The Nerf Ranch

There's an old saying that “Meat's meat and a being's gotta eat.” Perhaps no one in the galaxy understands that better than those individuals who raise livestock in order to feed the populations of their own and other worlds. Of course, although their lifestyle might seem rustic and even quaint to the inhabitants of planets such as Coruscant, there's no denying that ranching can be big business.

The Ranch

By the standards of the rest of Corellia, this location might seem primitive. Even so, it provides suitable lodging to the ranchers, and is a place of comfort and pride for them.

1. Ranch House

This one-story building is weather-beaten but solid; it tends to blend in with the surrounding terrain. The walls are made of greyish pourstone, while the roof is shaped durasteel. Inside the front door is the main room (A), with benches for ranch hands to don or doff their gear and a broad storage cabinet. There are also a table and chairs for meals and downtime. One door leads to the laundry room (B), beyond which is the building's refresher (C). Meals are prepared in the kitchen area (D), while foodstuffs and beverages are stored in the pantry (E). The ranch house has two bedrooms, the master one (F) for the owners, along with a second one for the hands (G). The master bedroom has a large double bed and writing desk, while the ranch hands' bedroom features two double bunks and footlockers for storing personal items.

2. Barn

A broad, fenced-in area almost twenty-five meters on a side serves as a pen for holding the nerfs when they are present here. Additionally, a long, low building contains stalls for sheltering the animals during inclement weather or at times—such as during a birth or when predators are in the vicinity—when necessary.

3. Repulsorgarage

A pair of speeder bikes are kept here when they are not needed in the field. There is a workbench along the back wall of the building, and shelves containing tools, spare parts and other items line the two walls.

The Ranchers

Detailed here are the inhabitants of this ranch.

Ramis Olu, Male Rancher (Rival)

Brawn 3 Cunning 2 Presence 2

Agility 3 Intellect 2 Willpower 3

Soak: 4

Wound Threshold: 13

Strain Threshold: 13

M/R Defense: 0 / 0

Skills: Athletics 1, Brawl 2, Cool 1, Coordination 1, Core Worlds 1, Discipline 1, Leadership 1, Mechanics 1, Medicine 1, Melee 2, Negotiation 1, Perception 1, Piloting—Planetary 2, Ranged—Light 2, Resilience 2, Stealth 1, Survival 2, Vigilance 2

Talents: Forager, Let's Ride, Quick Strike, Rapid Recovery, Stalker

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

Equipment: Heavy clothing, blaster pistol, force pike, comlink

Ramis Olu is a nerf herder born and bred. He hails from a family that's been involved in this business for generations, and thus he has been trained from before he could walk to do this job. Indeed, one could assert that he is Ramis Olu IV, but his family has never stood upon such formality. Nerf herding is all that he has ever known, and he is content to make this living. He considers himself blessed that Dorlah wanted to join him in it, and is even a little afraid that she might one day grow tired of it and leave him behind.

Dorlah Olu, Female Rancher (Rival)

Brawn 2 Cunning 2 Presence 3

Agility 3 Intellect 2 Willpower 3

Soak: 3

Wound Threshold: 12

Strain Threshold: 13

M/R Defense: 0 / 0

Skills: Athletics 1, Brawl 1, Charm 2, Computers 1, Cool 1, Coordination 1, Core Worlds 1, Discipline 1, Lore 1, Mechanics 1, Medicine 1, Melee 1, Negotiation 2, Perception 2, Piloting—Planetary 1, Ranged—Light 1, Resilience 1, Survival 1, Vigilance 1

Talents: Know Somebody, Smooth Talker, Wheel and Deal

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

Equipment: Heavy clothing, blaster pistol, comlink, datapad

Dorlah is something of an enigma, a woman who grew up in a wealthy Corellian family but who left behind a pampered life for the simple one of a nerf herder. She had always been enamored with what she'd read about the people who lived on the rugged edge of society and, when a chance encounter in a mag-lev station led to dinner and drinks with Ramis Olu, she pursued the burgeoning romance and followed him back away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Although many thought that it was a passing fascination for her, Dorlah has shown that she is committed to him and his way of life.

Ranch Hands (Minion)

Brawn 2 Cunning 2 Presence 2

Agility 2 Intellect 2 Willpower 2

Soak: 3

Wound Threshold: 4

Strain Threshold: NA

M/R Defense: 0 / 0

Skills: (Group only) Brawl, Melee, Ranged—Light, Survival

Talents: None

Abilities: None

Equipment: Heavy clothing, blaster pistol, force pike, comlink

These rough-and-tumble fellows share a connection to the land, their cattle and each other that make them good at what they do.

 

Using the Nerf Ranch in an Edge of the Empire Campaign

The nerf ranch and the beings who inhabit it can become involved in a campaign in many different ways; a few of the possibilities are detailed here.

• One of the PCs could hail from this ranch and return to it from time to time.
• It could happen that an NPC whom the PCs are sent to apprehend has taken to living on this ranch, and they must deal with the locals in order to complete their job.
• The PCs could be hired to help fight against a band of nerf rustlers that has been preying upon small ranches in the area.
• When one of the ranchers discovers a hidden cache—perhaps one used by smugglers, a local crime boss, agents of the Rebel Alliance, etc.—conflict ensues.
• Hoping to eliminate the competition, an unscrupulous rancher infects his rivals' stock with a wasting disease; the unfortunate afflicted turn to the PCs for help in identifying and curing the malady, along with bringing the responsible party to justice.