FO RCE AND DESTINY
Darkness c o v e r s th e g a la x y . T h e e v il
GALACTIC E M P I R E r u le s th ro u g h fe a r,
holding c o u n t l e s s p l a n e t s in a n ir o n g r ip .
The dreaded DARTH VADER and his agents
have destroyed the JEDI—guardians of
order and Justice. The forces of evil have
triumphed, crushing the forces of good.
Now, a few brave souls band together,
arming themselves with the legacy of the
Jedi. They stand ready to fight the darkness
and restore peace to the galaxy___
CREDITS
STAR WARS: FORCEAND DESTINY COVER ART
DESIGNED B Y Darren Tan
Ja y Little INTERIO R ART
LEAD DEVELOPER Andrius Anezin, Cristi Balanescu, Ryan Barger, Chris Beck, Arden
Beckwith, Dimitri Bielak, Cassandre Bolan, Alberto Bontempi,
Sam Stewart Matt Bradbury, Dmitry Burmak, Rovina Cai, JB Casacop, Anna
W RITING AND Christenson, Alexandre Dainche, Christina Davis, Anthony Devine,
ADDITIONAL D EVELO PM ENT Florian Devos, Sara K. Diesel, Tony Foti, Michele Frigo, Zachary
Graves, David Griffith, Clark Huggins, Joel Hustak, Lukasz
Max Brooke, John Dunn, Daniel Lovat Clark,
Andrew Fischer, Michael Cernes, Sterling Flershey, Jaskolski, Tomasz Jedruszek, Andrew Johanson, Jeff Lee Johnson,
Keith Kappel, Monte Lin, Jason Marker, Jason Mical, Katayanagi, David Kegg, Romana Kendelic, Julian Kok, Leonid
Kozienko, Kate Laird, Adam Lane, Ignacio Bazan Lazcano, Jorge
and Christopher Rowe with Katrina Ostrander Maese, Kate Maximovich, Brynn Metheney, Aaron B. Miller,
Victor A. Minguez, Scott Murphy, Jake Murray, David Nash.
EDITING AND PRO O FREADING Mike Nash, David Ogilvie, Claudio Pozas, Maciej Rebisz,
Adam Schumpert, Carmen Sinek, Beth Sobel. Anna Steinbauer,
Christine Crabb, Molly Glover, Matthew Starbuck, Darren Tan, Tiffany Turrill, Ryan Valle, Jose
and David Johnson
Vega, Magali Villeneuve, Christer Wibert, Jarreau Wimberly, Sara
MANAGING RPG PRODUCER Winters, Richard Wright, Ben Zweifel, and the Lucasfilm art archives.
Chris Gerber PRODUCTION M ANAGEM ENT
Megan Duehn, Simone Elliott, and Eric Knight
GRAPHIC DESIGN EXECUTIVE GAME D ESIGNER
Chris Beck with Shaun Boyke, Samuel Corey Konieczka
Shimota, and Evan Simonet
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
GRAPHIC DESIGN M ANAGER
Michael FJurley
Brian Schomburg
PU BLISH ER
MANAGING ART DIRECTOR
Christian T. Petersen
Andy Christensen
PLAYTESTERS
ART DIRECTION
For a complete list of playtesters,
Zoe Robinson please see page 444.
CREATIVE DIRECTOR LUCAS LICENSING LUCASFILM STO RY GRO UP
Michael Siglain SEN IO R EDITOR Leland Chee and Pablo FHidalgo
Jennifer Fleddle
FANTASY Fantasy Flight Games
FLIGHT 1995 West County Road B2
GAMES Roseville, MN 5511 3
USA
© Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. No part of this product may be reproduced without specific written permission. Fantasy Flight Games and
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ISBN: 978-1-63344-122-4 Product Code: SWF02
Printed in China
For more information about the Star Wars: Force and D estiny line, free downloads,
answers to rule queries, or just to pass on greetings, visit us online at
www.FantasyFlightGames.comwww.starwars.com
CONTENTS
Introduction ............................................................7 Starship and Vehicle Com bat................................. 236
Chapter I: Playing the Game 14 Stellar Phenomena or Terrain................................ 246
The Core M echanic................................................... 16 Taking D a m a g e ....................................................... 248
The Dice..................................................................... 17 Interstellar Travel.................................................... 251
Lights, Camera, Action!.............................................. 22 Vehicle P ro file s....................................................... 254
The Basic Dice P o o l................................................... 24 Starship Profiles...................................................... 257
Building a Basic Dice P o o l........................................ 27 Ship and Vehicle Modifications..............................269
Interpreting the Pool.................................................. 31 Chapter VIII: The Force 272
Other Types of Checks............................................... 32 The Nature of the F o rc e ........................................ 274
Other Key Ele m e n ts.................................................. 34 The Duality of the Fo rce ........................................ 275
Experience and D evelopm ent.................................. 37 The W ays of the Fo rce ............................................277
Derived A ttrib utes..................................................... 39 The Force in Force and D estiny.............................279
Chapter II: Character Creation 40 Force-Sensitive R ules..............................................280
Step 1: Determine Background............................... 45 Force Powers........................................................... 282
Step 2: Determine M orality..................................... 48 Chapter IX: The Game M a s te r......................... 306
Step 3: Select a Sp e cie s............................................54 How to Run a Force and Destiny G a m e ...............308
Steps 4 & 5: Select a Career and Specialization.... 63 Game Master Rules and O p tio n s......................... 322
Step 6: Invest Experience Points............................ 102 Creating Encounters, Adventures, and Campaigns.. 330
Step 7: Determine Derived Attributes...................104 Cross-Game Line C om patibility.............................338
Step 8: Determine M otivation............................... 105 Chapter X: The Galaxy........................................ 340
Step 9: Choose Gear and A p p earan ce................. 107 The State of the G a lax y......................................... 342
Step 10: Determine Croup R eso u rce .....................109 The Great H y p e rla n e s........................................... 346
Chapter III: Skills............................................ 110 The Deep C o r e ....................................................... 347
Choosing Skills........................................................ 11 4 The Core .................................................................351
General Skills.......................................................... 11 4 The Colonies .......................................................... 352
Combat Skills.......................................................... 129 The Inner Rim ........................................................ 354
Knowledge Skills..................................................... 132 The Expansion Region .......................................... 356
Chapter IV: Talents...............................................134 The Mid R im ........................................................... 357
Talent Descriptions.................................................136 The O uter Rim ....................................................... 359
Chapter V: Gear and Equipment 154 Wild Space and the Unknown R e g io n s ................362
