The Wayward Droid

Here's a ready-made plot device that's bound to complicate the lives of anyone who find it in the sewers beneath the city.

-Nate

The Wayward Droid

It's a well-known fact that Hutts are notoriously tough on the droids who serve them. It is common for one of the crimelords to vent frustration on mechano-sapient servants, often causing considerable damage and even outright destruction. When this happens, the droids usually seem like helpless, harmless victims. Such is not the case, however, with the protocol droid known as G-3PO. 

Having served as a translator for Slarr the Hutt and his minions, the droid was programmed with subroutines to spy on its Hutt master, as well as on his associates and even, sometimes, their enemies. G-3PO was, in fact, a gift to Slarr sent by an agent of the Crimson Dawn, intended as a mole to help keep track of rival activities. Unfortunately for that agent, however, the droid upset its master one time too many, during a sail barge cruise in Coronet City on Corellia. G-3PO managed to survive, however, and found its way into the sewers beneath the city. Now it seeks a means of leaving the planet, and possesses valuable information that could let it buy such freedom.

G-3PO Type: Protocol Droid DEXTERITY 1D Skill 3D KNOWLEDGE 3D Planetary Systems 5D MECHANICAL 1D PERCEPTION 1D Con 3D Investigation 3D STRENGTH 1D TECHNICAL 1D Comp. Prog./Rep. 3D Special Abilities: Life Preservation Programming: See the core rulebook for details. Force Points: 0 Character Points: 5 Move: 7 Equipment: Internal data storage and comlink.

G-3PO Brawn 1 Agility 1 Intellect 3 Cunning 3 Willpower 1 Presence 1 Soak: 1 Wound Threshold: 11 Strain Threshold: 1 M/R Defense: 0 / 0 Skills: Computers 2, Cool 1, Deception 2, Education 2, Perception 1, Skulduggery 1, Underworld 1, Warfare 1 Talents: Codebreaker, Defensive Slicing x2, Master Slicer, Natural Programmer, Skilled Slicer, Technical Aptitude Abilities: Does not need to eat or breathe; receives six career skills and three specialization skills Equipment: Internal data storage and comlink.

G-3PO seems like any other protocol droid, unassuming even to the point of being timid. Behind that facade, however, is a cunning artificial brain that seeks to gain information for future exploitation by its true master.

Using G-3PO in a Star Wars Campaign

This droid can be incorporated into adventures and campaigns in many different ways; a few of the possibilities are detailed here.

• A band of scrumrats, while engaged in other business, might find the droid in a state of terrible disrepair in the sewer tunnels.
• A character who can help repair G-3PO would earn the droid's gratitude, and possibly even its assistance.
• All the while, G-3PO is curious to learn more about its new owner(s), and beings in power—such as the Devaronian leaders of the Pack—might suspect that it knows more than it admits.
• Just what information the droid has discovered could, of course, link into all manner of adventures.
• If more powerful individuals from the surface learn what the droid knows, then they would send ruthless enforcers who want to recover it.
• In the end, G-3PO must decide whether to aid the PCs, or to betray them for its own advantage.

Using the Garden in a Star Wars Campaign

It took me a long time to prepare this post, for a variety of reasons. Even so, I think it'll be the first in a series that rounds out adventure ideas for scrumrats beneath Coronet City.

-Nate

Using the Garden in a Star Wars Campaign

This location can be incorporated into adventures and campaigns in many different ways; a few of the possibilities are detailed here.

• Rhea Eluko's garden is known as a place of sanctuary throughout the sewers of Corellia; as such, many beings who are otherwise ruthless in their dealings hesitate to do violence there. There are exceptions, of course.
• In particular, she provides a haven for the local children—known as “scrumrats”—who are controlled by various crime bosses. For that reason, she has gradually been earning the animosity of beings such as Sedaru and Kovin, Devaronians who run the band of thieves known as The Pack. Should any Scrumrats run afoul of their employer, they could come to her for shelter.
• Her kind nature has allowed Eluko to become a rare friend of Brond Yulira, the lost Padawan who dwells in the sewers beneath Coronet City.
• Efforts to live peacefully become more complicated when someone finds a droid that once belonged to the notorious crimelord Slarr the Hutt. There are secrets contained in its brain that Slarr and its minions would kill to protect.
• Finally there is the matter of the Sullustan's ship, a Ghtroc-720 freighter that, once raised from the water of the nearby sea, could provide a means of leaving Corellia once and for all.
• If a group of characters ever brought together most or all of these elements—such as scrumrats connecting with Rhea, befriending Yulira, finding the droid and discovering its secrets, and preparing the ship for flight—then this could be the launch of countless adventures throughout the galaxy.

