Drawing a Blank

A reader, Jeralee, asked a good question earlier, so I thought I'd share information about how I draw my maps. I use a free program called Paintbrush; it's the closest thing that I've found to the Paint program on my old desktop PC. My style is based on that from the old Dungeon magazine. For me one of the trickier elements is drawing the initial grid, so I thought I'd share mine here.

-Nate

Update and Observation

Ladies and gentlebeings, this post marks the one-year anniversary of Tales from the Edge of the Empire. Thanks for having a look over the past twelve months.

Also, I've added another house rule to the page for them; this one has to do with making skill checks when you don't immediately know whether or not the effort is successful.

http://talesfromtheedgeoftheempire.blogspot.com/2013/12/house-rules.html

Finally, I'd also like to mention a project on which I'm collaborating with my friend Brent, a campaign based out of Tierfon Rebel Outpost.

Tierfon Campaign

-Nate

The Hero Worshipper

There's an old saying: “Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.” That's not at all accurate. In this case, one of the PCs makes a strong impression on a young Human from Xyquine II names Soren Tavik. This sub-adult has left his homeworld looking for adventure, as is frequently the case among his people, and finds it when he happens to be present during a display of prowess by one of the PCs. He is awe-stricken by that character, and begins following him/her/it around in the hope of learning all that he can.

Soren Tavik (Rival—sort of)

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: Astrogation 1, Computers 1, Cool 1, Core Worlds 1, Gunnery 1, Lore 1, Mechanics 1, Outer Rim 1, Perception 1, Piloting—Planetary 1, Piloting—Space 2, Ranged—Light 1, Vigilance 1

Talents: Let's Ride, Skilled Jockey

Abilities: One free rank in each of two skills

Equipment: Jumpsuit, blaster pistol, comlink, 500 credits

Soren Tavik is a dissatisfied youth searching to find an outlet for his frustrations. He finds life on his homeworld, Xyquine II, to be prosaic, and knows that the Empire is taking advantage of its power. Even so, he lacks a sense of direction in life. That is why he has taken to traveling around the Corellian Sector, seeking inspiration. He is an impressionable young fellow, and one ready to throw himself into a course of life if only he can find it.

Using the Hero Worshipper in an Edge of the Empire Campaign

This impressionable sub-adult can become involved in a campaign in many different ways; a few of the possibilities are detailed here.

• Once Soren becomes awe-stricken by one of the PCs, he tries to follow that character around to all places and gain from his/her wisdom. This kind of fawning could be a chance to tell stories of exciting achievements, or it might become tedious; the latter is especially the case if the PCs run into trouble and the character in question has to watch out for Soren.
• If the PCs are agents of the Rebel Alliance, they could recruit Soren as an operative.
• There's always the chance that the PC in question tries to let down Soren, and thus perhaps to send him back to an ordinary life on his home planet.

The Aerie

This post makes me happy, because it moves from the grittier, more mercenary, fringe-oriented nature of Edge of the Empire toward the Rebellion-centered type of Star Wars RPG I grew up playing. It presents a Rebel outpost on Corellia.

-Nate

The Aerie

The Rebel Alliance is always in search of new places to build a base of operations, especially since being forced to flee its facility on Yavin IV. One such location is this one, nestled amidst the Nomad Mountains of northern Corellia. Known as the Aerie, it is a crude facility but a functional one. Here the agents of the Alliance deliver much-needed cargo, plan their resistance efforts, and embark on important missions.

The Grand Tour

The Aerie consists of a large cavern hollowed out of a mountain peak. Surrounding it are a number of plateaus that serve as landing pads, ones where Rebel ships are covered with camouflaged and sensor-baffling tarps. Given the northern latitude of the area, there is generally a dusting of snow on the ground. From the landing pads, tunnels lead into the main cavern. Refer to the appropriate map for the following area descriptions.

A. Main Chamber

This chamber, partially natural and partially hollowed out by Rebel builders, has a ceiling ten meters high; it is roughly fifty meters wide and seventy long. Four tunnels lead out of it to different entry points, including caves for parking speeder bikes or airspeeders, along with Eleem's great ibbot (see below).

B. Barracks

There are four of these prefabricated buildings in the Aerie. One is used exclusively by the Selonian guards, while two of the others hold the rest of the base's personnel. The fourth is generally kept open for large groups of visitors.

C. Infirmary

Doctor Quay-Din Freel has set up shop here. There are three medical beds that can be moved around, along with a computer workstation. The doctor's pride an joy, however, is a bacta tank in one corner of the room.

