human of medium build and height. He has short, cropped blond hair and wide, hazel eyes. He is dressed in a dirtied Rebel Uniform. Jarus shakes the characters' hands and smiles broadly, indicating that word of their exploits is already beginning to travel ahead of them.

Should the players somehow get on Scruts' bad side -- by deciding against hitting the convoy -- Jarus helps convince them the much-needed weapons and supplies would help both their groups. He doesn't seem as suspicious as Scruts, and accepts whatever the Rebels say as truth.

Jarus is the first narrator character who is not what he seems. He is an undercover Imperial agent. It is ironic that he has infiltrated Scruts' group, since Scruts is so cautious of Imperial spies. Jarus wants to get close to the heroes in the hopes of traveling with them in the next scenario. He claims to be a scout, offering his services to the Alliance.

Upon meeting Jarus, Dantaree nods pleasantly, but seems suspicious. During the conversation, she's unable to find a planet or military unit Jarus claims he knows in detail. Jarus claims he was in Fortuna City to the east bartering for trade goods when the Imperial assault began. Knowing the Empire's tactics, he headed for the wilderness in the hopes of avoiding capture.

Any character making an Easy (10) Knowledge roll doesn't recall seeing Jarus Kai's name on the Alliance duty lists, but that doesn't necessarily tell him anything. If they have the opportunity to search the satchel he keeps slung over his shoulder, they find three thermal detonators, one datamap of Edan II, and two mini-transceivers. Anyone looking through the satchel who makes a Moderate (15) search roll discovers a hidden flap concealing a high-range comlink set to an Imperial frequency.

When the outlaws are brought to the Y-wing, or when it is used in preparation for the assault on the convoy, Jarus Kai admires the vessel. He pats the underside of the hull, saying he remembers seeing these fighters when they were the cutting-edge of starfighter technology. While he does this, he's actually planting one of his small homing transceivers on the fighter. It requires a Very Difficult (25) Perception roll to notice this action. The device is undetectable at a casual glance, and only a careful search of the area with a Difficult (20) search reveals its location.

Ambushing the Convoy

The Rebels and outlaws have ample time to plan their attack, since the convoy is not due until the next morning. Scruts' advanced scouts have determined the size and specifics of the convoy. Provide this information to the players before so they can plan their attack strategy.

The Imperial convoy is following a wide path through the Edan forest. It is moving in a strict formation, which will only break if it comes under attack. The formation, and recommended ambush site, can be seen in the "Convoy Ambush Map." Again, use this map to note player and enemy locations.

The Imperial convoy consists of the following vehicles:

4 Imperial Patrol Landspeeders. Crew scores: repulsorlift operation 3D, gunnery 3D.
Maneuverability 1D, speed 20, sensors 0D, hull 5D+2, shields 0D.
Weapons: 1 light repeating blaster (fire control 1D, damage 6D).

1 Imperial Heavy Repulsortank. Crew scores: repulsorlift operation 4D, gunnery 4D.
Maneuverability 0D, speed 15, sensors 0D, hull 7D, shields 0D.
Weapons: 2 light repeating blasters (fire control 1D, damage 6D), 1 turret-mounted heavy laser cannon (fire control 1D, damage 10D), 1 grenade launcher (fire control 0D, damage 5D).

2 Repulsorlift Transports. Crew scores: repulsorlift operation 3D.
Maneuverability 0D, speed 12, sensors 0D, hull 6D, shields 0D.

Here are some strategies you should be aware of and might suggest to the players. Use these as guidelines for running the ambush:

Surprise. Remember, if the heroes attack the Imperial convoy from hidden positions (behind trees, bushes or rocks), they surprise the convoy and gain a combat turn of free actions. The surprised Imperial forces may take no actions during that first turn of the battle.

Laying Traps: sneak against Imperial pilots' Perception. If the Rebels decide to conceal any traps or weapons in the convoy's path, they must make a sneak roll. Write down the result. When the convoy approaches the traps, have the pilots in the two lead vehicles (two of the patrol landspeeder) make Perception rolls (assume their Perception is 2D). If the sneak roll the players used to conceal their trap beats the Perception rolls, the Imperials don't see the hidden trap. If the Imperial roll beats the players' roll, they're tipped off to the trap, and either open fire on the woods or turn the convoy around.

Falling Trees. The players may decide to have trees fall to block the path of the convoy. They might even try disabling a vehicle by dropping a tree on it. A falling tree will do 6D damage if it lands on a vehicle. A tree will block the movement of a speeder, unless its pilot makes a Difficult (20) repulsorlift operation roll to jump the obstruction.

Y-wing Weapons. The Y-wing doesn't have enough power for controlled flight, but the players may be crafty in its placement and concealment to allow its weapons to be brought to bear. You should determine how many laser volleys the Y-wing has energy for, depending on how thrifty the Rebels were during the TIE fighter dogfight. A good number is four laser blasts or two torpedo launches. Since the Y-wing is a starship, its weapons do double damage against vehicle or personnel-sized targets. That means that if the Y-wing hits the repulsortank with its lasers, it rolls 10D for its damage (that's 5D doubled).

Explosive Transports. The transports are full of power generators, fuel pods, and similar explosives. If either transport is hit (damage done to it exceeds its hull roll), the transport may explode, doing 8D of damage to anyone within point-blank range, and 4D to anyone in close range. When a transport takes a hit, roll one die: if it comes up a 1, the transport explodes. The Rebels are going to have to be careful in taking these vehicles out. Strategies might include blocking their way with fallen trees, or dashing up and leaping into the boarding hatch.

Friendly Forces. Scruts has 12 outlaws at his disposal, and three landspeeders. To save you time, don't handle the dice rolls for each individual outlaw. Instead, assume that each landspeeder and party of four can attack one Imperial speeder. They'll eventually succeed, but can take no other actions that combat turn. That leaves the Imperial repulsortank, one speeder, and the two cargo transports for the heroes to handle.

Dantaree. Don't forget about her! She's a valuable narrator character with many good skills. She may choose to stick with one of the heroes, but she's not a brainless zombie. If a player tells her to do something rash and somewhat-suicidal, she'll tell the Rebel where he can put his idea, in no uncertain terms. However, there's nothing like a narrator character saving a hero's bacon to convince the players to like one of your characters.

To the Victor Goes the Spoils

Have fun running the battle. The Rebels should be successful based on their overall attack plan and how well they roll their skills.

The battle is over when all the Imperial forces have been beaten, some have run away, or the outlaws and heroes have been forced to retreat. If the Rebels are victorious, they'll be able to salvage much-needed supplies from the repulsorlift transports. Each transport contains the following items:

• 20 fuel pods, enough to completely recharge one Y-wing
• 8 proton torpedoes, compatible with most starfighters
• 6 portable generators
• 6 blaster rifles
• 12 blaster pistols
• 2 light repeating blasters (6D damage)
• 2 crates of grenades, each holding 12 grenades (5D damage, hit 1D targets nearby)
• 3 thermal detonators (10D damage, hit 3D targets nearby)
• 10 medpacs
• 2 hand-held rocket launchers, with three missiles each (characters use their blaster skill to shoot the rockets, which inflict 8D damage if they hit).

The outlaws split all bounty with the Rebels evenly, except for the torpedoes. They give all of them to the Rebels, in exchange for a few of the other items. Roleplay this exchange, keeping in mind that the outlaws helped the heroes defeat the convoy and are entitled to some of the spoils.

Once the raid is complete, Scruts advises the heroes to take their supplies and move on quickly. The Empire will probably converge on the area soon, and everyone's odds are better if they split up. Scruts thanks the heroes, and informs them of a few leads he's uncovered. He overheard some comm-traffic that the Rebels are gathering at one of their "Rendezvous Points" on the southern continent. He doesn't know the exact location, but knows that the two large cities on their current continent both operate trans-oceanic shuttles. He suggests they try to board one, since they can't all fit on the Y-wing. He also heard word that the Empire has two dark Jedi on the planet -- twins, no less -- who are overseeing the interrogation of Imperial prisoners.

Jarus Kai offers to join the players. He says he's not bad with starfighter repairs, and might be able to do some work on the Y-wing for them. He indicates that he's anxious to meet up with other Rebel groups.

The Cliff-Hanger

The group spends the next few hours traveling to escape the Imperial search radius. Although the Y-wing detects several fighters closing in on the ambush location, none come close enough to warrant any concern.

When the Rebels set up camp for the night, have each character on duty make a Perception check, just to make them nervous. When you feel that the time is right, read aloud:

You stand silently over your sleeping companions. The Y-wing is resting at silent attention at the edge of the clearing, its impromptu camouflage of leaves and bushes in place. As you look into the night sky, you see a thousand brilliant stars, each one shining down on your campsite.

That's when you see the first shadow cross the southern horizon, and hear the whisper of a mechanical bird-of-prey. As you grab your macrobinoculars to get a better look, the scream suddenly becomes the deafening roar of multiple TIE fighters! You yell an alert to your comrades.

You look up to see a group of fighters fly overhead, and watch with horror as two of them drop brilliant green globes from directly above you. The globes form a lethal trail of four projectiles, the first of which slams into the forest a few hundred meters from your position. The shock wave knocks you on your back, and sends tree debris everywhere. As you watch the Y-wing's crew scramble to cycle her engines, you watch one of the globes home in on the helpless fighter...

That's it -- this is the end of the adventure. Give each player four Character Points. Give an extra Character Point for each Imperial transport successfully raided. Finally, assign between one and three Character Points for good roleplaying or outstanding ideas.