The Galactic Eco n o m y.............................................156 Sith S p a c e .............................................................. 364
R a rity....................................................................... 157 Forgotten Tem ples..................................................365
Encum brance............................................................159 Chapter XI: The Jedi and the S it h ...................376
Combat Skills............................................................160 Stories and Legends of the J e d i ........................... 378
Item Q ualities........................................................... 161 Jed i of the Republic................................................ 384
Weapon Characteristics........................................... 165 The Hidden History of the S ith ............................. 385
Weapon M aintenance.............................................. 166 The Fall of the J e d i .................................................388
Weapon Descriptions............................................... 167 Fo rc e - S e n s itive s ...................................................... 3 8 9
A rm o r....................................................................... 178 The Force in the E m p ire ........................................ 393
G e a r...........................................................................180 Other Force Traditions........................................... 395
Customization and M odifications........................... 191 Lost Artifacts of the F o rc e .....................................396
Chapter VI: Conflict and Com bat...................... 202 Chapter XII: Adversaries....................................398
Narrative and Structured G a m e p la y ..................... 203 Rim W o rld ers.......................................................... 401
M aneuvers................................................................206 Galactic Underw orld.............................................. 404
A c tio n s ...................................................................... 2 0 9 Imperial Fo rces.......................................................406
Defense..................................................................... 21 3 D roids......................................................................408
Soak.......................................................................... 21 3 Force U sers............................................................. 411
Range Bands.............................................................21 3 C reatures................................................................ 414
Additional Combat M o d ifiers................................. 217 Galactic O d d itie s....................................................41 7
Environmental Effects..............................................21 9 The Inquisitorius.....................................................419
Wounds, Strain, and States of H ealth.................... 222 Chapter XIII: Lessons from the Past............... 422
Recovery and Healing............................................. 226 Act I: A Wealth of Know ledge............................... 426
Chapter VII: Starships and Vehicles..................228 Act II: The W reck of the S a n c tu a ry ....................... 435
Starship and Vehicle W eapons................................234 In d e x .......................................................................441
INTRODUCTION
‘‘You must unlearn what you-have learned."
-Yoda
W hat secrets lie in the Well of Shadows? Let’s Twenty minutes later, Kasuni hung fifty meters down
find out.” the well, staring intently at a patch of stonework. It
looked no different than any of the other rocks she’d
Kasuni Tamm set her back against the rock and rappelled past, but something about it spoke to her.
pushed. With a grating rumble, the capstone slid The Togruta closed her eyes and ran her free hand
aside. The weak rays of the winter sun danced across across the rough surface, tracing the whorls of frost.
the layers of hoarfrost that covered the rough-hewn Vaxim chirped.
stones. Kasuni peered over the edge, then lit a glow
rod and tossed it in. The brilliant green light fell “Yeah, there is something here,” Kasuni mur
through the shaft, briefly illuminating the walls be mured. “ It feels...old. Like the rock is asleep. But
fore vanishing into the depths. something about this stone...”
Kasuni Tamm pursed her lips and glanced over at She pushed, and the stone slid inwards. A roughly
Vaxim. “ I guess they weren’t kidding when they said circular portion of the wall followed suit, revealing
‘bottomless,’ huh?” the passageway beyond. “Yes! Vaxim, we’re in!”
The bogwing seemed to laugh, a blend of chirps Kasuni swung into the entrance, deftly detaching
and croaks. Kasuni grinned. “ Maybe you could fly her climbing gear and securing the rope. She made
down there, and see what’s at the bottom?” her way through the cramped passage, crouching
to avoid scraping her montrals on the low ceiling.
Vaxim turned away and started scratching for in Vaxim swooped on ahead, and in a few moments,
sects in the gorse around the rim. “Coward.” she heard his triumphant chirp.
The passageway opened up to a vast cavern. The
cave had once been natural; flowstone formations
and stalagmites still lined the walls. However, some Behind the blaster bolts, a dark-robed figure
one had hewn steps into the floor— steps that led to charged from the opening, howling a challenge as it
an octagonal pedestal in the cavern’s center, And on swung a crimson lightsaber in sweeping arcs. Zora
the pedestal... ignited her own blade, flicking it up in a perfunctory
salute before meeting her opponent with a crushing
Kasuni’s breath caught in her throat. Vaxim overhead strike. The figure sidestepped the blow,
swooped around the cavern and settled onto her only to stagger backward when Zora redirected her
shoulder, quietly burbling in satisfaction. She walked momentum and shouldered him viciously in the chest.
up the steps and stared down at the pedestal, study
ing the small, ornate cube. She reached down to Kasuni unslung her carbine and snapped off a
pick it up. shot at the stormtroopers now starting to pour out
of the passage. She saw one go down, the rest tak
“ I would appreciate if you did not touch that.” The ing cover behind the flowstone formations. Markus,
measured voice echoed through the chamber. his own lightsaber ignited, was backing towards her
while deflecting any shots that came in his direction.
Kasuni whirled around, her hand moving to the “These are Venge’s agents! I think it’s safe to say
carbine slung over her shoulder. Three figures they want all of us dead.”
stepped out of the passageway. The first two were
humans: one an older man with a gray beard and Kasuni kept up her fire from behind the protection
black combat armor, the other a small woman with of his blade. “Well, given the circumstances, I’m will
an intense, unsettling expression and thick brown ing to work with you three— for now. Do you know a
robes. The last, the one who spoke, was a Kel Dor, way out of here?”
who towered over his companions.