The Reeho As mentioned above, the ship that Eluko Rhea abandoned in the sea near Coronet City is a Ghtroc-720 freighter. While it has suffered some damage due to being submerged, it only requires a bit of care in order to become spaceworthy once again. In game terms, this should be treated in the same manner as the Engines Down result on the Critical Hit table from page 244 of the Core Rulebook. Ghtroc 720 Freighter: Refer to page 62 of the Enter the Unknown sourcebook for stats. To find more information about, and deck plans for this ship, refer to the appropriate article on Wookieepedia. https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Class_720_freighter

Scrumrats

These kids—many of them orphans—come from poverty on Corellia, and make a living scrounging for or stealing anything of value. Many of them work for crime bosses, such as the White Worms, who give them shelter and limited food in exchange for their services as runners and thieves. Some of them come to enjoy the limited power and prestige that such a life provides, while others dream of one day escaping to find new possibilities beyond the sewers.

Typical Scrumrat Type: Kid DEXTERITY 3D+2 Dodge 4D+2, Melee Combat 4D+2, Pick Pocket 4D+2 KNOWLEDGE 2D+2 Streetwise 3D+2 MECHANICAL 3D PERCEPTION 3D+2 Con 4D+2, Hide 4D+2, Sneak 4D+2 STRENGTH 2D+1 TECHNICAL 2D+2 Special Abilities: None. Force Points: 1 Character Points: 5 Move: 8 Equipment: Shabby clothing, knife (damage 3D+1) or truncheon (damage 3D+1), other tools as needed for particular assignments.

Typical Scrumrat Brawn 1 Agility 3 Intellect 2 Cunning 2 Willpower 2 Presence 2 Soak: 1 Wound Threshold: 11 Strain Threshold: 13 M/R Defense: 0 / 0 Skills: Brawl 1, Deception 2, Melee 1, Perception 2, Piloting—Planetary 1, Skulduggery 2, Stealth 2, Streetwise 1, Underworld 1, Vigilance 1 Talents: Black Market Contacts, Bypass Security, Dodge, Grit, Indistinguishable, Street Smarts Abilities: None Equipment: Shabby clothing, knife (Melee; Damage 2; Critical 3; Range [Engaged]) and/or truncheon (Melee; Damage 3; Critical 5; Range [Engaged]); other tools as needed for particular assignments.

Veteran Scrumrats

Those younglings who excel at a life of crime can rise up through the ranks of their organization, earning the trust of their employers and thus finding themselves on more complicated—and more dangerous—jobs. To represent these characters, GMs can use the base stats provided above and add to the characters' skills. They should advance in skills associated with thievery, as well as combat, and could even starting being trained with and carrying blaster pistols. Some might begin to specialize in roles such as vehicle piloting, computer slicing, or other such tasks.

The Sewers of Corellia

It has been altogether too long since I posted a gaming-related article to this blog. I was looking to focus on the era after Return of the Jedi and leading up to The Force Awakens in a series called "New Republic Intelligence Reports," but I was disappointed enough in the mishmash plot of The Last Jedi that I lost inspiration for doing so. After watching and enjoying Solo: A Star Wars Story, however, I've found a new direction in which to steer things. Here, then, is the first post inspired by that film.

-Nate 

The Sewers of Corellia

“I admire anyone who can crawl their way out of a sewer.” -Dryden Vos, Agent of Crimson Dawn

Beneath the sprawling construction facilities on the planet Corellia lies an unseen world of squalor, desperation and crime. It is inhabited by orphaned children and other beings who seek anonymity or who have no other options, along with those who seek to exploit them. There are criminal organizations, such as the White Worms, as well as loners who desire nothing more than to be left alone.

The Tunnel Network

For the most part, the tunnels start out narrow—with pipes perhaps half a meter in diameter, from individual buildings, that empty into meter-wide ones. Those, in turn, dump into broader tunnels (pictured, above) with walkways for inspection and access from the surface via ladders behind locked doors. Those tunnels converge at junctions, broader chambers with higher ceilings that pour out into three-meter-wide passages, ones that usually dump out into a processing plant or even into the nearest body of water. 