D. Warehouse

This large building is filled with shelving units that hold all manner of supplies—reserve equipment and foodstuffs for the Aerie itself, along with cargo and other goods that are being held here before shipment to other centers of Rebel activity.

E. Comm Center

In addition to housing the generator that provides power for the Aerie, this small structure boasts the communications hub for the base. The system is linked to sensor arrays concealed on the outside of the mountain.

F. Mess Hall

Meals are, of course, prepared and served here; it also serves as a place to hang out for personnel who have downtime. To that end, one can usually find games such as trin sticks or sabacc being played, the occasional arm wrestling match, and that sort of thing.

G. Workshop

Fing Tooso is in charge of this location. One side of the building is given over to shelving that holds all manner of spare parts, while the other is dominated by a work bench. There are always two or three projects, in various states of disassembly and repair, to be found here.

Personnel

Detailed here are a few of the characters to be found in the Aerie. Given that agents of the Alliance are always coming and going from this location, there are always a variety of others on a short-term basis.

Commander Keero Fent (Nemesis)

Brawn 3 Cunning 2 Presence 4

Agility 3 Intellect 2 Willpower 3

Soak: 4

Wound Threshold: 15

Strain Threshold: 13

M/R Defense: 1 / 1

Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Coercion 1, Computers 1, Cool 2, Coordination 1, Discipline 2, Gunnery 1, Leadership 3, Mechanics 1, Medicine 1, Melee 2, Negotiation 1, Perception 2, Piloting—Planetary 1, Ranged—Heavy 2, Ranged—Light 2, Resilience 1, Stealth 1, Survival 2, Vigilance 2

Talents: Command, Confidence, Field Commander, Improved Field Commander, Second Wind

Abilities: One free rank in Ranged—Heavy or Stealth.

Equipment: Armored clothing, blaster pistol, blaster rifle, comlink

Keero Fent is a very serious being. The Dresselian takes his job as commander of the Aerie to heart, ensuring that the beings who operate from it do their jobs smoothly and by the numbers. Some might accuse him of being too stiff, but his no-nonsense approach makes for an efficiently run base. He has been involved in fighting the Empire ever since it invaded his homeworld years ago. His lighter side comes out when he has a chance to train new recruits, and on rare occasions when he joins the rest of the staff for downtime in the mess.

Lieutenant Fing Tooso, Chadra-Fan Mechanic (Rival)

Brawn 1 Cunning 2 Presence 2

Agility 3 Intellect 3 Willpower 2

Soak: 2

Wound Threshold: 13

Strain Threshold: 13

M/R Defense: 0 / 0

Skills: Astrogation 1, Computers 2, Education 2, Gunnery 1, Mechanics 3, Medicine 1, Negotiation 1, Perception 2, Piloting—Planetary 1, Piloting—Space 1, Ranged—Heavy 1, Ranged—Light 1, Skulduggery 1, Stealth 1, Vigilance 1

Talents: Bad Motivator, Enduring, Fine Tuning, Gearhead, Grit, Solid Repairs, Toughened

Abilities: One free rank in Mechanics; Night Vision: Chadra-Fan may remove a setback die imposed by concealment due to darkness.

Equipment: Coveralls, toolkit, light blaster pistol, comlink, datapad

Fing Tooso is a consummate tinkerer. She loves nothing more than breaking down a new device, diagnosing what is wrong with it (or how it could be improved), and then reassembling it. To that end she loves working for the Alliance, since agents are constantly bringing her damaged equipment or vehicles. Working with limited supplies only makes it more fun.

Captain Quay-Din Freel, Cerean Doctor (Type)

Brawn 2 Cunning 2 Presence 2

Agility 3 Intellect 4 Willpower 2

Soak: 2

Wound Threshold: 12

Strain Threshold: 13

M/R Defense: 0 / 0

Skills: Athletics 1, Brawl 1, Computers 2, Cool 3, Coordination 1, Core Worlds 1, Discipline 2, Education 3, Medicine 3, Outer Rim 1, Perception 2, Ranged—Light 1, Resilience 1, Survival 1, Vigilance 1, Xenology 2

Talents: Bacta Specialist, Grit, Natural Doctor, Resolve, Stim Application, Surgeon

Abilities: Free rank in Perception or Vigilance; Binary Mind: Cereans receive a boost die to any Cool or Vigilance checks when rolling to determine initiative at the start of combat.