---

Adventure 4: Bright Lights, Empty City

In the last adventure:

• Jarus Kai may have joined the party. He's an Imperial deep-cover spy who has joined the party unless they expressly forbade it.
• The Rebels may have picked up a host of new supplies, including energy for the Y-wing and their other weapons.
• Jarus has planted a homing device on the Y-wing. The Rebels may not have discovered its presence.
• The Rebels made camp for the night, and were soon surprised by several TIE fighters and bombers.

Flight Before the Empire

The Rebels' camp has been discovered by the Empire, which has sent a flight of TIE fighters to destroy them. The Imperial fighter contingent consists of:

4 TIE Fighters. Crew scores: gunnery 4D, starship piloting 4D+1.
Maneuverability 2D, speed 42, sensors 1D, hull 2D, shields 0D.
Weapons: 2 fire-linked laser cannons (fire control 2D, combined damage 5D).

2 TIE Bombers. Crew scores: gunnery 5D, starship piloting 4D.
Maneuverability 0D, speed 30, sensors 1D, hull 4D+1, shields 0D.
Weapons: 2 fire-linked laser cannons (fire control 2D, combined damage 3D), concussion missiles (fire control 3D+2, damage 9D).

The bombers' intent is to level the encampment with concussion missiles as long as there is evidence that the Rebels are still alive. The TIE fighters are there to escort the bombers, and attack the Y-wing if it takes off. The TIE fighters do not strafe ground targets unless the two bombers are destroyed. If four of the six Imperial craft are destroyed, the other two attempt to flee the area and summon reinforcements.

Imperial Bombing Runs: Moderate (15) gunnery, or gunnery against character's opposing score (dodge, or repulsorlift operation or starship piloting plus maneuverability). To hit any specific target (such as the Y-wing or the patrol landspeeder), the bombers need to make a Moderate (15) gunnery roll, unless their target is evading. If this is so, the Rebels' evasion roll becomes the new difficulty number.

Starship Weapons Hitting Non-Starship Targets: double the damage. A starship's weapon damage scores are doubled when it successfully hits a land-based vehicle or a character. A TIE bomber's missiles do 9D damage to starships, and 18D to ground-based targets. Since concussion missiles are area effect weapons, have any characters at Close Range to a missile's detonation take 4D of damage. They'll be knocked backwards from the force of the blast.

Rebels on the Run

It'll be mass chaos on the ground while the Rebels scramble to erect their defenses or flee the scene. If the Y-wing is not moved, it will most certainly be destroyed. Although their main objective is to get away alive, they'll want to do everything they can to save the Y-wing. Here are some ideas they might come up with (or you might hint at) and how to resolve them in the game:

Firing Hand-Held Weapons. Hand-held blasters, including blaster rifles, do no significant damage against airborne fighters; however, if the party recovered the rocket launchers from the convoy in the last adventure, they can be effective against starfighter hulls.

Using the Rocket Launchers: Difficult (20) gunnery, or gunnery against target's starship piloting and maneuverability. The launchers are the only hand-held weapons, excepting well-placed thermal detonators, that can damage the TIE fighters. The launcher must be reloaded after each firing, and cannot be fired the round it is reloaded. To target the weapon, the character looks through a dedicated sight along the launcher's fire tube, while holding the weapon on his shoulder. The player rolls his blaster skill. Hitting the target is Difficult (20), unless the target takes evasive action. If a TIE pilot rolls his starship piloting plus maneuverability, the result becomes the new difficulty number Rebels need to shoot the starfighter. The TIE fighters do not take evasive action unless they know they are under attack. The rockets inflict 8D against characters; however, they only do half damage (4D) against starfighter hulls.

Hiding from the TIE Fighters: Easy (10) sneak. Because the Rebels are in a forest, which is packed with lifeforms, an Easy sneak roll conceals them from the fighters' sensors; however, they must extinguish all power sources when they do so. Trees don't radiate energy, and if a character has a repulsorlift vehicle or hand-held weapon active, the TIE fighters can target that energy signature.

Powering Up the Y-wing. It takes one combat turn for a pilot to start the Y-wing's power generator. After that turn, the ship's weapons and shields may be activated. It takes an additional turn for the engines to cycle up to a sufficient speed to permit flight. Obviously, the players have to protect the Y-wing until it can defend itself.

A Destroyed Y-wing. It's possible that the Y-wing will be destroyed in combat. If this happens, roll each crew members' Dexterity. If they make an Easy (10) roll, one of them reaches the ejection handle before the craft explodes. If they eject, the entire cockpit module blows clear of the fuselage, deploys several parachutes, and floats to the surface of the planet in five combat turns.

Shooting Incoming Concussion Bombs: Heroic (30) blaster. Since the concussion missiles are being deployed as free-falling bombs, they may be shot with a Heroic (30) blaster roll. Any hit on the bomb causes the warhead to detonate prematurely, showering the explosion in all directions. All characters and land-based vehicles in Close Range take 6D damage. If the Rebels hit a bomb as it drops from the TIE bomber, the explosion inflicts 3D damage on the starship! This may be the only way to save the Y-wing while it is vulnerable -- and it may be possible to knock out a TIE at the same time.

Once the Rebels have driven off the TIE attack (or retreated into the dark forest), it's probably a good idea for them to relocate their camp. Dantaree might suggest they follow rumors that Rebel survivors are gathering somewhere on Edan's southern continent. If Jarus Kai is still with the group, he suggests they find transport to the southern continent. If they head for Fortuna City in the east, they can catch a surface transport over the ocean, possibly attaching the Y-wing to the hull in a tandem link.

No matter what they decide, the players better get moving. Imperial patrols are becoming more frequent -- it's only a matter of time before the Rebels are flushed from their hiding places.

On to Fortuna City

As the party nears Fortuna City, the forest begins to recede. The hills become less steep, and the trees begin to diminish both in height and number. Read aloud:

You stand at the edge of a clearing, overlooking a small valley filled with long grass that whispers in the Edan wind. By the late afternoon sun, you can see the tall structures of Fortuna City, largest population center on this continent's eastern coast. Beyond the city, you can see the deep gray of the ocean, its powerful crests visible even at this distance. As the grass murmurs unknown messages, you watch a lone airspeeder transport depart the city, and rise toward the silky Edan clouds.

Dantaree says she knows someone who might help them. As she remembers, a Captain Harrin was operating one of the trans-oceanic shuttles. They might be able to book passage on his ship, and perhaps arrange a rendezvous to carry the Y-wing as well. Dantaree assures the players that they can hide the Y-wing here outside the city, so she can arrange to have it transported across the ocean with the Rebels.

Jarus Kai joins in the conversation, saying he has some underground connections in the city. He suggests he contact them, since they are extremely distrustful of strangers. Jarus proposes to gather his friends, and then meet back with the Rebels at the northern fountain plaza outside the spaceport. It's a deserted part of the city, he says, and not likely to be carefully patrolled by the Empire. Jarus wanders off to meet his contacts as soon as the group enters Fortuna City.

Before entering the city, the Rebels should take measures to ensure they blend in with the population. Obviously, they shouldn't bring their ex-Imperial patrol landspeeder in, unless they have completely removed all traces of its former markings -- including removing the light repeating blaster. All blaster rifles and rocket launchers should be left behind. Hand-held weapons can be concealed under jackets, coats and in gear bags. Each character hiding a sidearm must roll his sneak skill. Write down the number each Rebel rolls -- this becomes the difficulty number for others to successfully spot their weapons using Perception.

Any Jedi characters with Force powers get a bad feeling about entering the city. It's as if a dark cloud has covered the area. The group should proceed with caution.

Once the Rebels enter, they find the city is a shadow of its former self. The streets are barren stretches of duracrete and metal alloys, lit only by ghostly light-tubes hanging from derelict buildings. Some of the dwellings show blast damage, although the weapons responsible appear to have been hand-held.

Most of the inhabitants of this battle zone are broken-spirited survivors of the Imperial occupation, and make no effort to interact with the Rebels. There are very few businesses open, and those that are close at sunset as the rigid curfew demands. There are a few cantinas, a scattering of shops, and one or two hotels that still operate inside the decimated city. The Imperial presence is prominent, and players often see an Imperial patrol speeder cruising through the streets. Unless the heroes do something to draw attention to themselves, the patrols pay no special attention to them.

Fortuna Spaceport

Soon after the group enters the city, Dantaree marches off toward the spaceport. She does not object if any characters wish to follow her.

Fortuna Spaceport was never very large. Its passenger and cargo terminals handled a few transports a day, plus most of the freighter traffic. The spaceport's role has changed in recent days. All flights leaving Edan have been postponed indefinitely. The facility's only traffic is generated by the atmospheric shuttles that cruise between the two major continents. There are three ticket counters for the various shuttle services, manned by a skeleton crew. There are two exits that lead to the landing clusters, both of which have a security station. Each station is equipped with a full-body energy/weapons scanner, and is guarded by three stormtroopers and an Imperial officer.

Dantaree approaches the first ticketing window for "Edan Spaceways" and speaks quietly with the clerk. She winks at the players as the clerk retreats behind the curtain after their brief conversation. When he returns, he hands a datapad over to Dantaree. Dantaree makes an obvious show of paying him a handful of hard credits, as if paying for a passenger ticket. She then checks the flight board, and moves to the exit.

When asked what the transaction was about, Dantaree smiles and shows the datapad to the Rebels, claiming that she and the captain are "old associates."

If the players can't divine the hidden meaning of the message, Dantaree mumbles something about "greenies," then explains in hushed tones that those coordinates are in the middle of the ocean -- there's nothing to see there. That would be the location the Bothan Whale would allow the Y-wing to dock for a tandem flight. Should the party mention the possibility of flying the Y-wing over themselves, Dantaree shows obvious signs of annoyance. She explains, using very colorful language, that without the metal-rich terrain of the Edan surface to mask their ship's sensor readings, the Y-wing would act as a homing beacon to a swarm of Imperial patrol fighters.

