Using a Sabacc Deck for Fortune-Telling

Although most logical beings don't believe in such things, there are some who maintain that the special cards in a sabacc deck can be used for predicting events in someone's future. To do so, the fortune-teller lays out six cards in a particular order.

Position	What it represents
1	The subject of the fortune-telling
2	The subject's main enemy or opponent
3	Conscious or open motivations
4	Subconscious or hidden motivations
5	The past
6	The future

At the same time, the fortune-teller makes a Foresee check. The results of that effort can be used to provide vague hints to the character whose fortune is being read, as usual. Additionally, and at the GM's discretion, the fortune-teller can grant other bonuses for use later. For example, if Lady Taya does give some insight into a character's situation, that character could then gain the benefit of her Sense Danger or Touch of Fate talents at an appropriate moment connected to the fortune that she told.

Card	What it represents
The Idiot (0)	A mistake or misunderstanding; someone the character knows who is prone to making such errors
The Queen of Air and Darkness (-2)	A mysterious individual or organization, perhaps one that could be an ally or an enemy depending on one's course of action
Endurance (-8)	The continuation of a process, especially one that was believed to be finished; the ability to withstand current challenges
Balance (-11)	A precarious situation in which two possible outcomes are just as likely; an important decision that will soon be made
Demise (-13)	A death; the end of a process, activity or organization—not necessarily one that is unavoidable
Moderation (-14)	The restoring of order and harmony;
The Evil One (-15)	A known enemy, be that an individual or an organization; a very dangerous situation that will soon be faced
The Star (-17)	A great or important result; a primary objective; a valuable acquisition; some kind of major event

Old Lady Taya (Rival)

Brawn 2 Cunning 2 Presence 3

Agility 2 Intellect 2 Willpower 3

Soak: 2

Wound Threshold: 14

Strain Threshold: 13

M/R Defense: 0 / 0

Skills: Charm 2, Core Worlds 1, Deception 3, Lore 2, Negotiation 1, Outer Rim 1, Perception 3, Resilience 2, Skulduggery 1, Stealth 1, Streetwise 2, Survival 1, Underworld 1, Vigilance 1

Talents: Convincing Demeanor, Grit, Nobody's Fool, Sense Danger, Street Smarts, Touch of Fate, Toughened, Uncanny Reactions, Uncanny Senses

Abilities: One free rank in each of two non-class skills

Equipment: Clothing, sabacc deck, bottle of Corellian whiskey

Lady Taya has lived a rough life. She was born back before the Clone Wars, and might have been found and trained by the Jedi Order if not for the fact that she grew up in the Blue Sector of Coronet City. Rather than training to be a guardian of peace and justice in the galaxy, she learned how to make a quick credit and evade the officers of the Corellian Security Force. Even so, this Human woman did manage to develop a type of foresight that focussed on using sabacc card-chips for divination.

That was thirty years ago. Now Lady Taya survives through selling her ability—most assume that it's a cheap entertainment, but some are surprised from time to time—and engaging in the occasional minor crime if it's too lucrative to ignore. Occasionally, when her ability lands her in trouble or she runs afoul of the law, she is forced to move on to a new place.

Lady Taya is an attractive Human woman of middle age, but this can sometimes be hard to tell after living a hard life. She has black hair now going gray. A rather weathered complexion, and blue eyes that still retain some of their sparkle.

Using the Fortune-Teller in an Edge of the Empire Campaign

Lady Taya and her card-chip reading can be incorporated in a campaign in many different ways; a few of the possibilities are detailed here.

• Characters who are struggling with an investigation or looking for insight into a situation could go to her for input—for a price, of course.
• If Lady Taya is in trouble, she might come to the PCs asking for passage to somewhere safer.
• By way of payment, she might bring a valuable piece of information that the PCs could exploit for their own gain.
• Things could become even more interesting (or dangerous, that is) if an Imperial Inquisitor decided that she was a subject of interest.

Bounty: The Bad Doctor

This is the first in what will hopefully be a series of posts detailing possible bounties for PCs to pursue.