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

Quay-Din Freel is the Aerie's doctor, and a very good one at that. She could be working in any hospital throughout the Core Worlds, and would be living a much more comfortable life than she does here. She has seen the callous ways of the Empire, however, and has vowed to use her skills for helping others throw off the yoke of oppression. Although she is generally one who prefers to listen rather than speak, she can take action swiftly when the situation demands it.

Corporal Eleem, Drall Wingrider (Rival)

Brawn 2 Cunning 3 Presence 2

Agility 2 Intellect 3 Willpower 2

Soak: 2

Wound Threshold: 10

Strain Threshold: 14

M/R Defense: 0 / 0

Skills: Athletics 1, Cool 1, Coordination 1, Discipline 1, Lore 2, Medicine 1, Melee 2, Perception 2, Piloting—Planetary 1, Ranged—Heavy 1, Ranged—Light 2, Resilience 1, Stealth 1, Survival 2, Vigilance 2

Talents: Let's Ride, Rapid Recovery

Abilities: Free rank in Education; add a boost died to checks when providing skilled assistance.

Equipment: H-7 “Equalizer” blaster pistol, utility belt, SKZ sporting blaster, comlink

Eleem is a Drall Wingrider, and one who was raised under the influence of an uncle, Emiss, who told him stories of the Jedi Knights and how they served the beings of the galaxy before the Clone Wars. That is why Eleem has joined up with the Rebellion, hoping to emulate his long-vanquished heroes. He uses his training as a Wingrider to serve as a courier and scout for the Aerie, soaring through the skies on his great ibbot mount. (Refer to page 28 of the Suns of Fortune sourcebook to find more information about great ibbots and Wingriders.)

Sergeant Siodu Krell, Selonian Security Guards (Rival)

Brawn 3 Cunning 1 Presence 1

Agility 3 Intellect 2 Willpower 3

Soak: 3

Wound Threshold: 14

Strain Threshold: 13

M/R Defense: 0 / 0

Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Cool 2, Coordination 1, Discipline 2, Melee 3, Perception 1, Ranged—Light 1, Resilience 2, Stealth 1, Survival 1, Vigilance 2

Talents: Frenzied Attack, Heroic Fortitude, Knockdown, Lethal Blows, Toughened

Abilities: Free rank in Coordination; remove all setback dice added to checks due to near darkness; may use tail as a Brawl weapon.

Equipment: Utility belt, Selonian glaive, blaster pistol, comlink

Siodu Krell is a black-furred Selonian and the head of security for the Aerie. Indeed, she sees her Rebel allies as being an extension of her den, since they are fighting to keep the Empire from spreading its influence throughout the Corellian system. Her sense of honor is deep and compelling, a quality that Keero Fent greatly appreciates in a subordinate.

Selonian Security Guards (Minions)

Brawn 2 Cunning 1 Presence 1

Agility 3 Intellect 2 Willpower 3

Soak: 2

Wound Threshold: 13

Strain Threshold: 13

M/R Defense: 0 / 0

Skills: (Group only) Brawl, Perception, Ranged—Light, Vigilance

Talents: None

Abilities: Free rank in Coordination; remove all setback dice added to checks due to near darkness; may use tail as a Brawl weapon.

Equipment: Utility belt, Selonian glaive, blaster pistol, comlink

These Selonians serve Lieutenant Krell with utter loyalty.

Using the Aerie in an Edge of the Empire Campaign

The Aerie and the Rebels who operate from it can become involved in a campaign in many different ways; a few of the possibilities are detailed here.

•   PCs who wish to serve the Rebel Alliance could, after being vetted, find themselves stationed here, either during downtime between missions or as part of the regular staff.
• The Aerie always needs skilled pilots for delivering cargoes into hotzones, and discreet operatives for undercover assignments.
• If it were ever discovered, of course, the Aerie could find itself suffering a concerted Imperial attack.   

Imperial Inquisitor Neza Yerg

Here's a link for an updated version of my compiled index, now including material from Jewel of Yavin, along with an NPC connected to some of my previous posts.

-Nate

Compiled Index

Imperial Inquisitor Neza Yerg

Many are the servants of Emperor Palpatine. Some, like Darth Vader, stand beside him for all to see, while others, such as Mara Jade, operate in secret. More numerous are those who, while not as individually powerful, work together to pursue the security and stability of the New Order. The Quarren agent known as Neza Yerg is a good example of this; he travels from planet to planet investigating rumors of Force-sensitive beings and their activities, capturing them when possible and eliminating them when necessary.