Northern Fountain Plaza

Once the characters are finished at the spaceport, they should head toward the northern fountain plaza to meet Jarus and his underworld contacts. Meanwhile, Jarus has proceeded to the fountain plaza ahead of the party, as described earlier. He has a nasty surprise waiting for them...

When the party approaches the fountain, read aloud:

Several of Fortuna's streets merge to form this large, oval-shaped plaza. In the center of the paved intersection is a lit fountain, which is highlighted by glow rods in the base of its structure. The fountain's bright illumination is in ironic contrast with the dark, drab gray you've come to expect from the city. Jarus stands in front of the glistening cascades of water, and waves as you approach.

Suddenly, a group of stormtroopers jumps from the back of the fountain, their blasters at the ready. You quickly spin around, only to find a similar group of the Empire's armored soldiers behind you! It's a trap!

With a growing sense of anxiety, you notice that Jarus is unconcerned. A woman dressed in dark robes strides up to Jarus and gives him a prolonged and sultry caress before turning to smile at her caged prey.

The woman in dark robes is Shela Jalahafi, a Dark Jedi adept who installed Jarus and other counter-intelligence agents into the ranks of the Alliance. She praises the Rebels on their exploits, and wants to introduce them to her "favorite killing machine." If Dantaree is with them, Shela confiscates Dantaree's datapad she got from the starport, but notes with a smirk that the pad has automatically erased itself.

Shela Jalahafi. All scores are 2D except:
Dexterity 3D+2, blaster 5D, dodge 4D+2,
lightsaber 5D, melee 4D+1,
Perception 3D, search 4D, Strength 3D,
brawling 5D, climbing/jumping 4D,
control 3D, sense 3D, alter 4D
Force powers: absorb/dissipate energy, control pain, life detection, lightsaber combat, sense force
Speed 10. Dark Side Points 4. Character Points 8.
Equipment: hold-out blaster (3D damage), lightsaber (5D damage).

Shela calls over her shoulder, and a man with a crazed grimace on his face strides out of a nearby building. She introduces him as Locux Hyen, one of the Empire's more-successful experiments. After commanding him to "terminate the Rebels," she turns her back and walks away, while Locux approaches the party and aims a very large and imposing gun at them.

Locux Hyen. All scores are 2D except:
Dexterity 4D, blaster 6D, dodge 7D,
grenade 6D, melee 5D,
gunnery 6D, repulsorlift operation 6D,
Strength 5D, climbing/jumping 6D, security 5D
Speed 10. Dark Side Points 2. Character Points 4.
Equipment: datapad, 2 flash grenades (anyone hit becomes stunned), 5 grenades (5D damage, hits 1D targets nearby), Imperial codekey, internal comlink, internal jump jet pack (10 combat turns of flight), phased-plasma blaster cannon (6D damage).

12 Imperial Stormtroopers. All scores are 2D except:
blaster 4D, dodge 4D, brawling 4D
Speed 10.
Equipment: blaster pistol (4D damage), blaster rifle (5D damage), stormtrooper armor (+2D to Strength when resisting damage, -1D to Dexterity and related skills).

We've just introduced two major evil narrator characters. Just as Boba Fett and Jabba the Hutt pursued Luke, Han, and Leia through several movies, you can introduce recurring opponents into your adventures. These villains make perfect foils, as their presence or suspected activities haunt your players through multiple scenarios. Feel free to allow the Rebels to kill Shela -- there's an opening in the next adventure for her to return, but if she doesn't survive this battle, her brother can show up to take his revenge on the characters. Locux Hyen must show up in the next adventure, so make sure he somehow escapes this fight if the Rebels start winning.

Locux Hyen is a cyborg; the Empire augmented his body with technological devices, turning him into a part-human and part-droid lifeform. He's quite mad as a result of the experience, but does the Empire's bidding faithfully. When you are speaking as Locux, try adding hysterical laughter between his sentences, or speak with a frozen, crazed smile on your face. Your players might laugh at you the first time, but they'll soon grow to appreciate Locux's abilities. The next time you speak with that voice, they'll know who they are dealing with... and probably pull blasters in a panic-driven reaction.

Some of Locux's equipment resides under his "skin," which shifts when he wishes to use one of the buried devices (the jet-pack, for example). He also has some auxiliary weapons, like the flash grenades. Locux is programmed to be a crafty fighter, so he's likely to use his weapons together to neutralize the Rebels. Perhaps he throws a flash grenade first, to blind the party, and then finishes them off with his plasma blaster. The plasma blaster is a truly evil weapon: when Locux misses when firing it, describe the man-sized crater it leaves behind, or a gaping hole in a nearby wall.

Shela is a Dark Jedi, who won't get involved in the fight until it is apparent that the Rebels are winning. She does have Force skills which allow her to ignore the effects of any wounds she may receive. Consult the Narrator Booklet for the rules on using these powers, and for the details of lightsaber combat. Force skills are also described on reference cards you can keep handy during the game. Although Shela has a hold-out blaster pistol, she only uses it when her lightsaber is impractical or unavailable.

Escaping the Ambush

There are six stormtroopers behind the group, blocking the closest exit from the plaza. Six stormtroopers are ahead of the party, standing behind Locux. Remember the principles of game balancing: if you don't have many players in your game, or they've had a tough time of things, you can reduce the number of stormtroopers to match their abilities. Just don't make things too easy for them; the players should be in a near state of panic when confronted with their predicament, but the goal is to escape. Unless the Rebels dedicate their efforts to destroying Locux, he'll be around in later scenarios.

We'll assume that the players eliminate enough of their opposition to make a running retreat through Fortuna City. Ask the players to make the appropriate rolls for their actions. If they try to outrun the stormtroopers, compare the results of their speed plus Dexterity rolls. If they attempt to hide in an abandoned building, the players should roll sneak while the stormtroopers attempt to beat the result of that roll with their search score.

What if a player character is captured? Normally, this would be a wonderful opportunity for you to run an adventure. Unfortunately, we don't have the time to dedicate an adventure to this possibility. If a character is captured, suggest the Rebels secretly follow the Imperials to determine where they keep their prisoners. Quickly draft up a likely Imperial cell block, one that's light on security (remember, the Empire has been on the planet for less than two weeks). Allow the players time to plan their assault (or con attempt, if they attempt to impersonate an Imperial officer or stormtrooper), then let the jailbreak begin!

Boarding the Bothan Whale

After escaping the Imperial trap, the Rebels still need to get aboard the trans-oceanic shuttle, the Bothan Whale. They pass through gate security and board the Bothan Whale without any problems. Provided, of course, that they don't take their weapons aboard. If they do, the energy scanner at the security station alerts the stormtroopers, and the character carrying the weapon is arrested. The players have several options if this happens. They might leave their comrade behind (he should have stowed his weapons in the Y-wing anyway), or they could bust him out in a blaster fight if they all brought their weapons along. That could be messy, and might prevent them from reaching the Bothan Whale in time.

If the players take too long getting to the starport, the forces at the security checkpoints double. Each officer has a visual datagraph of each character's likeness, and can spot them as they move through gate security. As the narrator, you should decide what "taking too long" is -- we suggest that players not dashing directly to the spaceport have taken "too long."

After security has tightened at the spaceport, the players cannot enter the gates without being arrested. Provide visual clues to the players to hint at this possibility. As they watch the security station, they see an officer comparing each passenger with an image on the vidscreen. Some civilians are searched without warning, and the extra stormtroopers carefully survey the spaceport's main floor.

What can the players do? Here are some options:

Disguise Themselves: Rebels' con against Imperial officer's Perception. If the Rebels have technicians' outfits, or Imperial uniforms, they might be able to move through the security station. Their exact technique is up to them, of course, but it should involve faulty authorizations, fast-talking, and a few con rolls against the Perception of the real Imperial officer in charge.

Board Through Service Passageways. The players will note, with an Easy (10) Perception roll, that there is a loading dock and service passageway on the far side of the spaceport. Two stormtroopers (four if an alert has sounded) guard the area. Speeder trucks occasionally move in and out of the loading dock, transferring various supplies. The crates are moved with technicians in jumpsuits, and aren't carefully checked by the troopers. If the characters could come across a jump suit or two, they might be able to enter that way. They could hide in the crates. Or, if they're feeling lucky and rather stealthy, they could try taking out the guards. However, if the fight lasts for more than one combat turn, any surviving stormtroopers sound an alarm. Two patrol speeders respond to the alert, and arrive on the scene two combat turns later.

Liftoff and Rendezvous

The Bothan Whale is a passenger transport. There are 80 rows of lavender seats, arranged in groups of 8 and divided by a couple of aisles. The Rebels may sit anywhere they choose, since the flight is not heavily booked. There are a few nondescript passengers, most of whom are already either engrossed in a datapad or are fast asleep.

The Bothan Whale sets coordinates for 134 by 152, which is just over the horizon from Fortuna City. If the Y-wing skirts the water by making a Difficult (20) starship piloting roll (remember to add maneuverability dice), it avoids detection by Imperial sensor. When the Bothan Whale's rear cargo hatch opens, the Y-wing can edge into a waiting docking cradle. This requires a Moderate (15) starship piloting roll. The pilot may want to plot his course to avoid coming into view of the Bothan Whale's passenger compartment (to either side of the vessel). The sight of a Rebel starfighter might alarm various individuals, some of whom might have Imperial connections.