Bounty: The Bad Doctor

Sirren Ta'etu (Rival)

Brawn 2 Cunning 2 Presence 2

Agility 2 Intellect 2 Willpower 2

Soak: 2

Wound Threshold: 12

Strain Threshold: 12

M/R Defense: 0 / 0

Skills: Brawl 1, Charm 1, Computers 2, Cool 1, Coordination 2, Core Worlds 2, Deception 1, Discipline 2, Education 3, Lore 1, Medicine 4, Melee 1, Negotiation 1, Perception 2, Piloting—Planetary 1, Ranged—Light 2, Resilience 2, Streetwise 1, Survival 1, Underworld 1, Vigilance 2, Xenology 2

Talents: Bacta Specialist, Improved Stim Application, Stim Application, Supreme Stim Application, Surgeon x2

Abilities: One free rank in each of two non-class skills

Equipment: Clothing, two stimpacks, medpac, blaster pistol, datapad, comlink

There's an old saying: “You can take the Bothan out of the SpyNet, but you can't take the SpyNet out of the Bothan.” Actually, that might be a new saying. Whatever the case, it holds true for Sirren Ta'eta. He was once an up-and-coming doctor on Coruscant, but he also had a gambling problem, betting on the podraces. When that landed him in debt with a local crime boss, he paid what he owed in the form of medical service for gang enforcers with no questions asked. That arrangement should have let him escape trouble with little real difficulty, but such a situation just wasn't enough for the doctor.

Instead, Ta'eta used his advantage, having gang enforcers at his mercy, to tap into their secrets using a combination of sedatives and drugs that encourage telling the truth. In that way he was able to learn a good deal about upcoming targets, plans and operations, information that he then sold to his employers' rivals. He was able to live the sweet life for a while, until that practice was discovered. He barely escaped with his life.

Now Sirren Ta'eta lives the simple life as a practicing veterinarian in the back country of Corellia. While tending to sick nerfs, cracian thumpers, murras, spukami, and even the occasional ibbot. So far this has allowed him to live in anonymity, but the doctor knows it won't be long before somebody recognizes him and tries to claim the bounty.

Making a House Call

Sirren Ta'eta lives in a simple but comfortable home on the edge of a major Corellian grassland. He is in good standing with the occupants of the neighboring nerf ranches, given the indispensable service that he provides. For that reason, efforts to apprehend him could run characters afoul of the nerf herders.

Refer to the appropriate map for the following area descriptions. Not pictured is the X-34 landspeeder that the Bothan normally keeps parked out front.

1. Sitting Room

Comfortable sofas and chairs fill this room, where the Bothan receives visitors.

2. Dining Room

A broad table, surrounded by eight chairs, fills this room.

3. Kitchen

This room boasts all the usual features, but no autochef; Sirren enjoys cooking for himself or for guests.

4. Pantry

This room is well stocked with a variety of foodstuffs and beverages.

5. Doctor's Office

Originally intended as a servant's quarters, Sirren has converted this room into a makeshift area for visiting patients. When someone does need care, the Bothan pulls the bed away from the wall in order to have more room in which to work. A medical droid, outfitted with powerful knockout drugs in case of an intruder, can be found here at all times.

6. Refreshers

Each of these units, inserted above and below the stairway, boasts the usual features.

7. Storage

This large closet contains spair linens, extra bedding and the like.

8. Guest Room

Although Sirren doesn't usually entertain company, this room is available—especially when a loved one of a patient needs a place to crash.

9. Study

Sirren takes his ease in this room, which has walls lined with bookshelves and even a place for him to paint. He prefers anatomical studies, of course.

10. Master Bedroom

This room is outfitted with a comfortable bed, a wardrobe, a storage trunk and a desk/vanity.

Using the Bad Doctor in an Edge of the Empire Campaign

Sirren Ta'eta and his checkered past can be incorporated in a campaign in many different ways; a few of the possibilities are detailed here.

• As mentioned above, he makes a good bounty for the PCs to pursue.
• Of course, given the knowledge that he possesses, the wily Bothan could offer to trade information for his own freedom. It is up to the GM to decide just what he knows.
• The situation could always be complicated if he has a critical patient whom he is treating. Do the bounty hunters let him finish his work, or sacrifice the patient to claim the bounty?
• This situation becomes even more interesting when a rival team of hunters arrives to compete for claiming him.

The Tournament

This scenario is inspired by material from previous posts about Natoli's Nightclub and Casino.