Markus shook his head. “Just up the Well, and
“ I recognize you,” Kasuni said, nodding toward the that’s going to be crawling with stormtroopers.”
older man. “You’re the traveling merchant I met in Zora drove her opponent back with a furious swing,
the village. I don’t remember the armor, though.” quickly raising her guard to block the equally savage
riposte. The two lightsabers flashed and hissed as
The man looked slightly embarrassed. “Yes. A nec the duel continued. “W e’d never make it up.”
essary deception, I’m afraid, Mistress Tamm. My
name is actually Markus Dorivonn. This is Zora,” he “ Hm.” Kasuni closed her eyes for a moment, con
gestured to the woman, “and Dal Kir.” centrating. Then she pointed at one of the stone
steps before the pedestal. “There. Cut through that!”
The Kel Dor nodded. “We have been looking for
this item for quite some time. Strange that you Markus’s saber flashed down, slicing through rock
should have found it so quickly.” in three controlled swings. The step crumbled, re
vealing darkness below: a hidden passage. “W e’ve
Kasuni shrugged. “Just lucky, I guess.” got an exit!”
Markus raised an eyebrow. “ Perhaps; perhaps Dal Kir had dropped at least one stormtrooper
not. In any case, we can’t let the holocron fall into with reflected blaster shots. Now he lowered his
Sor Venge’s hands. You need to give it to us.” lightsaber and raised his free hand. Kasuni felt her
skin tingle and she stared, wide-eyed, as all around
From Kasuni’s shoulder, Vaxim hissed. Kasuni the chamber, small rocks and stones began to rise
shook her head. “Sorry, people. This box is the map into the air.
to a place I desperately want to find. Besides, what’s
a ‘Sor Venge,’ anyway?” Suddenly, the Kel Dor dropped into a fighting
crouch and thrust his fist forward. The stones, the
Markus was about to respond, when Zora placed stormtroopers, and even the dark figure flew back
a hand on his shoulder. “She’s not one of Venge’s ward as if struck by a blast of wind, landing in the
people,” she said. passageway in a tangle. Dal Kir straightened, then
ran for the steps. Zora spat at her prone opponent
“ How do you know?” and followed.
Zora looked coolly at Kasuni. “She’s not lying; I As the four climbed into the secret passage,
can tell.” Suddenly she paused, head cocked. “ I hear Markus paused for a moment and looked at Kasuni.
someone in the passageway.” A small metal cylinder “Just lucky, huh?”
dropped out of the sleeve of her robe and into her
hand, and she whirled around. Kasuni smirked. “ I guess I make my own luck.”
A volley of blaster bolts exploded out of the pas Markus returned her grin as they jumped into the
sage, only to be deflected in mid-air as a double- darkness. “ Right. Have you ever heard of something
bladed lightsaber ignited in Dal Kir’s hands. More called the Force?”
bolts shot toward the Kel Dor, who spun the weapon
in flashing arcs. The shots ricocheted away, scorch
ing stone and throwing up chips of rock.
WELCOME TO and the Game Master has several responsibilities that
ROLEPLAYING IN the rest of the players do not.
FORCE AND DESTINY!
I'M T H E G A M E M A S TER ! W H A T DO I DO?
A roleplaying game is a cooperative improvisational sto Running a roleplaying game is a lot of fun. Game M as
rytelling experience you play with up to six friends. Dur ters are part narrator, part actor, part storyteller, and
ing the game, players take on the role of a character or part referee. You provide the initial plot to draw the
characters, each of which contributes to the telling of an players into the story, and you describe the beauti
exciting story set in the rich fabric of the S ta r Wars gal fully unique, exciting environments S ta r W ars is fa
axy. You and your friends create the story as you play, mous for. While the other players each have their own
using the fantastic Sta r Wars setting to create sprawl character, as GM you portray supporting characters,
ing adventures filled with drama, suspense, humor, and antagonists, and anyone else the players might meet
combat. You have more than a few opportunities to along the way. The GM keeps the plot moving forward
cross paths with Rebel heroes while combating storm- and provides plot twists and side quests, while col
troopers, bounty hunters, and Imperial villains in your laborating with players in the moment to keep them
hero’s journey to bring peace to the galaxy and discover engaged in the story. Finally, the GM is the ultimate
a deeper understanding of the Force. arbiter of how the rules are interpreted during the
course of the game, using them or breaking them as
To play the game, you need your imagination, this necessary to maximize fun and enhance the story.
book, paper and pencil, some S ta r W ars R oleplaying
Dice, and a few other players. Before you begin, you The best GMs can think on their feet and improvise
need to decide which member of your group will play new plans and directions for a story on the fly. Players
as the Game Master (GM). While this does not need to are often unpredictable, and frequently perform un
be a permanent decision, the role of the GM does not expected actions that might threaten to derail a G M ’s
generally change from one game session to the next, plans for an adventure. Good GMs are flexible and can
shuffle their plans around in the moment, incorporating
WHERE DO I START? new elements in ways that keep the experience organic
and fresh. Your number one job as GM is to make sure
D ifferent parts of the Force and D estiny everyone has a good time. Fun first, rules second.
Core Rulebook serve as good starting
points, depending on whether you are play I'M A PLAYER! W H AT DO I DO?
ing Force and D estiny as the Game M aster or
as a Player Character. Players each portray an individual character in the
game, referred to as a Player Character (PC). The PCs
Players should begin by reading Chapter I: are the main characters of the story. Usually, you create
Playing the Game and can then dive right your own PC before the first session of play, although
into Chapter II: Character Creation. the GM may provide you with a pre-generated char
acter instead, particularly if it is your first time playing
The Game M aster should also begin with Force and Destiny PCs in Force and Destiny are Force-
Chapter I: Playing the Game but can then sensitive heroes trying to find their place in the galaxy
move on to Chapter IX: The Game Master. and to restore the power of the Jed i Knights.
It is also advisable for new GMs to familiar
ize themselves with Chapter VI: Conflict Your PC joins the other players in Force-powered
and Combat. S ta r W ars adventures, which typically last one to four
sessions of play. Each adventure is a complete story,
with a beginning, middle, and end, not unlike the indi the Clone Wars, or a Podracer pilot who uses the Force
vidual episodes of the S ta r W ars trilogies. With each to win heats. You might even be a princess whose family
adventure, characters grow both as individuals and in has a long, secret tradition of Force adepts; anything is
their understanding of the Force, improving their abili possible in the galaxy of Force and Destiny!
ty to complete increasingly difficult tasks successfully.