A crew member is waiting in the cargo bay. He makes a passing comment along the lines of "Oh no, not another one..." and then shows the starfighter's pilots to the passenger compartment where they can join their fellow Rebels. If asked, he says that someone gave the ship's captain a starfighter like the one the players just brought in. The crew member doesn't recognize the design, but understands that it is not Imperial and therefore puts the ship in jeopardy.

The cargo bay has a service ladder leading to another storage bay, similar to the one above. Underneath a dark green tarp is a second Y-wing starfighter with gold highlights. Its insignia matches that of a unit not attached to Edan Base... which suggests that the Alliance has become aware of Edan's fate! A quick check of the hull indicates that while it has sustained some damage, the ship is still flightworthy. Its fuel cells are half charged, but it has no torpedoes.

A hatch along one wall leads forward into the passenger compartment. Just inside the hatch is a clearly marked emergency cabinet containing four medpacs, two glow rods and four breath masks (should the characters need them later). The Y-wing pilots make their way forward and join their comrades.

The scenario closes with a shot of the Bothan Whale pointing its massive nose upward, as it pushes through the Edan cloud layer toward the far continent.

Award six Character Points for the completion of the scenario. Give up to four extra points for good roleplaying, teamwork, and innovative ideas.

---

Adventure 5: Hope Falling

In the previous adventure, the players may have eliminated or embarrassed Shela Jalahafi by escaping from her trap. If they disposed of her, she won't be around later in this scenario, when her brother confronts the characters. If she somehow survived, she'll appear with Teles Jalahafi in the final part of this adventure.

The Dying Whale

Once the Rebels have docked their Y-wing with the Bothan Whale, the voyage is uneventful. Most of the passengers keep to themselves, so the characters are left alone to discuss their options and any plans they've made.

A datapad unit is embedded in the back of every seat. The unit is connected to the Bothan Whale's communication system, and can display a variety of information to the passenger seated behind it. There are a number of vid channels, including Edan News Today, which features several programs on the benefits of Imperial occupation. One channel allows curious passengers to listen in on the cockpit comm system, while the vidpanel displays the vessel's current position, destination, and vital flight statistics like altitude and airspeed.

After the players have finished their routine activities, read aloud:

You settle back into your seat as the comforting throb of the Bothan Whale's engines propels it through the Edan sky. It's been weeks since you've been this comfortable, having spent the majority of your sleeping periods on hard rock or forest floor. You glance out the rectangular window and see the deep blue of the Edan atmosphere. Glancing skyward, you notice that the sky's blue becomes increasingly dark, fading toward black. That must mean you're fairly high up, and a glance downward at the wispy Edan clouds confirms your thought. You're about to close your eyes, when your comlink beeps twice. Now who could that be...

Here's a perfect opportunity to scare your players with some startling music. Start with something immediately ominous. The characters have run afoul of one of the villains introduced in the last scenario -- the cyborg Locux Hyen. Remember to use Locux's voice for maximum impact when speaking his lines:

You groggily open the com channel, "Yeah, what?"

You recognize a horrible but familiar voice, its speech broken by the start of a hideous laugh. "B... O... T... H... A... N... W... H... A... L... E... What does that spell...?"

It's Locux! You jump to your feet with a start, as you glance out the window.

"Found you! Found you! Bothan Whale! Bothan Whale!" As the madman finishes his bizarre chant, a TIE fighter swoops into your view, less than 10 meters from the Bothan Whale's port wing!

The Rebels have only a minute or two before the TIE fighters open fire on the Bothan Whale. They may take the following actions:

Listen to the Cockpit's Comm Channel. Any character can use his seat's datapad to listen in on the cockpit comm channel. Anyone doing so hears the captain engaged in fevered negotiations with an Imperial officer. A small flight of TIE fighters is pursuing the Bothan Whale, and has ordered the ship to eject the passengers accused of high treason against the Empire. The TIE flight mention the characters' specific names. If they aren't ejected from the Bothan Whale, they plan to open fire on the transport. The captain claims he knows of no one on board by the names listed, and insists that he is flying a civilian transport without any armaments or defenses. The debate continues until the Imperial fighters open fire. On the screen, the Rebels see that they are nearing the southeastern continent's coast, and that a large electrical storm is brewing. The storm is so powerful that it disrupts the Bothan Whale's sensor signals.

Move to the Bothan Whale's Cockpit. If the Rebels try to head up to the cockpit, they bump into the co-pilot. He tells them the captain is ordering the passengers into the transport's lifepods. Unfortunately, if the Rebels escape that way, they'll be picked up by the Empire like everyone else. The co-pilot instructs them to fly the Y-wings off the ship as quickly as possible. The command crew understands the importance of the Rebels' mission, and wants them to escape under all costs. He recommends that they head toward the electrical storm ahead of them, since the Imperials won't likely be able to fly through it. The storm should block the Imperial scanner systems and allow them to land unmolested.

Race to the Cargo Bay. Let the characters slowly understand that if they stay on the Bothan Whale, they're going to be blasted out of the sky. Their own Y-wing docked in the hold (and perhaps the other one they discovered) is their only way off this transport. They must race to the back of the passenger compartment, into the lower cargo bay, then up the ladder to the hold where their Y-wing is docked.

Uncovering the Second Y-wing. Assuming the Rebels have found it, they may launch the other starfighter. The tarp covering the ship can be quickly removed -- if it isn't, all their starship piloting difficulty numbers are increased by 15, making any task much harder. The starfighter can hold a pilot and a co-pilot (just like the Y-wing they've been flying).

Load Fellow Rebels into the Y-wings. Unfortunately, each Y-wing can only hold two people in the cockpit. If there are more Rebels who need to escape, they must improvise. The starfighter's cargo compartment can barely hold one human. One passenger may sit in the lap of a Y-wing pilot or co-pilot, but that crew member makes all rolls at -2D until they land. A Y-wing cockpit is pretty tight to begin with -- if the pilot can manage all the ship's systems, someone can double up with the co-pilot.

Launch the Y-wings. While the starfighters' engines are warming up, someone has to open the cargo bay doors -- the manual hatch controls are located next to the doors. Once opened, the Y-wing's pilot can blast out and away from the doomed Bothan Whale.

Read aloud:

Just as you fly through the open cargo bay doors, you see several green flashes as the TIE fighters attack the Bothan Whale. The transport's escape pods jettison out the belly. They drop silently toward the ocean, braking thrusters slowing the descent. The TIE fighters keep concentrating on the transport. Several laser shots explode against the hull. A blast tears one of the transport's engines from its support. Thick, black smoke pours from her other engines, as she loses attitude control and begins to pitch downward. An angry swarm of Imperial craft dart about her, as scavenger birds circle a corpse.

Between the Natural and Imperial Storms

The Rebels aren't in the clear yet. Once the TIE fighters finish off the Bothan Whale, they turn their attention to the fleeing Y-wings. Make it clear that two Y-wings stand little chance against such stacked odds. Their best bet is to use the confusion to make for the electrical storm, in the hope that their head start will give them enough time to lose their pursuers in the thick, ion-charged clouds. The dogfight begins at Medium Range.

4 TIE Fighters. Crew scores: gunnery 4D, starship piloting 4D+1.
Maneuverability 2D, speed 42, sensors 1D, hull 2D, shields 0D.
Weapons: 2 fire-linked laser cannons (fire control 2D, combined damage 5D).

During each turn that the players wish to flee from the pursuing fighters, have each Y-wing pilot make a starship piloting roll. Add the result of this roll to the starfighter's speed score of 35. Now you make a speed roll for one of the TIE pilots. Roll the pilot's starship piloting of 4D+1, and add the result to the TIE fighter's speed of 42. If the players roll higher, increase the range one level (at the start, the range would go from Medium to Long). If you roll higher for the TIE pilots, the range does not change.

When the characters are finished with their turn of actions, you get to make some rolls for the TIE fighters. The Imperial pilots want to make sure they destroy these two renegade Y-wings, so they won't fire until they move into Close Range. Until then, make one speed roll for the TIE fighters to see if they close in on the Y-wings. Have the player pilot roll and you roll for the TIE pilot. This time, however, if you roll higher, you decrease the range by one. If the Y-wing rolls higher, the range does not change.

If the Y-wings exceed Long Range, they'll escape from the TIE guns. However, the TIE fighters do not pursue the Rebel starfighters into the storm. The chase lasts four combat turns before the fighter groups reach the storm's edge.

If a Y-wing takes so much damage that it will fall out of the sky, recommend the pilot attempt a controlled crash landing. If the engines have failed, two Difficult (20) starship piloting rolls allow the pilot to veer the dead-stick starfighter into the ion storm. A Heroic (30) starship piloting roll can turn a crash landing into just a bumpy landing (avoiding collision damage when the fighter hits the ground). When the dice indicate that the starfighter should be destroyed, allow the pilots to pull the ejection handle in the nick of time. They'll lose the Y-wing, but at least they'll float down to safety.

Escaping the Atmosphere. Rational characters may attempt to flee Edan II, using the starfighters' hyperdrives to reach the Rebel Alliance and bring back reinforcements. As they rise, their sensors detect multiple satellites in orbit. The Empire has deployed them to ensure that nothing leaves the planet without their explicit permission. Without transmitting a secret Imperial code, the satellites fire missiles at ships attempting to leave the planet.

As they continue to gain altitude, the Y-wing sensors detect a weapons lock on them from multiple orbital sources. Then they pick up a small cloud of missiles headed directly for them! Give the players a chance to stand down and retreat to the planet's surface. If they head for land, they'll go deeper into the atmosphere -- the missiles will burn up before hitting. If the Rebels insist on continuing, they'll most certainly be destroyed by the clouds of missiles prohibiting space travel to and from Edan II.