-Nate

The Tournament

In a push to make their casino the premiere gambling destination in the Corellian Sector, the Natoli brothers (detailed previously) are hosting a sabacc tournament. To that end, they have put out an open invitation, at the cost of 4000 credits per player, for anyone who is interested in competing. That means there's a top prize of 100,000 credits, enough to make any being wonder about the possibilities of winning it all.

For this event, refer to the article “Natoli's Nightclub and Casino” to find stats for the staff who are on hand, along with suggestions for some more encounters that might occur.

Casino Layout and Description

Casino Personnel

Involving the PCs

There are all kinds of ways in which the PCs might become involved in this tournament; a few of the possibilities are detailed here.

• Needless to say, one or more of the characters could raise the 4000 credit stake and compete in the tournament.
• Alternately, the PCs could be hired as escorts, bodyguards or other members of a gambler's entourage, as insurance against any possible shenanigans.
• If the PCs are agents of the Rebel Alliance, they could be sent to compete against a corrupt Imperial bureaucrat who has embezzled and lost money and now needs to win in order to clear those debts. In this case, winning (or making sure that the Imperial loses) could be turned into pressure to gain cooperation from someone inside the Empire.
• In a twist on the past option, the PCs could be sent by a crime boss to whom the gambler owes a debt, in order to make sure that the debtor doesn't abscond with any winnings in hopes of avoiding payment.
• The PCs could also be desperate types who plan on robbing the casino.
• On the other hand, the PCs could be hired by the Natoli brothers to make sure that nothing happens to disrupt the tournament.

Introductions

When the PCs first arrive at the casino, they are asked to check any weapons they're carrying at the door, to be kept in a locked storage unit. If they wish to conceal an item, use the rules on page 153 of the core rulebook for doing so. As characters are arriving, CorSec agent Ralen Estiz himself is stationed at the door, along with two of his assisting agents. Should any of the PCs be trying to hide their own identities, Estiz also makes a Perception check opposed to the Deception effort of each character who is doing so. Finally, the peacekeeper accepts the entry fee from anyone who wishes to compete, placing it into a metal briefcase that is bound with binders to his own wrist.

Once they're inside the casino, the PCs have a chance to mix and mingle with the other characters who are present. The GM can use this opportunity to introduce members of the competition, along with others who are present and who might have an impact on the proceedings. Through snippets of roleplaying and perhaps some relevant skill checks, the PCs can start to gain a feel for the others and thus to develop suspicions or intentions accordingly.

A Blast from the Past?

This is also a good chance for the GM to bring back a character who shares a history with one or more of the PCs. This could be a low-level crime boss whom they offended, an old romantic flame, or someone similar. Such a run-in is pure coincidence, but adds more tension to this event—especially so if the PCs are trying to keep a low profile or otherwise conceal their identities.

Round 1

Refer to the Suns of Fortune sourcebook or the Under a Black Sun PDF to find more details about rules for sabacc. There is a wager of 1000 credits for each hand, to represent the initial ante and the possibility of raises. In this case, each character who is participating makes a Cool check, with a force die being used to represent random fluctuations of characters's hands as normal. Once all have done so, the highest numbers of successes wins the hand, using advantage as a tiebreaker (much in the same manner as initiative rolls). In the event of a tie, the dealer declares “sudden demise” and deals an additional card to each character, represented by another roll of the force dice to break the tie.

In this way, competitors who run out of money are eliminated from the table, while the one who is left in the end walks away with 20,000 credits to use in the final round. Should the round begin to drag, the wager for each hand can be doubled and even redoubled in order to expedite the process.