You also create a unique personality for your char
In Force and Destiny, the PCs typically battle Em acter, which can be as similar to or different from your
peror Palpatine's sinister agents as would-be Jed i own as you like. Games like Force and Destiny work
Knights, but they don’t have to. The players and the best when players inhabit their characters, taking into
Game Master work together to develop the most in account the events of their past, their hopes for their
teresting story they can. You use the rules presented future, and the realities of their present. Force and
in Chapter II: Character Creation to construct the Destiny includes rules to help bring your character’s
kind of character that interests you. history, goals, and personality to life, creating a rich
sense of immersion in the game. Force and D estiny in
During character creation, you develop a background cludes rules governing PC backgrounds and Morality,
unique to your character. W hat kind of person is your which helps define how your character might behave
character? Where is your character from? How did your at his best, and at his worst.
character discover the ability to use the Force? You
might be a heroic Jedi Knight who somehow survived Once your PC is created, you join the other play
ers, usually three to five people, and meet their PCs. A
group of players is generally referred to as a "party.”
Before play begins, the players work with
the Came Master to determine how the
party meets. The characters might have
all been drawn together by the Force,
remaining allies ever since. Alternatively,
the PCs could meet in an Imperial Inquisi
tor's dungeon, having been captured in lo
cations throughout the galaxy, and find they
must work together to escape. M aybe one of
the PCs has a reputation as a powerful Force
adept, and the rest of the group has sought
that PC out. Players also work with the GM
to develop any special relationships be
tween PCs. Two of the PCs might be mar
ried to each other, siblings, old or former
partners, former enemies, or anything
else that interests the players.
W hen the game starts, each
player controls his own PC,
while the Came M aster
portrays all the other
characters the PCs
encounter, including
allies, enemies, and
those caught in the
middle. (These are
called Non-Play
er Characters, or
NPCs.) During the
adventure, you tell
the CM what you
want your Player
Character to do. You
might use an accent
or unusual voice
like an improvisa-
tional actor, but it’s
also acceptable to
EXAMPLE OF PLAY
R yan, Monica, Josh, Phil, and Diana have Monica (Zora): Whoops! “I hate heights.”
gathered to play Force and D estiny around
Ryan’s kitchen table. Ryan is acting as the CM. Ryan (CM): — and the worse news is that below
Josh is playing Markus, a human Guardian. you, maybe ten meters, is a much larger ledge.
Monica is playing Zora, a human Warrior. Phil On it are two squads of stormtroopers, an air-
is playing Dal Kir, a Kel Dor Consular. Diana is speeder, and your old “friend” Sor Venge.
playing Kasuni, a Togruta Seeker.
Josh (Markus): Well, I don’t think we want to
We join the group mid-session as they attempt start a fight with him. Has he seen us?
to escape the Well of Shadows...
Ryan (CM): Let me see... (Since Venge isn’t look
Ryan (CM): All right, so now you’re in the se ing for the group, Ryan makes a Vigilance check
cret passageway beneath the Well. It’s dark and for the NPC. Venge ends up with three Failures
cramped. I don’t suppose any of you remem T T Y . ) He’s so busy yelling at his soldiers, he
bered to bring a light? doesn’t notice you.
Josh (Markus): Urn...I have my lightsaber? Josh (Markus): Perfect. I’m going to climb up
and rig a rope to the top of the cliff. Then we
Diana (Kasuni): Put the glowstick away, Josh. can climb up and leave before he sees us.
Kasuni rummages through her pack and pulls
out a glow rod. Ryan (GM): Discretion is the better part of valor.
That’s a Hard ({> <0<0) Athletics check. But I’m
Phil (Dal Kir): Nice! I’m glad someone in our going to flip a Destiny Point to upgrade one of the
party believes in being prepared.
Difficulty die <0into a Challenge die instead O.
Ryan (CM): The light illuminates the rock pas
sageway. The passage goes on in front and be Josh (Markus): Oh, great. No pressure. (Josh as
hind you, well beyond the range of your lights. sembles his dice pool and rolls). Well, I got two
Successes & &...and uh oh. One Despair
Monica (Zora): Hm, we need to figure out which
way gets us out of here. Zora is going to glare at Ryan (CM): All right. You make it to the top of
Kasuni and Markus. “ Now that you two got us the cliff with the rope, Markus, secure it, and
into this mess, can you get us ou t?” throw it down to your friends. Unfortunately, the
Despair ^ means that when you drop the rope,
Diana (Kasuni): Hey, Ryan. Can I use my Percep it falls past your friends and ends up hanging in
tion skill to figure out which direction to go? front of Venge’s face.
Ryan (CM): Absolutely. That’s going to be an Monica (Zora): Well, so much for sneaking. I
Average (<Q><0) Perception check to study your draw my lightsaber.
surroundings. Normally, I’d add two Setbacks □
□ because of the darkness, but since you have Ryan (GM): Venge hops on the airspeeder with
a glow rod, I’ll drop that to one Setback Q one of the stormtrooper squads and flies up
to your level, staying a good distance from the
Diana (Kasuni): And my one rank of the Keen ledge. You see a smug smile on his face as he
Eyed talent removes that Setback □ from the shouts, “Surrender, or I’ll blast you off the ledge!”
pool. (Diana builds a dice pool based on her
skill and other factors and rolls.) Let’s see...two Monica (Zora): I’m tired of running from this
Successes # & and one Advantage O guy, but I don’t think he’s going to come within
reach of my lightsaber if I ask nicely.
Ryan (CM): Nice roll. So, you close your eyes
and focus. After a long minute, you feel a slight Phil (Dal Kir): Maybe you just need to take the
breeze from the tunnel behind you. lightsaber to him. Ryan, how wide is the gap
between us?