Last Hope Falling

When the storm clears, allow the Rebels time to lick their wounds. That includes first aid rolls on injured characters, and one starship repair roll to repair any damage sustained by the Y-wings. While they have eluded combat for the moment, their position is relatively exposed. They should find better cover as soon as everyone is fit to travel. As the characters prepare to get under way, read aloud:

A thunderous boom rolls through the clearing sky. You scan the skies and watch with wonder as a gigantic comet plunges through the Edan sky. One of you produces a pair of macrobinoculars. Looking through them, you realize it's not a comet at all, but a crippled starship! After studying it for a few seconds, you realize it's a capital-class Rebel craft. Its aft section is completely engulfed in flames; the front is red-hot from atmospheric re-entry. Judging by its condition and angle of descent, the ship appears to be making an unguided descent to a position near your own.

A character making an Easy (10) Knowledge roll identifies the ship as a Corellian blockade runner. These corvettes are widely used by the Alliance for a variety of purposes. Some serve as gunships and transports, others as small carriers. Either way, it appears that this one confronted the Imperial missile satellite network and lost. The characters figure its crash point will be some 40 kilometers west of their current location. There's little they can do to stop such a massive vessel from crashing, but once it's down, they may be able to assist any survivors or scavenge for equipment before the Empire arrives.

Flying the Y-wings to the crash site does not take very long. When the players arrive, read aloud:

The corvette has come to rest on the edge of a large plateau. From the air, you can see its engines pointing skyward, and a deep gash in the planet's surface leading up to the starship's final resting place. The ship must have slid its way to a halt, as you can see hull plates as large as your starfighter in the dead vessel's wake. The mighty ion drives, previously brilliant balls of fire, have burned themselves out to leave only smoldering cinders. The nose of the ship hangs over the precipice of the plateau and points toward a deep river ravine. It's as if the ship's spirit knew of its final fate: to obliterate itself in the yawning abyss, but even now resists by clinging to the plateau's edge. The smoke drifts away from the mid-section to reveal the vessel's name: Last Hope.

The heroes can set their Y-wings down on the same plateau as the Last Hope, but at a safe enough distance that a sudden fire or explosion won't be able to engulf their own ships. Sensor readings detect the remnants of a hundred fires onboard. There are no life signs.

One of the Last Hope's side hatches rests about two meters above the ground. A character making an Easy (10) climbing/jumping roll can pull himself up the hull and access the hatch's control panel. The hatch unlocks and grinds open. Inside they find a grisly sight. The violent concussion waves from multiple missiles and the crash impact ripped through the ship's interior, twisting corridors into horrible configurations. Players making a Moderate (15) Knowledge roll or an Easy (10) starship repair roll realize that the repeated missile hits on the aft section must have disabled the ship's acceleration compensators. When they failed, the crew was immediately subjected to hundreds of gees when it crashed. No one could have survived.

Despite the lack of survivors, the characters might be able to make the best of the Last Hope before Imperial forces arrive to investigate. There are a variety of destinations the characters can investigate to help determine the Last Hope's fate, assess the Alliance's presence in the Edan system, and refuel and refit their own equipment. Refer to the accompanying map for the Rebel's entrance into the Last Hope. The directions they take are important, since it will determine where they are when Imperial forces show up.

Bridge

The bridge is located at the most forward point of the Last Hope. While the ship is dormant and living on its reserve battery power, most of the bridge's status panels and controls are still operational. By surveying the control stations, the Rebels are able to determine that all but one of the ion drives have been rendered inoperative by multiple explosions. The Last Hope will never raise ship from Edan II. The deceleration across the Edan landscape played havoc on the corvette's sensor suites as well; all advanced scanning systems either return static or fail to respond at all. However, the topside sensor suite is in nominal condition, and the external visual system still works. If the players activate the main screen, they receive an unsettling view of the bottom of the river canyon above which the ship is precariously balanced.

If the Rebels examine gunnery control, they notice that most of the corvette's weapons are inoperable; however, one of the Last Hope's topside double turbolaser cannons survived re-entry, and has enough power to fire five volleys. The weapon's targeting computer is damaged, and only grants a fire control of 1D -- if it hits a target, it inflicts 10D+2 damage. That'll come in handy later when the Empire arrives.

Topside Sensor Suite

The dorsal sensor suite survived the crash landing, and contains computer logs of the Last Hope's scouting expedition to Edan II. Apparently, the Alliance was unaware of the planet's fate, and had sent the Last Hope to investigate. According to the communication relays, the Alliance had no further starcraft to spare on the planet. If the Last Hope could not liberate Edan II, Rebel forces were too entrenched in other conflicts to lend assistance. The sensor logs indicate that a series of missile buoys now orbit the planet. The buoys are of Imperial design, and appear to be controlled by the Star Destroyer in orbit. The intent is obvious: blockade Edan II until the Imperials can fortify their position.

An Easy (10) com-scan roll allows the characters to identify the comm frequencies and codes which the Imperial Star Destroyer Havoc uses to control the satellite's fire. If they discover this information, the freedom fighters may be able to erect jamming equipment capable of confusing the buoy's command and control systems.

The players also note records of tight beam communications between the Last Hope and a ground installation on the southern continent. The signals were cut off, but were carried out using Alliance codes and frequencies. By gleaning this information, the characters have located the elusive Rendezvous Point 4 they've been searching for.

Engineering

The engineering decks and damage control bays were ravaged in the Last Hope's final battle. Rebels exploring this area discover a manual self-destruct system. It can be set with an Easy (10) computer programming/repair roll. The programmer may set the countdown to start from between five and 30 minutes. It may be aborted until the timer reaches the final two minutes. If the players decide to activate the Last Hope's self-destruct mechanism, presumably to prevent the Imperials from learning Alliance secrets, keep track of the passage of time in the game. Your players will want to know how much time they have to evacuate.

A Very Difficult (25) demolition die roll allows an ingenious Rebel to trigger the self-destruct system via a remote. To do this, he'll need to cannibalize one of the freedom fighters' comlinks, or succeed at a Difficult (20) starship repair roll to patch the ship's communication systems into the self-destruct system. If he succeeds, the Rebels must set the countdown on the bridge, but can start the clock with their comlink. Just make sure they agree on a frequency, and don't transmit on that comlink prematurely.

Flight Bay

This Corellian corvette was refitted to carry a few starfighters. Most of the docking cradles are horribly mangled but vacant. Presumably whatever fighters they carried launched before the Last Hope was crippled. Characters find one X-wing starfighter is still hard-mounted into its cradle! While the supporting docking structure took some damage, the metal bolts that secured this vessel protected it from undue harm. A quick survey of the fighter reveals that its hull is intact, and appears to have sustained only minor damage during the crash. It takes a Moderate (15) starship repair roll to detach the starfighter from its storage cradle and prepare it for flight.

If any Rebels survey the flight bay for salvageable equipment, an Easy (10) search roll reveals a cache of starship weapon components. The starfighter ordnance has been secured in shock-proof containers on the far side of the bay. The stores were reserve ammunition for the Last Hope's starfighters. There are 20 proton torpedoes in storage! While the torpedoes are a major find for the freedom fighters, a normal human can only carry one torpedo at a time without being forced to attempt a Difficult (20) lifting roll.

Take What You Can, Now!

As always, the Empire is closely pursuing the Rebel Alliance. While the Rebels were closer to the Last Hope's crash site, it doesn't take long for the Imperials to mobilize their own forces. When the players begin to realize the value of their finds, the Imperials arrive on the scene. You, the narrator, should determine when the Empire's arrival will best serve the story. We'd recommend it occurs after the players' initial discovery of the Last Hope, but before they have enough time to salvage everything in the downed corvette.

If any Rebels are maintaining a careful vigil on the bridge's sensor displays or outside near their landed Y-wings, they see the approaching Imperial forces with an Easy (10) Perception roll. The Imperials are flying in from the west in a small formation of four Lambda shuttles and two TIE fighters. It takes three combat turns for the Imperials to arrive. If no one detects the Empire's approach, the Rebels hear the sound of multiple ion engines above the Last Hope, and then the sound of a laser-cutter burning its way through the hull.

Each shuttle carries a squad of 16 stormtroopers, and an accompanying officer (who naturally remains on board until the area is secured). Only two squads affect the players' actions. The other two are entering the Last Hope at the extreme fore and aft of the vessel. That's too far away to worry about, so don't spend time tracking their actions.

One squad of 16 troopers burns its way through the dorsal hatch near the engineering decks, while the last squad is dispatched to guard the Y-wings and engage any Rebels posted outside the ship.

Overseeing the operation is Teles Jalahafi, brother to Shela Jalahafi. He'll identify himself over the comlink as soon as the Rebels detect the stormtroopers' boarding attempts. If he discovers that these are the same Rebels as those that confronted (and possibly defeated) his sister Shela, he actively seeks out the characters. Unlike the other Imperial forces, he enters the Last Hope using the same airlock as the Rebels, and the stormtroopers guarantee a confrontation.

Teles Jalahafi. All scores are 2D except:
Dexterity 3D+2, blaster 4D, dodge 5D+2,
lightsaber 6D, melee 4D+1,
Perception 3D, search 4D, Strength 3D,
brawling 5D, climbing/jumping 4D,
control 2D, sense 3D, alter 3D
Force powers: absorb/dissipate energy, control pain, life detection, lightsaber combat, sense force
Speed 10. Dark Side Points 3. Character Points 6.
Equipment: lightsaber (5D damage).

This is the most challenging situation the players have faced. If they detected the Imperial forces before they landed, they have enough time to escape the Last Hope and run toward the Y-wings. If they dallied, however, or weren't keeping a close vigil on the bridge monitors, they have to fight their way out of the Imperial trap. We've listed some possible strategies, above the standard run and shoot variety, that the Rebels may attempt. Don't consider it an exhaustive list. If the players do something unexpected, roleplay it out as you have in previous adventures.