Name	Description	Cool check	Personality
Sy Maru	Female Clawdite	1S+2P	Sy Maru—in the guise of a Faleen male—is a competitive and none-too-honorable player. She is willing to cheat if need be, including planting a cheater chip on an opponent.
M'Beg	Male Klatooinan	1S+1P	M'Beg is a boisterous Klatooinan who likes to talk bit—“Hey, you're taking food out of my younglings' mouths”—but he is a gracious loser.
Kalet Foon	Female Besalisk	2S+1P	Kalet seems friendly and magnanimous, but this is a sham; she and her husband, Deveris, have a plan to tip the odds in their own favor.
Cal Danerov	Male Human	1S+2P	Cal is a friendly Corellian who enjoys nothing more than wagering everything on one last turn of the card-chips—except the company of a beautiful female, that is.
Tulyg Senn of the Tion	Male Human	2S+2P	Tulyg, a nobleman from the Tion Hegemony, enjoys showing off his wealth, but he hates to be part of it. He might seek revenge against someone who bests him.
Dorot Shypani	Female Human	1S+1P	Dorot Shypani is a gifted mathematician who might seem out of place at a sabacc table, but she is very good at calculating the odds and plays her hands accordingly.
Chuolli	Female Drall	1S+2P	Chuolli is here to watch the beings who are present and to swap tales with anyone who cares to do so; she doesn't care if she wins or loses.
Neri Mal'tunn	Female Twi'lek	1S+2P	Neri, like many Twi'leks, is a former slave; she hopes to win the tournament so that she can use the money in helping more of her people find freedom.

As always, the GM should feel free to adapt these characters (especially their relative gambling abilities) in order to reflect the needs of the campaign.

Shenanigans

Of course, not all of the beings who are present intend to play fairly. Cheating can happen in one of three ways, detailed below. The GM should feel free to introduce these developments in order to keep those PCs who aren't gambling involved, and perhaps even to keep a losing PC alive in the tournament by having a victorious opponent be caught and kicked out for cheating.

A thief in one of the games tries to use Skulduggery in a bit of sleight of hand, tucking a good card up his sleeve. One or more of the PCs can make Perception checks opposed to that effort in hopes of seeing the move and thus being able to call him out on it.

The husband-and-wife Besalisk team, Kalet and Deveris Foon, are using elaborate hand signals to keep each other informed about opponent's cards. In this case, the husband stands in the crowd behind one of his wife's opponents, and uses his four hands to flash the value of that player's cards to her, giving her an advantage in deciding whether or not to fold. Here again, one or more PCs can make Perception checks opposed to his Deception effort to notice the cheating. Given that this action is difficult to prove, it should take a little suavity to show the authorities what is happening.

Intermission

After the first round, there is an hour-long break for competitors to refresh themselves. Depending on the desires of the players and GM, this could pass uneventfully, or it could be fraught with other developments. A few possibilities are suggested below.

Sy Maru, the Clawdite shapeshifter, tries to plant evidence in the form of a dose of ryll spice on one of the competitors. This requires a Skulduggery check opposed by other characters' Perception efforts. If she succeeds, she then alerts security that her victim is carrying such a substance and lets the situation run its course. To be extra safe, she can change her appearance and clothing if there is need.

This is also a good chance for the PCs to do some more mingling, perhaps some flirtation with another player or even learning Neri Mal'tuun's story. Of course, if any of the PCs have reason to conceal the truth of their identities—especially if one or more of them is the subject of a bounty—these interactions can present an actual danger. Should an NPC have reason to wish the PCs ill, that character could take the time to research them and perhaps learn some important information.

Round 2

This round functions in much the same manner as the first round, except that the stakes are increased. The wager for each hand this time around is five thousand credits, but the mechanics of play are the same. Here again the GM can run things in a straightforward manner, or introduce one of the sideline events in order to create more action or control the flow of things. In the end, the last competitor at the table stands to walk away with 100,000 credits—until the power goes out, that is.

The Robbery

This is the moment when the Defel thief Nak'har makes his move. Leading up to it, the Defel has arranged a small explosive device outside of the casino to cut the external power supply, and placed a computer spike into the casino's system so that reserve power cells fail to engage. As a result, the entire place is swathed in darkness. Nak'har can see in the dark, of course, and thus goes about his business of snatching the 100,000 credit prize. At the same time, Nak'har's team of thugs storms the front of the place; they are wearing scanner goggles, and thus can also see in the darkness. In addition to covering Nak'har's escape with their stun blasters and truncheons, they try to steal the storage unit in which the guests' weapons are being held. If things go their way, the thieves retreat to a waiting Trast AA-5 heavy speeder truck and head for the nearest docking bay, where they try to flee aboard their Wayfarer-class medium freighter.

NPC's

In addition to the characters who are normally found in Natoli's casino, and the rough sketches of gamblers provided above, use the following stat blocks for characters in this scenario.