When these tunnels are inhabited, the flow of sewage through the area is, of course, ended. Sometimes clean water is allowed to flow through, at least in some of the tunnels. That is especially the case when beings who prefer wet climates are present, such as the Grindalids who run the White Worms organization. For the most part, side tunnels become sleeping quarters, with the mouth of each tunnel serving as a crude bunk. Junctions, then, can be used as meeting spaces, with underlings gathering along the catwalks to be addressed by superiors from the floor below. If need be, tunnels can be sealed with junk and other debris in order to limit access. 

Note, too, that scrumrats (as the orphans-turned-thieves are most commonly known) and their employers are renowned for protecting their territory using traps. These can be more defensive in measure, such as sensors that trigger an alarm, or they can be crafted to harm intruders, such as by stringing a live electrical across a passage or through a pool of water. Of course, the scrumrats are also known to hoard the valuables that they steal, providing some incentive for those who dare venture against them. While portable wealth such as cash and jewelry is most common, technology is also highly prized—and information might be the most valuable commodity of all.

Using the Sewer Tunnels in an Edge of the Empire Campaign

This network can be incorporated into adventures and campaigns in many different ways; a few of the possibilities are detailed here.

• Characters who start out their careers as scrumrats could grow up in these tunnels, either living on their own or working in the service of an employer.
• While the sewer tunnels can often provide access to building on the surface, keep in mind that the entrances and exits to those tunnels are usually sealed with mechanical or electronic locks, and often protected by other means as well. 
• During a storm, tunnels that are fed by drains on surface streets can become flooded, endangering all who are downstream from them. 
• Those who are motivated and capable could stage an uprising against draconian employers, perhaps while the spoils from a particularly lucrative heist or caper are available for the taking.
• Visitors to Corellia might find that scrumrats steal something of value, and thus have to pursue the thieves into the tunnels.
• This could even happen when Rebels are meeting a contact who carries important information, only to see it stolen.
• When the tunnel's inhabitants start disappearing, it is up to someone—a scrumrat or even someone from the surface—to find the cause and deal with it. This could be a case of kidnapping, or perhaps a dianoga has come to live nearby.
• Rebel characters could find that the sewer system is a good means of gaining access to, and then sabotaging, the factories that produce vehicles and other materiel for the Imperial war machine. Of course, altruistic beings who see the difficulty of the scrumrats' lives could be motivated to ad them against those who exploit them. After all, capable and discreet beings of any age could make good recruits for the Alliance.

Review of Solo: A Star Wars Story

It's been a while since I posted on this blog. For a few months I intended to have it focus on the time period after Return of the Jedi and leading up to The Force Awakens, but my dislike of The Last Jedi brought that to a halt. Happily, I really enjoyed Solo: A Star Wars Story, and am feeling some fresh energy and new direction.

-Nate

Review of Solo: A Star Wars Story

I really enjoyed watching this film. It was by no means perfect, but it did a good job of telling a scoundrel-oriented story in the Star Wars universe, one that entertained throughout and that introduced some intriguing new elements for the galaxy. Presented below are some of what I see as the pros and cons.

Pros

Here's what I liked.

• There were some great action set pieces, including a number of chase scenes, the train robbery that's been featured in some of the trailers, and a number of cool battle.
• The film does a good job of showing some moments that have been hinted at in other films, such as Han meeting Chewie, the Kessel run, and when Han and Chewie acquire the Millenium Falcon.
• The acting is solid; I grew to like Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo, and loved Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian. Other actors were at least good, but usually better than just good.
• There were some nods to old Expanded Universe material, including references to the StarCave of ThonBoka, the Osseon System and the Sharu.

Cons

Here's what I didn't like so much.

• Because the film doesn't deal directly with the struggle between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire, the story doesn't have that same kind of gravitas. I think of moments like the end of Rogue One, when truly heroic actions are being taken and moments important to the future of the galaxy are happening; that's not the case in this story.
• That's about it, really; I can't find fault with much else.

Questions

Here are some questions that remain for me.

• The appearance of SPOILER toward the end of the film raises big questions about Crimson Dawn and how they tie into the growing conflict throughout the galaxy; I hope we have a chance to explore that more.
• In the same way, the film shows a moment in the development of the fledgling Rebel Alliance; I'd like to hear more about that story, too.