Keep in mind that at some point in the battle, explosions push the Last Hope into the ravine. This event may be prompted at an earlier stage by player actions, or may occur on its own.

Fire the Last Hope's Double Turbolaser Cannon: Moderate (15) starship gunnery plus fire control (1D). As noted earlier, one of the Last Hope's double turbolaser cannons has enough power to fire five times (fire control 1D, damage 10D+2). Remember that this is a starship cannon, so any fire directed at ground troops is devastating (just double the damage dice). If the gunner decides to fire at the stormtroopers guarding the Y-wings, he needs to succeed at a Moderate (15) starship gunnery roll, adding the gun's 1D fire control. While the troopers are at Close Range, their small size makes them difficult targets to hit.

Use a Proton Torpedo: Very Difficult (25) or Heroic (30) demolitions. The surplus proton torpedoes are potent -- and very dangerous -- weapons even without the proper launchers. They can be rigged to detonate independently with a Very Difficult (25) demolition roll, assuming one of the Rebels has a timer or remote detonator. If not, they can jury-rig an overload in the warhead with a Heroic (30) demolitions roll. A torpedo explosion causes 9D damage to all starships within Close Range.

Fly the Y-wings. It's possible the players have left someone to guard the Y-wings, in which case they can intercept airborne craft or provide ground support.

Launch the X-wing. If the X-wing starfighter has been released from its docking cradle, it may attempt a launch. The launch bay doors are closed, but can be opened with manual controls or explosive charges. The manual controls for the doors are toward the back of the bay, and can be located with an Easy (10) search roll. The Rebels might use explosives, or a blast from the X-wing's lasers to blow open the doors. After being released from its cradle, the X-wing is capable of a launch after two combat turns; one to start its power generator, and a second to cycle the engines. The launch bay opens to the opposite side of the Last Hope from the Y-wings' landing position, so the pilot needs to swing his starfighter around before he can begin strafing runs. The two TIE fighters immediately move to engage the X-wing when they detect its launch. If the X-wing is outmaneuvered, suggest that it calls for some support from the Last Hope's functioning double turbolaser cannon.

Jam Imperial Communication Systems: Difficult (20) com-scan. Bridge systems aboard the Last Hope have enough power to send out broad-based communications interference, blocking any Imperial attempts to coordinate their efforts. A Rebel must make a Difficult (20) com-scan roll to broadcast the interference. TIE fighters are unable to receive reports from the ground, or answer requests for fire support. Unfortunately, this also causes static on all comlink channels the characters want to use.

The Last Hope Falls into the Ravine

If any dramatic explosions occur on or near the Last Hope, its balance shifts far enough to push it into the ravine. Such events to start its fall include: torpedo detonations, explosive bay door releases, multiple laser hits and thermal detonator explosions. When one of these events occurs, read aloud:

The Last Hope shudders with the vibration of an explosion. As it passes, the deck moves beneath your feet! As you scramble to maintain your balance, your stomach turns uneasily as the deck angles steeply. You hear a deep grinding from the bottom of the starship, and realize that the Last Hope is sliding into the ravine!

The Last Hope slides slowly along the precipice before falling into the ravine. During this slide, each player and narrator character must succeed at an Easy (10) Dexterity roll or lose his footing. Any character who falls must spend one full combat turn grasping for handholds to regain his stance. It is essential that the Rebels escape the Last Hope before it falls into the ravine. Any narrator characters left inside (such as the Jedi Teles Jalahafi) could find themselves trapped as the Corellian corvette slides down the ravine to its doom -- a climactic conclusion to this adventure.

After all Alliance starfighters have launched and dispatched the TIE fighters, they should leave the area immediately. The Lambda shuttles are lightly armed and concerned with recovering their ground troops, so they do not give chase when the Rebels flee the scene.

In the next adventure, the characters will meet up with other Rebels at Rendezvous Point 4 and mount a devastating offensive against the Empire. For now they've managed to escape the Empire one more time.

Award four Character Points to each player for completing the scenario. Grant every player one additional Character Point for each of the following accomplishments: recovering the X-wing, discovering the location of Rendezvous Point 4, preventing the Imperial capture of the Last Hope. Assign from one to three points for good roleplaying or problem solving.

---

Adventure 6: Vindication

In the last adventure, the Rebels may have:

• Salvaged the X-wing from the Last Hope, thus adding the starfighter to their arsenal of weapons.
• Rearmed their torpedo stores with those from the Last Hope.
• Discovered the location of Rendezvous Point 4.

Rendezvous Point 4

Rendezvous Point 4 was little more than a scouting post when the Alliance first came to Edan II. When the Empire destroyed the main Rebel base, Rendezvous Point 4 was quickly promoted to the covert headquarters for Alliance resistance actions. When the characters arrive, they land their starfighters in the base's cramped hangar. Read aloud:

You jump from the ladder of your starfighter, landing with a heavy thud on the hangar floor. The small, make-shift bay is crammed with starships from a dozen worlds. Technicians eagerly dart from one craft to another. Their activity level seems to indicate that the base is gearing up for a major operation. The smaller starfighters hang from suspended cradles in the ceiling, much like the X-wing you found in the Last Hope. The high whine of engines can be heard toward the front of the bay. You watch as technicians thermabond a new starfoil on a damaged X-wing. The wing of an Imperial Lambda shuttle rises above the crowd of mechanics and fighters.

The characters are greeted by the deck officer, who recognizes them from Edan Base. They are led to a small briefing room, where six other Alliance staff members are already seated. The room is filled with the long benches and tables one would expect to find in a galley. The characters are introduced to Colonel Pertarn, Rendezvous Point 4's base commander. He welcomes them warmly, and inquires about their adventures since fleeing Edan Base.

Colonel Pertarn. All scores are 2D except:
blaster 4D, melee 4D+2, Knowledge 3D+1,
alien species 4D, cultures 4D,
languages 5D, survival 4D, starship piloting 6D,
gunnery 5D+1, Perception 3D+2, Technical 2D+1
Speed 10. Force Points 2. Character Points 12.
Equipment: blaster pistol (4D damage), datapad, Rebel uniform, several service medals.

Colonel Pertarn reveals why he called the characters to this meeting -- he wants them to participate in a massive assault against the Imperial Star Destroyer Havoc. Calling attention to the datapads around the table, the Colonel explains his bold plan.

While the Star Destroyer remains in orbit, it can continually supply, rearm and refresh Imperial forces on the planet. Havoc can also control the missile buoys which were responsible for destroying the Last Hope, and which are stopping all space traffic to and from the planet. The longer the Alliance waits to remove this threat, the more difficult this formidable task becomes.

Colonel Pertarn indicates that there is a small Alliance contingent hiding behind the planet's second moon. Although they are not equipped to lead an assault on the Havoc, this Rebel force carries enough ground troops, supplies and materials to liberate Edan's surface. Before this group can move in, the starfighters and personnel at Rendezvous Point 4 must eliminate the Star Destroyer.

A covert team of special operatives will use the stolen Imperial shuttle to board the Star Destroyer. The volunteers will impersonate an Imperial surface group which was presumed lost in action -- they'll have identification credentials taken from the original Imperial group, which was captured. The Rebel strike team must infiltrate the Star Destroyer and plant explosive charges on her aft deflector shield generators. This will allow the small contingent of Alliance starfighters to make a surgical strike against the Star Destroyer's drive section. If the volley of proton torpedoes hits the right spot, the Havoc's ion drives will overload and explode.

Colonel Pertarn offers the characters a choice for their role in the assault. Since they survived on the Edan surface for so long, they can probably bluff their way through Imperial security and join the boarding party. They may also decide to join the starfighter assault, using the ships they brought with them. Colonel Pertarn announces that the base engineers have converted a Corellian light freighter into a makeshift torpedo bomber. The Vindicator will spearhead the assault against the Star Destroyer. It requires a full crew, however, and Colonel Pertarn is short on pilots. Some or all the characters might volunteer to fly the Vindicator.

If Dantaree is still with the Rebel group, and if she has made any friendships with one character in particular, she chooses the same mission he selects. Otherwise she joins the sabotage group, since she knows her starship skills are not terribly adequate.

Preparations

Each character joining the infiltration group is issued an Imperial technician's uniform, Imperial ID, a comlink (set to a Rebel encoded frequency), a starship repair toolkit, four charges of detonite and a timer detonator. The group is also assigned an astromech droid, R2-D6, to assist them in defeating Imperial security. The Lambda shuttle already has a flight crew.

The base technicians do not have additional weapons for the characters' starfighters, but there is enough time to refuel each ship and repair any damaged systems. Characters flying starfighters won't join in the main battle until the covert sabotage team has disabled the Havoc's aft deflector shields.

The Vindicator

If the players choose to fly the Vindicator, they are introduced to Viv, the Sullustan technician who supervised the light freighter's modifications. He gives them a quick tour of the ship, running down basic operating procedures. Although the Vindicator looks like a beat-up old light freighter, Viv and his team have added several modifications of their own.

The bomber uses engine baffles, surface detailing and coolant vents to make it difficult to detect on sensors at long ranges. While these countermeasures do not function as a full cloaking device, it allows the Vindicator to position itself for a bombing run without drawing much attention to itself.

To use this sensor shroud, however, the Vindicator may never use more than half its thrust potential, and cannot activate its shields or weapons. If the freighter uses more than half its speed, or powers up its weapons or shields, the ship sticks out like a wailing bantha. While the sensor shroud is activated, anyone trying to detect the Vindicator using sensors gets a -3D penalty to his com-scan roll as long as the freighter remains beyond Long Range.