Diana (Kasuni): “Hey, everyone. The way out is
that way.” Kasuni feels relieved, so I spend the Ryan (CM): Not too wide. Call it short range.
Advantage O to recover one strain.
Phil (Dal Kir): Perfect. I’d like to throw Zora onto
Phil (Dal Kir): “The Force is strong with you, the airspeeder with the Force. (Phil assembles
Kasuni.” his dice pool and rolls.) Two Light Side results
# # . I generate two Force Points D C , which is
Diana (Kasuni): “Urn, if you say so.” Kasuni isn’t enough to pick up Zora and move her.
sure what the Force is, yet, so she sounds skeptical.
Ryan (CM): OK, then! Zora, you suddenly feel
Ryan (CM): After a few minutes, the passage your feet lift off the ground, and you go flying
slopes upward. You push your way through a cur toward the airspeeder. You land on the back
tain of vines. The good news is that you’re out of the speeder, standing above Venge, saber
side. The bad news is that you’re on a ledge in the raised. He stumbles backward, shocked, and I
think it’s time to roll for Initiative.
middle of a cliff, overlooking the valley below—
simply tell the GM what action you want your PC to the sinister Darth Vader, have systematically hunted
take. Don’t worry if you don’t know all of the rules down, destroyed, and erased all remaining traces of
your first time playing; just explain what you want the Jed i from the galaxy. With the destruction of Jed i
to accomplish, and allow the GM to explain how the Master Obi-Wan Kenobi on board the Death Star,
rules function for that activity. The most important Lord Vader struck a fatal blow against the hopes of
thing is to enjoy yourself playing Force and D estiny' those who would see the Jed i O rder rise once more.
WELCOME TO THE GALAXY! T R U ST IN TH E FORCE
It is a time of upheaval in the galaxy, and in the Force. Force and Destiny begins as the time of the Jed i is
Every day, the agents of the Galactic Empire viciously ending...or is it? Jed i training dictates trust in the
hunt the few remaining Force users in known space will of the Force, a mystical energy field created by
and strive to end the influence of the Jed i forever. A l life that binds the galaxy together. The Force is what
ready reduced to myth and legend in the public eye, gives Jed i their power: the ability to influence the
the Jed i Order is nearly wiped out. Save for a lonely weak-minded; to perform amazing feats of strength,
few—a wise master and a young farm boy turned Reb speed, and agility; and even to manipulate objects
el hero—their legacy is all but extinct. from a distance with the power of the mind. Trust in
the Force, and the Force will reveal a path.
Yet, not everyone has forgotten the Jed i and their
selfless guardianship of galactic civilization. Others The Emperor and Lord Vader failed in their quest to
protect their legacy, storing forbidden artifacts, docu rid the galaxy of the Jedi before they even began. The
ments, or holorecordings, awaiting some sign that the Jedi can never truly be extinguished from the galaxy as
light side is ascendant in the galaxy once again. The long as there are those who believe in peace and justice.
Empire is distracted from its crusade against the Jed i The Force selects its adepts from the farthest reaches of
by the growing Rebel Alliance. Now is the time for a the Empire and leads them to develop their skills until
group of brave individuals bound together by a dream they are ready to help restore balance to the Force.
of a free and just galaxy without the Empire, inspired
by the legends of the Jed i, to band together and fight RESTO RING BALANCE TO THE GALAXY
against the forces of evil.
The Force is out of balance, and the dark side clouds
THE EM PEROR RULES everything, making the future uncertain. The role of
those able to feel the Force is to serve its mysterious
Emperor Palpatine dominates much of the galaxy from will. Those who give in to their selfish, base natures are
Imperial Center, once known as Coruscant. Initially lost to the dark side, trapped in an endless cycle of fear,
known for his media presence and powerful oratory, anger, hate, and suffering. To serve the light side of the
the Emperor has grown reclusive in recent years, rely Force is to break that cycle wherever it can be found.
ing on his chief aides and administrators to carry out
his instructions and handle more routine matters of BEGINNER GAME
governance. To avoid questions about his lack of pub
lic life and appearances, the Emperor claims complete
focus on liberating the Rim from lawless piracy and
crushing the growing Rebellion arrayed against him.
Plowever, the truth is much more sinister. Flaving fi
nally achieved the Sith dream of ruling the galaxy, Pal
patine fears losing it to the cold embrace of death. The
Emperor has left Lord Vader and other agents to deal
with the Rebellion while he probes the mysteries of
the Force. In particular, he is continuing the work of his
master, Darth Plagueis, and trying to learn the secrets
of immortality, that he might rule the Empire forever.
THE JED I A R E NO M ORE new to roleplaying games? One easy way
to learn how to play roleplaying games
The Empire has destroyed the guardians of peace and (and Force and D estiny specifically) is to play
justice, the Jed i Knights! For almost two decades, the through the Force and Destiny B eginner Ga m e.
once bright, warm light of the Jed i has gone out of This product teaches roleplaying to new play
the galaxy, snuffed out by Palpatine’s betrayal when ers over the course of an adventure and con
he crushed the ancient Republic and created his tains everything a group needs to get started.
Galactic Empire. Emperor Palpatine’s agents, led by
WHAT ABOUT EDGE OF THE EMPIRE The Empire not only betrayed and murdered the
AND AGE OF REBELLION? Jedi, but destroyed everything they stood for. The
Jedi were dedicated to preserving individual free
E Stardge of the E mpire and A ge of R ebellion are dom and the galaxy’s right to self-govern through
other W ars roleplaying games made a representative democracy, but the Emperor rules
from his throne, listening only to trusted advisors.
by Fantasy Flight Games. E dge of the E mpire fo The Jedi were keepers of the peace, but the Imperi
als wage war throughout the Rim to expand Palpa-
Starcuses on the shadier side of life in theW ars tine’s domain. The Jedi used the Force for knowledge
and defense, never to attack unprovoked. Flowever,
galaxy. A ge of R ebellion details the struggle be Emperor Palpatine, Lord Vader, and a slew of Force-
powered Imperial Inquisitors and Emperor’s Elands
tween the brave freedom fighters of the Rebel twist the Force to dark and violent ends.