Nak'har—Use the Defel Assassin from page 392 of the core rulebook.

Nak'har's goons—Use the Street Tough from page 396 of the core rulebook.

Ralen Estiz—Use the Sector Ranger from pages 405-6 of the core rulebook or the CorSec Investigator from page 21 of Suns of Fortune.

Aftermath

This situation can end in a lot of different ways; here are some suggestions for a few of the possibilities.

• In the event that one of the PCs wins the tournament and manages to keep the money, that character has enough credits to buy and outfit a quality starship. That, of course, could lead to all kinds of new business.
• Should the PCs manage to impress Ralen Estiz with their abilities, he might wish to recruit them for a tricky assignment that requires someone from outside of CorSec.
• One or more defeated opponents, especially Tulyg Senn, could seek revenge against the heroes later.
• More altruistic PCs could find themselves joining in on the antislavery efforts of Neri Mal'tunn.
• If Nak'har and his goons did manage to steal the prize money, hunting down them and it could make for a series of adventures. Of course, other nefarious types such as bounty hunters might take an interest in the matter, too.

The Kiris Asteroid Run

For hotshot Corellian pilots, there are few obstacles that provide a better chance to showcase their skills than an asteroid belt. In this case, space jockeys from around the sector gather once a year to test themselves agains the drifting rocks of the Kiris Belt. Some are independent pilots looking to demonstrate their abilities, while others are employed by local crime bosses and similar individuals who vie for bragging rights by showing off the talents of their underlings. Whatever the case, all who undertake the challenge of the Kiris Belt face a considerable challenge.

Navigating the Belt

At the start of a race, five subspace beacons are activated throughout the belt; they form the course that pilots must navigate. While it is entirely possible to make it through the twisting mass of rocks at a slow, steady pace with relatively little danger, one who does so isn't likely to win. To represent the speed and maneuvering with which each pilot handles the course, that character must decide on the difficulty of each pass attempted. Higher difficulties reflect moving at a higher speed, flying closer to the asteroids, and the like. A successful Piloting—Space check at that difficulty means the characters scores the appropriate point value, as listed on the table below. Failure, on the other hand, means that the character scores no points for that attempt, and that a collision occurs.

In the end, the winner is the character who is able to navigate the belt most quickly—that is, with the highest point total, representing the fastest speed and most delicate maneuvering.

Difficulty / Points Easy / 1 Average / 2 Hard / 3 Daunting / 4 Formidable / 5

Collisions

In the event that a competitor hits an asteroid, resolve the resulting damage as usual for collisions. The impact is treated as a minor collision, causing a critical hit but reduced by the ship's defense multiplied by ten. Should the failed check also generate despair, it is treated as a major collision, and thus the critical hit result is only reduced by the ship's defense multiplied by give. Refer to the sidebar on page 242 of the core rulebook for more details. These results are cumulative, of course, so multiple impacts result in an escalating amount of damage.

Involving Other Characters

As long as the PCs are operating a freighter, other characters can become involved in the action. Refer to the table on page 237 of the core rulebook for suggestions, especially the Plot Course, Copilot and Manual Repairs actions.

Other Hazards

Detailed here are some of the other hazards that could crop up during a race. They could be added as a result of threat generated by Piloting checks, or just to keep things lively.

• A flock of mynocks is attracted to the party's ship; they reduce the ship's handling by one until someone manages to remove them.
• A big asteroid happens to conceal a little one, adding a setback die to the next Piloting check attempted.
• As the result of someone else's a collision, an asteroid is sent tumbling into the path of another ship, adding a setback die to the next Piloting attempt.

Using the Kiris Run in an Edge of the Empire Campaign

The Kiris run can be incorporated in a campaign in many different ways; a few of the possibilities are detailed here.

• As mentioned above, crime bosses sometimes stage competitions here to show off the abilities of the pilots in their employ. Should the PCs owe obligation to one such (perhaps Tebora the Muun or Slarr the Hutt), they could be pressed into competing.
• The Kiris Run also provides a great opportunity for making some side bets, especially if the PCs do a good job of promoting themselves.
• This is a good chance to introduce NPC pilots, such as Seng Windrunner, Golthani Ru or Captain Odnah.
• Not every being likes to play fair. A hotheaded young Corellian facing the PCs might decide to cheat, such as by sabotaging a system on the PCs vessel; treat the ensuing malfunction as a critical hit generated on the appropriate table from page 244 of the core rulebook.
• In the event that a bad collision occurs, the PCs might find themselves staging a daring rescue of crew and passengers aboard a ship with a breached hull, racing against time before those aboard it are killed.