Viv shows off his real pride and joy: the Vindicator's quad torpedo system. It was cobbled together from various junked starships -- so while it's terribly powerful, it's not entirely reliable. Four proton torpedo launch tubes are mounted side-by-side. The Vindicator carries 12 proton torpedoes, three for each tube.

It can fire one torpedo at a time, or, at the bombardier's option, fire all four tubes at once. The bombardier only makes one starship gunnery roll (adding the weapon's fire control of 1D), whether he's shooting one torpedo or a salvo of four. If firing four, and the roll misses the target, all four torpedoes miss. If they hit, they do a combined 18D damage!

It is not without its defects, however. If all four torpedo tubes are fired simultaneously, roll one die. If the result is a 1 or 2, the entire system has jammed. The torpedoes are not fired, and are stuck in the tubes. The weapon cannot be fired until someone makes an Easy (10) starship repair roll to fix the launch system.

A small crew is needed to fly the Vindicator. A pilot controls main starship functions (using starship piloting and the ship's maneuverability of 1D), while a co-pilot oversees the shields, communications and the sensor shroud. A bombardier controls the quad torpedo launch system (using starship gunnery and the weapon's fire control of 1D), while another gunner crews the laser cannon in a turret (using starship gunnery and the laser's fire control of 1D). Viv suggests anyone flying the bomber take along one engineer with a good starship repair skill to fix damage the ship will surely sustain in the battle to come. If the players choose to fly the Vindicator and don't fill all the positions, one of the base's crewmen steps in to help -- he has 4D in the skill needed for that position, with 2D in all other skills and attributes. If the crew needs an engineer, Viv volunteers to come along.

Viv. All scores are 2D except:
dodge 5D, pick pocket 4D,
survival 4D, sneak 4D+1,
Technical 3D+2, computer programming/repair 5D,
demolitions 6D, starship repair 5D+1
Speed 10. Force Points 1. Character Points 3.
Equipment: flight suit.

Vindicator. Maneuverability 1D, speed 28, sensors 1D, hull 5D, shields 2D.
Weapons: turret-mounted laser cannon (fire control 1D, damage 4D), 4 proton torpedo tubes (fire control 1D, damage 9D), sensor shroud (-3D from enemy com-scan rolls to detect ship as long as Vindicator remains beyond Long Range).

Flying in Havoc's Way

As soon as the characters can be suited up in their Imperial disguises, they are ushered onto the waiting Lambda shuttle. A total of 12 Rebel agents are aboard, not including the flight crew. These include the players and several Rebel Alliance soldiers in Imperial uniforms. The shuttle takes off, gliding out of the docking bay and soaring into Edan's sky. Twenty minutes later, they see the Imperial Star Destroyer Havoc looming larger than life in the shuttle's forward viewport. Following a pre-determined course, the shuttle gently lands in one of the docking bays. The flight crew disembarks to confirm their identification with the waiting stormtroopers. When the crew returns, they instruct you that they will wait as long as they can for your team to return before taking off.

Rebel Alliance Soldiers. All scores are 2D except:
Dexterity 3D+2, blaster 5D+2, grenade 4D+2, Strength 3D, brawling 4D
Speed 10.
Equipment: blaster pistol (4D damage), comlink, 4 blocks of detonite, Imperial technician's outfit, timer fuses.

When the characters set foot outside the Lambda shuttle, read aloud:

Nestled in the Star Destroyer's belly, the landing bay is gigantic and lit with the most sterile of white phosphotube lighting. The entire bay is immaculate, including the service equipment, dormant starships, and color-coded wall enunciators. Racks of TIE fighters fill the hangar ceiling, a few receiving attention from gray-suited technicians. The throb of the Havoc's mighty engines is broken only when a flight of fighters enters or leaves the bay -- an event that occurs a bit too often for your taste. All vessels enter through the large pressure curtain centered in the hangar floor. Through its clear force-field, you can see the pinpricks of a thousand different stars, and the slightest crescent of Edan II. A squad of stormtroopers marches through the bay, boots clicking on the metallic deck plating. Toward the back of the bay, near the ordnance loading equipment, you notice a bank of computer terminals. Two decks above, you can make out a command balcony packed with Imperial officers and technicians.

With an Easy (10) computer programming/repair roll, the characters can use the bay computer terminals to determine the best route to the aft shield generators (or they can plug R2-D6 in). They won't attract any attention as long as they act like Imperial technicians. The Havoc's aft shield generators are controlled from three power conversion nodes. The 12 Rebels split up into three groups, and the nodes can be sabotaged simultaneously -- keep all the players' Rebels in one team to avoid confusion. The groups agree to set their charges for 30 minutes from the time they split up.

Each shield power conversion node is managed from a small command chamber. No stormtroopers guard the room, but four Imperial technicians sit at the various control stations. These technicians are bored at their posts, and don't challenge the Rebels masquerading as Imperials -- at least until they approach the control stations and reveal their true intentions to blow up the power conversion node.

4 Imperial Shield Technicians. All scores are 2D except:
blaster 3D, starship shields 4D, starship repair 4D
Equipment: comlink, hold-out blaster (3D damage).

The detonite charges must be placed in the command center to ensure the shield node is disabled. The Rebels may try to bluff their way into placing the charges on the equipment -- perhaps claiming they need to make "repairs," or by distracting the Imperial technicians while one other team member packs the detonite under a control console. One player must make a Difficult (20) con roll to avoid raising suspicion. You might lower this difficulty to Moderate (15) if you feel the player does a good job roleplaying his attempt to bluff the technicians. The player might even use the astromech droid R2-D6 to help create a diversion. Even if the con attempt is successful, the Rebel placing the explosives must make a Difficult (20) sneak roll to prevent the Imperial technicians from seeing the detonite. Finally, a Moderate (15) demolitions roll is required to set the charge for the correct detonation time.

If the Rebels' attempt at subtlety fails -- either the con roll is terrible, or one of the other technicians sees the detonite -- the Imperials use their comlinks to declare an alert, check authorization with security, or pull their blasters. If a fire fight follows, the players have only a minute or two before 12 stormtroopers arrive on the scene... and the Star Destroyer is placed on full alert.

Escaping Alive

The Rebels don't have much time to escape after setting the explosives. The strength and number of Imperial forces that respond to any intruder alert -- or oppose fleeing characters -- is left to your judgment. We'd recommend one squad of 12 stormtroopers constantly pursuing the team. Other squads can attempt to cut off the fleeing Rebels where dramatically appropriate. Possible ambush sites include turbolift shafts, passageway intersections, catwalks, or large cargo or hangar bays. The Imperials might try to seal blast doors to block the Rebels' escape route -- each character must make a Moderate (15) Dexterity roll to run through the portal before it slowly grinds shut. A Difficult (20) security roll can open a sealed blast door, and can close blast doors behind the team to cut off pursuit.

If the Rebels are in a bind, they might call on the abilities of R2-D6, the astromech droid sent along to help them. He's a resourceful little droid -- use him to offer the players hints if they're stumped on how to get around obstacles and opponents.

R2-D6. All scores are 1D except:
Mechanical 2D, Technical 2D,
computer programming/repair 7D,
starship repair 7D
Speed 5.
Equipped with: arc welder (3D damage), computer interface port, extendable video sensor, fine grasper, fire extinguisher, heavy grasper, holographic projector/recorder, small circular saw.

While Imperial forces close around them, the Rebels may suddenly have no hope of reaching the Star Destroyer's docking bay. If your players become stuck and are ready to give up, offer them one of these options:

Surrender. To quote a favorite protocol droid of ours, "Surrender is a perfectly acceptable alternative in extreme circumstances." The players know that as soon as the explosives detonate, the Star Destroyer's aft shields will collapse. The Rebel starfighter strike team is passively scanning the Havoc, and will begin its attack the moment the Star Destroyer is vulnerable. This may give the captured Rebels their only chance to escape. They'll have to hurry. If the Vindicator's salvo of proton torpedoes hits its target, the Star Destroyer will have a scant two minutes of life before its overloading ion drives consume the ship in a fiery explosion.

Use Escape Pods. If the Rebels hide in Imperial escape pods, they can eject when the starfighter assault begins. If they launch before this, the Star Destroyer's turbolaser batteries blast them out of the stars. Make sure the players are aware of this before they launch. Once jettisoned, the pods make their way back to Edan II.

Signal Dantaree and the Other Rebel Teams. If she isn't already with them, Dantaree can be signalled over the comlink that she'll be there as soon as she can. Just after that, her comlink stops transmitting. When the players are fully surrounded by Imperial troops, a lone stormtrooper appears behind the squad. The stormtrooper removes his helmet, revealing Dantaree's lovely face! She howls a battle cry and unloads both of her blasters into the Imperial squad. The other Rebel teams can provide back-up if summoned, but won't arrive until after Dantaree's surprise.

The Bombs Explode

When the Rebels are just nearing the docking hangar and their escape shuttle, read aloud:

You're almost to the docking bay -- and to freedom -- when three explosions rock the Star Destroyer. You and your friends sway as the corridor shakes, bracing yourself against walls to keep from falling. When the shock subsides, you hear an alarm wailing throughout the Havoc. "Emergency crews to aft shield generator stations," an officer barks over the ship's intercom. "Scramble all TIE fighter squadrons."

You dash ahead into the hangar bay while stormtroopers, pilots and technicians run past you in the confusion. Pilots scurry along the catwalks above, running for their TIE fighters. Your escape shuttle waits on the docking hangar deck, the pilots nervously looking around for you.