Alliance and the tyrannical Galactic Empire. To contribute to the fight against the Empire, ei
ther on the side of the Rebel Alliance or on one’s
E dge of the E m pire, A ge of R ebellion, and own, is a noble goal for any hopeful Jedi. Flowever,
Force and D estiny are all completely compat there are other evils in the galaxy independent of
ible. Characters, careers, species, and items the Empire. Greedy corporations have committed
from each may be used together or separate atrocities, strip-mining or enslaving entire planets.
ly. The Force and D estiny Core Rulebook con Criminal syndicates prey on the weak and fearful
tains all of the rules needed for play and does who have only the Empire to depend on for help. As
not require the E dge of the E mpire or A ge of vast as the galaxy is, there are ancient evils: hidden
R ebellion Core Rulebook (and vice versa). For and forgotten things that have been awaiting the
right moment to return.
more information, see page 338.
Force and D estiny campaigns can go in any of
W hat this means for Player Characters is that they these directions or none of them. The temptations of
have to choose. Are the PCs committed to serving the dark side may prove too much for the PCs, and
the light, working to emulate and restore the Jedi they may shortly find themselves running a criminal
Order? Or are they servants of evil working toward syndicate, or even an.empire of their own. The char
selfish ends and lashing out at those around them? acters may track lost artifacts around the galaxy not
This isn’t a choice made once, but every session, to safeguard them, but to unleash their power for
with every action. Those sensitive to the Force are personal gain. Anything is possible in Star W ars.
constantly tested and tempted by the dark side.
Tfie^Player Characters may seek to mend the scars
the 2lan£ side has left across the galaxy. Seeking out
and studying long-lost Jedi artifacts is a way to gain
critical knowledge that might one day lead to the
restoration of the Jedi Order. Meditating at tainted
vergences in the Force can restore them to their nat
ural state. Of course, the most natural solution for
many Force users is to attack the source of the dark
side’s growing influence, the Galactic Empire.
PLAYING
THE GAME
"Remember, concentrate on the moment.
Feel, don’t think. Trust your instincts.”
-Qui-Gon Jinn
T he Force and Destiny Roleplaying Game focuses with additional rules that govern the core of Force
on the deepest conflict in the S ta r W ars galaxy: and D estiny’s gameplay. Chapter I ends with a
the struggle between the light and dark sides of the discussion on the general makeup of characters
Force. In a Force and Destiny campaign, many dif in Force and D estiny. Overall, this chapter covers
ferent characters, from lightsaber-wielding warriors the core rules of Force and D estiny, while other
and would-be Jedi to cunning shamans and intui chapters cover rules dealing with specific situations
tive pilots, all work together to learn to master their in the game.
unique abilities. In the process, they struggle with
their own personal choices between good and evil. WHAT PLAYERS NEED
During these adventures, characters find them Beginning a Force and D estiny game requires very few
selves facing any number of challenges, from repair materials. Besides at least one copy of this rulebook
ing their damaged starship or slicing their way past a for their group, players will need pencils or pens and
security panel to fighting in a furious lightsaber duel copies of the character sheets found on page 445 to
against agents of the dreaded Emperor. The charac record information about their characters. The group
ters must rely on their innate abilities, trained skills, will also need access to one or more standard ten
and special talents to survive, but in the end, they sided dice. Two dice per player is recommended.
must also trust in the power of the Force.
Everyone involved in the game should also use the
This chapter provides a broad overview of the special custom Sta r W ars R oleplayinc Dice designed
basics of Force and D estiny. First, it discusses what specifically to manage the unique task resolution
players need when preparing to play the game. The system used in the game. The dice are described in
chapter then explores the various elements of the detail later in this chapter.
game’s core mechanic and special dice. It continues
• Packs of S ta r W ars R oleplaying Dice are available to use their imaginations—tempered with common
for purchase at local hobby game retailers or can sense—to explain what happens.
be ordered online from Fantasy Flight Games.
In Force and Destiny, combat and other situations
• Each Force and D estiny Beginner Game comes are represented in an abstract fashion. The game fo
with a set of dice. cuses on the characters and the heroic actions they
take rather than on measurements, statistics, or other
• Fantasy Flight Games offers a S ta r W ars Dice app minutiae. Instead of taking a ruler and measuring the
for iOS and Android devices. distance between characters on a map, it’s preferable
for a player to simply state, "I’m ducking behind the
Flowever, if these dice are not available, a chart on computer console to get some cover while I return fire.”
page 18 shows how players can instead use stan That sort of description paints a much better picture of
dard six-sided, eight-sided, and twelve-sided dice, the action taking place. Action resolution also has a nar
which are readily found at most hobby game retailers. rative element. Force and Destiny uses a unique dice
system to determine if a given task succeeds or fails.
NARRATIVE PLAY Flowever, the dice reveal more than whether or not the
Player Characters succeed. The different dice and their
Force and Destiny asks the players to step into their varied symbols tell a larger story, adding depth and
characters' roles and use dramatic narrative to de detail to the scene in which the PCs find themselves.
scribe events and advance a story. In this manner, the The variety of results allows for interesting and compel
players experience the excitement, drama, and epic ling encounters. It's possible for a character to fail at a
scope of the S ta r W ars universe from the perspec task but still receive some benefit or find a brief respite.
tives of their characters. While this rulebook provides Likewise, a character can succeed at a task but at a
specific rules for how to resolve actions, the game re certain cost or with unforeseen complications.
lies heavily on both the Game Master and the players
THE CORE MECHANIC
llh e th e r flying a speeder bike through the deadly characters in Force and Destiny per
form skill checks. Skill checks are easy to
W r swamps of a far-off world or using the Force use, and they are broken into two key elements:
to throw a rock at an Imperial stormtrooper, 1. Roll a pool of dice.
characters often find themselves perform 2. After all factors have been accounted for, if at least
one Success symbol remains, the task succeeds.
ing actions that require skill and no
When a character attempts an
small amount of luck. To determine action, the first step is to gather a
number of dice and assemble the
whether these actions sue- x' dice pool. The number and type
of dice in the pool are influenced
ceed or fail—or if they have by several factors, including the
any other unforeseen
consequences—
POSITIVE DICE AND NEGATIVE DICE
E ach dice pool is made up of a number of dice cial training, superior resources, or other advan
from several different sources. Essentially, tages that affect the specific task. Negative dice
these dice pools are composed of “positive dice” are added to the pool to hinder or disrupt a task,
and “ negative dice.” or to introduce the possibility of complicating side
effects. These may reflect the inherent difficulty of
Positive dice are added to the pool to help ac the task, obstacles, additional risks, or the efforts
complish a task or achieve beneficial side effects. of another character to thwart the task.