Age of Rebellion RPG Review

I feel a little strange reviewing the Age of Rebellion core rulebook, given that it uses mostly the same mechanics as Edge of the Empire. Even so, I thought it could be useful to do a chapter-by-chapter comparison of the two books, looking at what's the same and what's different. With that in mind, here goes.

0. AoR has an added introduction, eight pages long, with an example of play; it also talks about using this book with EotE.

1. Playing the Game

These chapters still introduce the core mechanics and concepts. Some of the flavor description is different, given the focus of each book, but they're still pretty similar.

2. Character Creation

Here we see the first big content changes. For AoR, the species included are Bothan, Droid, Duros, Gran, Human, Ithorian, Mon Calamari and Sullustan. Gran was the one big surprise in that bunch; I'm not sure that I've ever had somebody play one before. For careers, there are Ace, Commander, Diplomat, Engineer, Soldier and Spy. Not surprisingly, they are very much war-oriented. There's also a “universal specialization,” the Recruit, that seems easier for characters on other career paths to access.

3. Skills

This chapter in AoR seems quite similar to the one in EotE.

4. Talents

This chapter in AoR seems quite similar to the one in EotE, except that the talents described are ones taken from the careers and specializations. There is some overlap, but there are new ones, too.

5. Gear and Equipment

Although many of the presented in AoR are the same as in EotE, there are a few differences.

6. Conflict and Combat

These chapters seem to be very similar to each other.

7. Starships and Vehicles

While the rules portions of these chapters are very similar, the ships and vehicles presented in AoR focus much more on vessels of the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance. More starfighters, not so many freighters.

8. The Force

Age of Rebellion presents a new career, the Force-Sensitive Emergent. With it are three new talent trees, Move, Enhance and Foresee. These seem like a natural way to build upon the abilities of the Force-Sensitive Exile presented in EotE.

9. The Game Master

Much of the content is similar in these chapters, although there are changes for the different campaign emphases of the two games.

10. The Galaxy

There is a little bit of overlap here, when it comes to details about hyperspace lanes and the regions of the galaxy. Still, the focus is on the Galactic Civil War and what different places mean to that struggle. Additionally, the worlds that receive full-page write-ups are Alderaan, Byss, Chandrila, Dac (Mon Calamari), Hoth, Imperial Center (Coruscant), Sullust and Yavin IV, none of which received them in EotE.

11. Rebellion (replacing Law and Society from EotE)

This seems to all be new content detailing the structure of the Rebel Alliance and various Rebel activities.

12. Adversaries

Here again there's a lot more focus on the beings who make up both sides during the war, rather than those who live on the fringes of the galaxy.

13. Perlemian Haul

This is, of course, an entirely new adventure from the one, “Trouble Brewing,” presented in EotE.

All in all, Age of Rebellion is very well done. The rules are solid, the art is gorgeous and the book is put together well. It feels weird to pay full price for a tome that duplicates material I already have, but the book could be a stand-alone for players and GM's who want to play this style of adventure rather than the one presented in Edge of the Empire. At the same time, having both books can help present a more varied tapestry of the Star Wars universe in a campaign.

-Nate

Ma'char'ba the Ugor and His Scavengers

For many beings, all Ugors tend to look the same. Taking that notion a step further, many beings also assume that all Ugors think the same. While most Squibs, at least, would agree, this cannot be said of the Ugor known as Ma'char'ba. While he is just as obsessed with salvage as others of his species, he has come to value something else nearly as much: information.

Once during a salvage operation involving a wrecked spacecraft, Ma'char'ba discovered that a blaster pistol concealed a datachip. The chip, in turn, held information about a secret Rebel mission in the Corellian Sector. Recognizing an opportunity to curry Imperial favor, he contacted a local bureaucrat and delivered the goods. In doing so, he also realized what the focus of his operation would be. Now he employs a crew of Ugor scavengers, along with a hotshot Human pilot and a gifted Givin technician. Together they seek out space junk and strip it of any useful material, especially data that could be of value to others.