At this point, all the Rebel sabotage team needs to do is board the shuttle and fly away; however, all these TIE fighters are going to launch and become major problems for the small Rebel starfighter force. There are a few things they can do to wreak havoc in the docking bay:

Blast Fuel Lines: Fuel lines crawl up the docking bay wall to connect with the TIE fighters hanging above. The fuel lines begin at several large and heavily armored cylindrical tanks along the hangar's edge. Heroic (30) blaster rolls are needed to puncture the lines and cause a few TIE fighters above to burst into flames. To destroy the armored holding tanks requires a spare stick of detonite (if anyone kept one while they were sabotaging the shields) and a Difficult (20) demolitions roll. Be sure the player says how long he's setting the timer -- the Rebels had better be aboard the shuttle and out of the bay before the exploding fuel cylinders incinerate a quarter of the landing bay.

Use the Shuttle's Weapons: Once aboard the shuttle, the players might decide to have some fun with their ship's weapons. Although the crew can handle flight operations, they didn't anticipate using the ship's guns -- the players must step in and fire the ship's double blaster cannons and the double laser cannons.

Imperial Lambda Shuttle. Crew scores: gunnery 5D, shields 4D, starship piloting 5D.
Maneuverability 1D, speed 30, sensors 1D, hull 4D, shields 1D+2.
Weapons: 3 double blaster cannons (fire control 2D, damage 4D), 2 fire-linked double laser cannons (fire control 3D+1, combined damage 4D).

To hit an important target -- the TIE fighter racks, armored fuel canisters, or the command balcony -- a character must make a Moderate (15) starship gunnery roll. Don't forget he can add the weapon's fire control dice (2D or 3D+1, depending on which weapon he's using). Five successful shots can do enough damage to cripple the docking bay.

Charge of the Vindicator

Meanwhile, the Vindicator has taken position directly behind the Star Destroyer, just beyond its weapons' Long Range. The Imperial ship does not detect the freighter's presence unless the ship powers up weapons or shields, or exceeds half speed. Maintain some suspense, though -- remind the players that they're not too sure all of Viv's modifications are going to work all of the time.

Rendezvous Point 4 has two squadrons of Rebel starfighters on standby; however, they can't launch without being detected. The Vindicator does have a small support force of six X-wings powered down some distance behind it. This escort flew to the opposite side of the planet, where the Star Destroyer couldn't detect them. They don't have the stealth abilities of the Vindicator, so they're hanging back behind the second Edan moon to avoid detection. If the Vindicator summons them, they can be in position to support the bomber within 5 combat turns.

The Vindicator's co-pilot must make an Easy (10) com-scan roll to detect when the Star Destroyer's aft shields have failed. Once this happens, the pilot should speed in for his bombing run, while the co-pilot alerts the starfighter escort and Rendezvous Point 4 to commence the attack. The Vindicator is out of range of the Havoc. Once the bomber puts full power into the ion drives, it can close to Long Range in one combat turn. Since the Star Destroyer doesn't attempt to out-distance the puny bomber, the Vindicator can gain one range (Long, Medium to Short, Short to Point Blank) each combat turn.

As soon as the Vindicator sheds its sensor shroud, a patrol of four TIE fighters spots the freighter and closes in. The crew of the Vindicator must hold their own against these TIE fighters, destroying them before they move into position for their bombing run.

4 TIE Fighters. Crew scores: gunnery 4D, starship piloting 4D+1.
Maneuverability 2D, speed 42, sensors 1D, hull 2D, shields 0D.
Weapons: 2 fire-linked laser cannons (fire control 2D, combined damage 5D).

If the Rebel sabotage team did not cripple the Star Destroyer's docking hangar, 12 more TIE fighters emerge to stop the Vindicator. Luckily the Rebel support starfighters are within range by this time -- send a TIE fighter or two after the freighter when it seems dramatically appropriate, like when it's preparing its bombing run.

If the Rebel sabotage team crippled the Havoc's landing bay, only 4 TIE fighters are launched in time to engage the Vindicator and the Rebel starfighters. This poses another problem, though -- since there aren't many Imperial fighters in the area, the Havoc opens up with its turbolaser batteries!

Imperial Star Destroyer. Crew scores: astrogation 4D, com-scan 4D, gunnery 4D+2, shields 4D+1, starship piloting 5D+1.
Maneuverability 1D, speed 33, sensors 3D, hull 13D, shields 3D.
Weapons: 60 turbolaser batteries (fire control 4D, damage 11D), 60 ion cannons (fire control 2D+2, damage 9D).

We don't expect you to roll 60 times every combat turn to represent all the Star Destroyer's turbolasers firing. Instead, take a shortcut -- each turn, make one turbolaser roll of 8D+2 (the crew's starship gunnery plus the ship's fire control dice). To evade the turbolaser barrage, pilots -- including the Vindicator's captain -- must roll their starship piloting plus their ship's maneuverability equal to or higher than the turbolaser roll to avoid the Star Destroyer's cover fire. Any Rebel ship failing that roll must sustain 11D damage!

When the Vindicator closes for its bombing run, have the bombardier roll his starship gunnery plus the torpedo launcher's 1D fire control. The might of four proton torpedo explosions against the Star Destroyer's unprotected hull will not destroy the massive vessel -- the bombardier must aim for the ion drive's weakness as outlined in the briefing with Colonel Pertarn. The difficulty to hit is the range between the Vindicator and the Star Destroyer, plus 20 to hit the specific weak spot. For example, if the Vindicator is at Close Range -- an Easy (10) shot -- the bombardier must roll 30 or more to hit the mark. The closer the bomber gets, the easier it is to hit, but it must evade the Havoc's turbolaser barrage more times. Don't forget to roll that single die if the bombardier is firing all four torpedo tubes at once. A result of 1 or 2 means the launchers jam and must be repaired quickly.

Once the bombardier hits the Havoc's weak spot with four torpedoes, read aloud:

The proton torpedoes disappear into the weak point, then detonate. The Vindicator veers away from the Star Destroyer as smaller explosions flash within the massive ion drives. The other Rebel starfighters turn away and flee toward Edan II. As the Vindicator rushes to escape, a series of small fires explode throughout the Havoc. The ion engines ignite in a blinding flash of light. Fire blasts through the Star Destroyer's hull, ripping out entire decks and sending debris rocketing in every direction. The Star Destroyer breaks up into a smoldering husk.

For the sake of cinematic imagery, all TIE fighters disengage and flee once the Havoc is destroyed. To create a more dramatic effect, you might describe how the TIE fighters are caught in the ion drives' explosion. The starfighters from Rendezvous Point 4 arrive and mop up any resistance. Sure, the TIE fighters would probably fight to the death, but let's not forget our story-telling technique. The climax of this adventure, indeed this entire series, is to obliterate the Star Destroyer that's been inflicting Imperial tyranny on Edan II.

The characters return to Rendezvous Point 4, where the ground crews surge around their ships and cheer their arrival. Everyone involved in the assault receive the Order of Yavin in recognition of their service and sacrifice to the Rebel Alliance.

For completing this adventure, each player receives 8 Character Points. If the hangar bay was crippled, the sabotage team receives 3 Character Points. Any character in a starship receives half a Character Point (rounded up) for each TIE fighter he destroyed, with a maximum of 4 Character Points possible.

Further Adventures on Edan II

The Havoc's destruction is a major victory for the Alliance on Edan II. But the Empire's defeat here is far from over. With the Star Destroyer gone, Imperial ground forces have no back-up or supply lines -- but they still have fortified positions all around the planet.

If you'd like to continue your adventures on Edan II, here are some brief scenario ideas you can develop on your own. Use the adventures in this book as models for creating your own missions. The narrator tips we've been giving you all along will help bring your adventures to life:

Rounding Up the Survivors: After the Havoc is destroyed, some of its TIE fighters might flee to Edan II. A bold Rebel team (the players) must track down the TIE pilots, capture them and take their fighters. This could be especially important if the TIE fighters are harassing settlements and Rebel positions across Edan from a hidden base.

Capture Colonel Deers: The Imperial officer in charge of Edan ground operations, Colonel Deers, was never captured. Now he's loose, hiding out in the Edan wilderness, or maybe even in the ruined portions of Fortuna City. Perhaps he has rallied Imperial troops and agents across the planet, creating a secret base. His more insidious plan is to infiltrate the Edan government, disguising himself and his soldiers as citizens interested in rebuilding after the Empire's assault. Deers will do anything to remain out of Rebel hands -- and will weaken Edan from within if he has the chance.

Liberate Edan Captives: Remember the stormtroopers rounding up farmers back in "Adventure 2: Salvation on Silver-Tipped Wings?" What was the Empire doing with them? Maybe they're being used as slave labor in various Imperial mining camps throughout the Edan mountains. Perhaps the Empire is sending them off to another system for mysterious purposes. You choose. Whatever the Empire's motives, the Rebels must put an end to their plans by discovering their hidden outposts and freeing Edan's imprisoned citizens.

It's a Big Galaxy...

Of course, you don't have to continue your adventures on this particular planet. Maybe the players want to catch a transport somewhere else where the war between the Alliance and Empire is still raging. Colonel Pertarn can spare a few starfighters -- both the X-wings and Y-wings are hyperspace-capable -- or he might allow the characters to take the Vindicator. They can always find a local spacer or smuggler to take them where they're going.

Your players are not limited to using the same characters, either. Maybe you want to start out all over again. The players might want to be smugglers, making deals, visiting seedy starports, trying to pay off debts to crime lords, avoiding Imperial entanglements, and fleeing from angry bounty hunters.

No matter how you continue your Star Wars adventures, you're well-equipped. Although this game will take you far, your imagination will take you farther.