These may reflect innate talents or abilities, spe
TABLE 1-1: POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE DICE Negative Dice Come From
Positive Dice Come From
The difficulty of the task attempted
The skill used to accomplish a task
The characteristic being applied An opponent's special abilities, skills, or characteristics
An applicable talent or special ability Opposing forces at work
Equipment or gear being used by the character Inclement weather or environmental effects
The use of light side Destiny Points The use of dark side Destiny Points
Tactical or situational advantages Tactical or situational disadvantages
Other advantages, as determined by the CM Other disadvantages, as determined by the GM
character’s innate abilities, skill training, and equip of symbols do not cancel each other out, and their
ment, as well as the inherent difficulty of the task being effects are applied regardless of the outcome of the
attempted. The CM may decide that the environment task. After comparing the first set of paired sym
or the situation warrants the addition of certain dice; bols— Success and Failure—the player can determine
repairing a starship with ample time and the proper if the task succeeds. The player then compares the
tools is one thing, but attempting repairs in the pour second set of symbols—Advantage and Threat—to
ing rain, without tools, and under a hail of blaster fire determine if there are any beneficial side effects or
is quite different. Once all the necessary dice have negative consequences. Finally, any other symbols
been assembled, the player attempting the task rolls are resolved to add the last details to the outcome.
all of the dice in the pool.
This core mechanic, the skill check, forms the foun
The second step involves interpreting the results dation of the game. O ther rules and effects either
on the dice. The player looks at the symbols on the modify or interact with one of these two fundamen
face-up sides of the dice. Certain symbols work in tal elem ents—the assembly of the dice pool and the
pairs, one type canceling out another. O ther types interpretation of the results after the dice are rolled.
THE DICE
T his section takes a closer look at the special dice the S ta r Wars Dice app to
and their symbols. When the blaster bolts start fly roll them electronically.
ing, just about anything can happen. Dice symbols pro
vide a narrative framework for the action—did a char When a character makes a
acter hit the stormtrooper or force him to scramble skill check in Force and Destiny, the
for cover, throwing off his next shot? By understand dice allow the player and GM to quickly
ing these dice and symbols, players will have a better determine a task’s success or failure, as well as its mag
understanding of the core mechanic. This section also nitude and narrative implications. To accomplish this,
discusses how to assemble a dice pool and when to Force and Destiny uses seven types of dice. Each die
introduce extra dice based on the circumstances. Dice has a specific function and purpose. Each die face is
sets can be purchased separately, or players may use either blank or features one or more symbols that rep
resent various positive or negative effects.
A typical dice pool can contain from five to eight the characters. They can be added to a pool for a wide
dice. This pool size covers the majority of situations. variety of reasons. Boost dice are most often used to
Difficult, complex, or epic situations may include more reflect the character’s possession of some sort of ben
dice, while mundane situations may involve fewer dice. efit or advantage, such as having ample time to com
If a task is so easy that success is virtually guaranteed, plete the task or having the right equipment. Boost
dice might not even be rolled at all. The impact of gen dice and Setback dice are thematic opposites of each
erating and rolling a dice pool is best reserved for im other. Boost dice are represented by □ in text.
portant tasks that can influence the story.
A B IL IT Y DICE 0
Dice are divided into three categories. The first type
features dice with symbols beneficial to accomplish Ability is represented with green eight
ing tasks. The second type has symbols that cancel sided dice. Ability dice form the basis of
those beneficial symbols and hinder the accomplish most dice pools rolled by the players. They
ment of tasks. The third type is Force dice, which are represent a character’s aptitude or skill used
used somewhat differently than the other dice. when attempting a skill check. These dice possess
positive, beneficial symbols. Ability dice are op
Boost, Ability, and Proficiency dice are the benefi posed by Difficulty dice. Ability dice are represented
cial, positive dice. Setback, Difficulty, and Challenge by <0 in text.
dice are the negative, disruptive dice. Force dice are
distinct; while used for a number of situations, they PRO FIC IEN C Y DICE O
are not usually used in a standard skill check.
POSITIVE DICE Proficiency is represented with yellow
twelve-sided dice. Proficiency dice rep
There are three types of positive dice with symbols resent the combination of innate ability
that improve the odds of successfully completing a and training. They are most often used
task or achieving beneficial side effects. when a character is attempting a skill check using a
skill in which he has trained. Proficiency dice can also
BOOST D IC ED be added to a pool when a player invests a Destiny
Point for an important skill check. These dice pos
Special advantages, or “ boosts,” are repre sess a greater likelihood of success, and they are the
sented with light-blue six-sided dice. Boost only dice that feature the potent Triumph symbol (see
dice represent benefits gained through luck, page 20). Proficiency dice are the upgraded ver
chance, and advantageous actions taken by sion of Ability dice (for more on upgrades, see page
30). Proficiency dice are represented by O in text.