Ma'char'ba (Rival)

Brawn 2* Cunning 2* Presence 2*

Agility 2* Intellect 2* Willpower 2*

Soak: 3

Wound Threshold: 14

Strain Threshold: 12

M/R Defense: 0 / 0

Skills: Athletics 1, Brawl 1, Computers 1, Cool 1, Core Worlds 2, Discipline 1, Education 1, Gunnery 1, Mechanics 3, Medicine 1, Melee 2, Negotiation 3, Outer Rim 2, Perception 3, Piloting—Planetary 1, Piloting—Space 1, Ranged—Light 1, Resilience 2, Skulduggery 1, Stealth 1, Survival 2, Vigilance 2, Xenology 1

Talents: Durable, Hard Headed, Resolve, Toughened

Abilities: Adaptable: Ugors receive two boost dice whenever they are required to squeeze through a narrow space. With a maneuver, Ugors can shift a point from one ability score to another. This reflects their ability to extrude the right pseudopods for a particular job.

Equipment: Heavy clothing, blaster pistol, comlink, datapad, electronic tool kit, mechanical tool kit

Ma'char'ba looks like an amorphous blob when not wearing its special spacesuit—a situation that does not often occur. Most of the time this Ugor extrudes a couple of visual apparatuses, along with limbs resembling arms and legs, so as to seem more “normal” to other beings. It can shift its shape to suit the needs of a situation, however, as detailed above. Despite its simplistic form, Ma'char'ba has a cunning mind, especially when it comes to buying and selling items of value.

Golthani Ru (Rival)

Brawn 2 Cunning 2 Presence 2

Agility 3 Intellect 2 Willpower 2

Soak: 2

Wound Threshold: 12

Strain Threshold: 13

M/R Defense: 0 / 0

Skills: Astrogation 1, Athletics 1, Brawl 1, Computers 1, Cool 2, Coordination 2, Core Worlds 1, Gunnery 2, Lore 1, Mechanics 2, Medicine 1, Melee 1, Outer Rim 1, Perception 2, Piloting—Planetary 2, Piloting—Space 3, Ranged—Heavy 1, Ranged—Light 2, Resilience 1, Skulduggery 1, Stealth 1, Survival 1, Vigilance 1

Talents: Full Throttle, Grit, Improved Full Throttle, Rapid Reaction, Skilled Jockey

Abilities: One free rank in each of two skills

Equipment: Flightsuit, blaster pistol, comlink, datapad

Known as “Golly” to those who are close to her—and there aren't many who can make such a claim—Golthani Ru is a skilled pilot, as befits a native Corellian. While she longs for more adventure in her life, she is happy for now to be working as Ma'char'ba's personal pilot. When she has a chance to do so, she likes to test her abilities by weaving in and out of asteroids and performing other such stunts. One day she hopes to haver her own ship, something small, fast and sleek. Until then, she tolerates her unusual boss and coworkers. Golly is a good-looking young woman with black hair, brown eyes and a dark complexion.

Yoon the Givin (Rival)

Brawn 1 Cunning 2 Presence 2

Agility 2 Intellect 3 Willpower 2

Soak: 1

Wound Threshold: 13

Strain Threshold: 12

M/R Defense: 0 / 0

Skills: Astrogation 3, Computers 4, Core Worlds 2, Education 3, Lore 2, Mechanics 2, Outer Rim 2, Perception 3, Piloting—Planetary 1, Piloting—Space 2, Resilience 2, Vigilance 1, Xenology 2

Talents: Bypass Security, Codebreaker, Defensive Slicing, Natural Programmer, Technical Aptitude

Abilities: Givins begin the game with one free rank in Knowledge (Education). They still may not train Knowledge (Education) above Rank 2 during character creation. They also start with one rank in the Researcher talent. Sealed Exoskeleton: Givens are immune to the effects of vacuum or suffocation.

Equipment: Clothing, datapad, comlink, slicer gear

As a Givin, Yoon's appearance—rather like a looming skeleton—is disconcerting to many beings. His personality doesn't compensate for that much. He is a tried and true dataphile, and as such loves to discuss the minutiae of computers and slicing. Because of his abilities, his coworkers respect him, and he believes that Golly is enamored with him. That is not the case. For Yoon it is not so much about the profit, but rather the chance to prove himself against other beings' efforts.