Inquisitorius

Neza Yerg, Agent of the Inquisition (Nemesis)

Brawn 3 Cunning 4 Presence 2

Agility 3 Intellect 2 Willpower 3

Soak: 4

Wound Threshold: 14

Strain Threshold: 13

M/R Defense: 1 / 1

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

Talents: Quick Draw, Quick Strike x2, Rapid Reaction, Side Step x2; Control Upgrade, Magnitude Upgrade, Range Upgrade, Sense Basic Power

Abilities: One free rank in Deception or Negotiation; Amphibious: Quarren may breathe underwater without penalty and never suffer movement penalties for traveling through water

Equipment: Armored clothing, heavy blaster pistol, vibrosword, comlink, datapad

If Neza Yerg had been born in a different time, he might have come to the notice of the Jedi Order and begun training as a padawan. Instead, he grew up among the Separatist members of his species, making him an enemy of the Old Republic. In the aftermath of the Clone Wars, Yerg was apprehended by agents of Palpatine's New Order and subjected to intense indoctrination. That was when the Imperials realized he was Force-sensitive, leading to a major change in direction for his life. They convinced him that it was the Jedi who caused the war, and then trained him to help find any beings who might wish to rebuild the Order. For this reason he is zealous in pursuing his cause.

Like many Quarren, Neza Yerg has grey skin and a tentacled face. He wears midnight blue armored clothing, including a billowing cape, and carries a heavy blaster pistol on his hip. He travels aboard a Lambda-class shuttle, and is accompanied by a naval officer, Captain Oswald, along with two squads of Naval troopers. Refer to page 403 of the core rulebook to find stats for those characters, and

<http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Lambda-class_T-4a_shuttle> for a shuttle deck plan.

Using Neza Yerg 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.

• If any of the PCs are Force-sensitive, their activities could attract the attention of this Inquisitor.
• Those characters who are present on Corellia might run into Neza Yerg as he investigates tales of Obah the Neti Jedi and her death, along with the legacy that she has left behind.
• The PCs could also have a run-in with him if they have business with Mina Trevill, Emiss the Drall, or other Rebel sympathizers onplanet.

Nerf Rustlers

As a follow-up to yesterday's post, here's a band of nerf-rustling Shistavanens to add a little drama.

-Nate

Nerf Rustlers

For many beings who live on the edge of civilization, one of the key benefits is that they can live their lives without interference from the powers that be. Of course, a chief drawback of this situation is that, when they do need help from the authorities, it can be difficult to obtain. Such is the case when a band of Shistavanen nerf rustlers begins preying upon outlying ranchers. They strike swiftly, incapacitating those who are standing guard, herding the nerfs aboard their ship, and then flying them to a place where they slaughter and sell the meat. To that end, they use a Ghtroc 720 freighter named the Sanguine for transport.

Shistavanen Rustlers (Minions)

Brawn 2 Cunning 3 Presence 2

Agility 3 Intellect 2 Willpower 2

Soak: 4

Wound Threshold: 5 each

Strain Threshold: NA

M/R Defense: 0 / 0

Skills: (Group only) Melee, Pilot—Planetary, Ranged—Heavy, Ranged—Light, Survival

Talents: None

Abilities: Night Vision: Shistavanens remove one setbeck die imposed by concealment that is caused by darkness; Uncanny Tracker: Shistavanens always treat Survival as being a career skill

Equipment: Padded armor, blaster carbines, force pikes, comlinks, Aratech 57-D speeder bikes

Sen Wral (Rival)

Brawn 3 Cunning 3 Presence 2

Agility 3 Intellect 2 Willpower 2

Soak: 5

Wound Threshold: 12

Strain Threshold: 12

M/R Defense: 0 / 0

Skills: Athletics 1, Brawl 2, Coercion 1, Cool 1, Gunnery 1, Mechanics 1, Medicine 1, Melee 2, Negotiation 1, Perception 2, Piloting—Planetary 2, Ranged—Heavy 2, Ranged—Light 2, Resilience 1, Stealth 1, Survival 3, Vigilance 2

Talents: Expert Tracker, Hunter, Outdoorsman, Swift, Tracker

Abilities: Night Vision: Shistavanens remove one setbeck die imposed by concealment that is caused by darkness; Uncanny Tracker: Shistavanens always treat Survival as being a career skill

Equipment: Padded armor, blaster carbines, force pikes, comlinks, Aratech 57-D speeder bikes

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.