Ugor Workers (Minions)

Brawn 2* Cunning 2* Presence 2*

Agility 2* Intellect 2* Willpower 2*

Soak: 3

Wound Threshold: 12

Strain Threshold: 12

M/R Defense: 0 / 0

Skills (Group only): Athletics, Brawl, Mechanics, Melee, Perception

Talents: None

Abilities: Adaptable: Ugors receive two boost dice whenever they are required to squeeze through a narrow space. With a maneuver, Ugors can shift a point from one ability score to another. This reflects their ability to extrude the right pseudopods for a particular job.

Equipment: Heavy clothing, mechanical toolkits, truncheons

These Ugors are driven by the accumulation of valuable materiel; for them it is akin to a religious experience, with Ma'char'ba as their leader. They talk about work even when they are not working, and they can be tenacious when it comes to defending what is theirs.

The Opportunity

Ma'char'ba and his associates operate out of a Barloz medium freighter known as the Opportunity. It is a pretty standard vessel; Golly flies it, while Yoon, Ma'char'ba and the other Ugors work out of the back. The cargo bay and machine shop are, of course, filled with junk. For more details about the Barloz, check out <http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Barloz>.

Using Ma'char'ba in an Edge of the Empire Campaign

This Ugor and his salvage operation can become involved in a campaign in many different ways; a few of the possibilities are detailed here.

• After a starship is destroyed in an asteroid collision, someone hires the PCs to go and salvage what they can. At the same time, Ma'char'ba learns of it, and so it's a race to see who can claim the goods first.
• If the Ugor found information that was damaging to an influential being, that individual could hire the PCs to recover or destroy it.
• A dashing pilot hero could become a romantic interest for Golly, who might then begin to question her loyal to Ma'char'ba.

Unusual Species: The Ugor

GM's who are looking to bring new alien species into their Edge of the Empire campaigns can't do better than the Unofficial Species Menagerie from the Gamer Security Alliance. Even so, in a galaxy as far-reaching as that of Star Wars, no sourcebook can be complete. With that in mind, presented here is the first set of stats for an unusual alien species: the Ugor.

Ugors

Ugors are single-celled, intelligent aliens. As such, their bodies can changed shape and, to a limited extent, structure, depending on the tasks with which they must deal. Although they have no particular “normal” shape, those who venture into the greater galaxy often wear environmental suits that give them a roughly humanoid form.

Physiology: Ugors, as single-celled beings, can extrude as many as thirty pseudopods for performing various tasks. The functions of these extrusions, along with all other activities in their cells, are controlled by their powerful brain-like nuclei.

Society: Ugors are obsessed with garbage. This leads many of them to engage in salvage work, an enterprise for which they hold an exclusive contract with the Empire. It also brings them into conflict with other scavenging-oriented beings such as the Squibs, with whom they feud.

Homeworld: Although it is known as the Paradise System, that name is a definite misnomer. That is because the planet itself is a wasteland of pollution and garbage. Resilient as they are, however, the Ugors have evolved to live off of refuse, both by eating garbage and by turning salvage into a profitable way of life.

Language: Ugors speak their own language, Ugor; most can also manifest the appropriate pseudopods with which to speak other languages, although their pronunciations if frequently highly accented.

Life on the Fringe: The Ugor obsession with junk often leads them into salvage businesses, something for which their many opportunities throughout the fringe. They are also known to enjoy extremely complicated bargaining, rivaling even the Squibs with the intricate deals that they will concoct. Given their unusual forms and dedication to their way of life, they do not usually band together with other beings.

Species Abilities*

Brawn 2 Agility 2 Intellect 2

Cunning 2 Willpower 2 Presence 2

*See below for special rules concerning Ugor's abilities.

Wound Threshold: 10 + Brawn

Strain Threshold: 10 + Willpower

Starting Experience: 50

Special: Adaptable: Ugors receive two boost dice whenever they are required to squeeze through a narrow space. With a maneuver, Ugors can shift a point from one ability score to another. This reflects their ability to extrude the right pseudopods for a particular job.

For more information about Ugors, check out the relevant article on Wookieepedia.

Ugors