CONVERTING STANDARD DICE TO STAR WARS ROLEPLAYING DICE
W hen playing Force and D estiny, the G M and six-sided, eight-sided, and twelve-sided dice to
players ideally have access to a full comple generate the results found on the custom dice
by referring to the chart below. Players simply
ment of the special dice described here. How convert the numerical results generated to the
ever, there might be times when the dice are not chart’s associated symbols, which are the same
available. This should not stop the game from as the symbols on the special game dice.
continuing. Players may use several standard
TABLE 1-2: STANDARD TO STAR WARS ROLEPLAYING DICE CONVERSION
Die Type 1 2 34 5 67 8 9 ID 11 12
Boost die (d6) Blank Blank #o o o o
Setback die (d6) Blank | Blank T T @ <§> ---- ]
Ability die (d8) l_ _ 0 #
TT @ o o #o o o
Blank fc &
Difficulty die (d8) Blan.k...! T (5) @ @® T@
Proficiency die (d 12) # o # o # o o o o o ($)
Blank # —
** o
Challenge die (d 12) Blank T T TT TT T <§) T<§> {§}@ © ®
-i ---- j
• • • o o oo o o oo
Force die (dl 2) •• • A. •
-
NEGATIVE DICE by Force-sensitive characters (or creatures) or under
special circumstances. One of these special cases is
There are three types of negative dice that have when the players generate their starting Destiny pool
symbols that undermine success or introduce un at the beginning of a session (see Destiny Points,
wanted complications. page 35).
SETBAC K DICE ■ Unlike the other dice used for task resolution, which
generate results that impact success and failure or
Certain complications, or "setbacks,” are magnitude and complication, the Force dice generate
represented with black six-sided dice. resources. Each die features both dark side and light
Setback dice represent problems or minor side points. There are no blank sides on a Force die.
obstacles during task resolution. Setback dice are of W hen players roll Force dice, they always generate a
ten used to represent relatively minor conditions that number of resources— but the resources can be dark
impair or hinder a character, such as poor lighting, ob side, light side, or a combination of the two.
structive terrain, insufficient resources, or the fact that
he is facing a robust, hungry rancor instead of an old, Force dice are represented by O in text. See Chap
decrepit one. Setback dice are not as potent as Difficul ter VIII: The Force for more on using Force dice.
ty dice. They are added to represent additional circum
stances or environmental effects that would not in and TEN-SIDED DICE
of themselves increase the base difficulty of the task.
Setback dice and Boost dice are thematic opposites of In addition to the custom dice
each other. Setback dice are represented by ■ in text. described above, the game also
uses standard ten-sided dice.
DIFFICULTY DICE + These dice are abbreviated as
“d lO ” in the text. M any standard d 1Os feature a nu
Difficulty is represented with purple eight meral zero (0) on one side. If a zero is rolled, it counts
sided dice. Difficulty dice represent the as a ten. This allows the d 10 to generate any number
inherent challenge or complexity of a between one and ten. Ten-sided dice are not provided
particular task a character is attempting. In in the S ta r W ars R oleplayinc D ice pack, but can be
simplest terms, the more Difficulty dice in a dice pool, found at any hobby games store.
the more challenging it is to succeed. Difficulty dice
possess negative, harmful symbols that cancel out the In Force and D estiny, a more common roll using
positive, beneficial symbols found on Ability, Boost, d 10s is called the percentile roll. When making a per
and Proficiency dice. Difficulty dice oppose Ability centile roll, the player rolls two dice, designating one
dice. Difficulty dice are represented by ^ in text. die as the tens digit and the other die as the ones
digit. A result of zero on either die means that the cor
CHALLENGE D IC E # responding digit is zero in the two-digit number rolled.
A result of "0 0 ”—zero on both dice—indicates a roll of
Challenge is represented with red twelve 100. The percentile roll is abbreviated as d 100. It is
sided dice. Challenge dice represent the used most often as a randomizer, generating a num
most extreme adversity and opposition. ber between 1 and 100. Percentile rolls are used to
These dice may be featured in place of Diffi generate numbers that correspond to particular re
culty dice during particularly daunting challenges posed sults on lookup tables, such as the severity of a Criti
by trained, elite, or prepared opponents. Challenge dice cal Injury effect or whether or not a character’s M oral
can also be added to a pool when the GM invests a Des ity is triggered and comes into play (see page 323).
tiny Point for an important skill check. These dice feature
primarily negative, obstructive results, such as Threat EXAMPLE
and Failure, but they also feature the potent Despair re
sult (see page 21). Challenge dice are the upgraded Ellie’s character inflicts a Critical Injury on a
version of Difficulty dice (for more on upgrades, see page stormtrooper. Ellie rolls percentile dice to de
30). Challenge dice are represented by # in text. termine how severe the Critical Injury is. She
chooses one green dlO and one blue d 10. She
FORCE DICE designates the green die as the tens digit. After
she rolls the dice, the green die shows a 4 and
The Force is abstracted using white the blue die a 7. The percentile roll is read as
twelve-sided dice. These Force dice 47. If the green die showed a zero instead, the
represent the power and pervasiveness of percentile roll would be read as 7 (zero-seven).
the Force. They are generally only used in dice pools
DICE SYMBOLS & RESULTS outcomes. It’s important to remember that Advantage
symbols do not have a direct impact on success or fail
The dice used in Force and Destiny feature a number ure; they affect only their magnitude or potential side
of unique symbols used to determine success or fail effects. Advantage is canceled by Threat. Each Threat
ure, as well as to provide additional context and con symbol <§>cancels one Advantage symbol O
sequences during task resolution. Understanding these
symbols allows the players to more fully contribute to Characters may use Advantage results in a wide va
the story, generating memorable details and describing riety of ways; this is known as “taking the Advantage.”
cinematic actions over the course of their adventures. If a skill check generates one or more net Advantage
This section introduces and defines the different sym symbols O the player can spend that Advantage to
bols, then describes how they are used in play. apply one or more special side effects. These could
include triggering a Critical Flit, activating a weapon’s
Ju st like the special game dice, these symbols can special quality, recovering strain, or even performing
be classified into several broad categories. The three additional maneuvers. The applications of Advantage
types of symbols represent positive results, negative are covered in more detail on page 210.
results, and Force resources.
Advantage symbols appear on <), Q and O dice.
PO SITIVE RESULTS TRIUMPH ($
A character was able to slice into the Imperial secu The Triumph symbol is a powerful result indicat
rity network while infiltrating a heavily guarded cell ing a significant boon or beneficial outcome. Each Tri
block, but how successful was that action? Did the umph symbol 0 provides two effects:
character succeed by the skin of his teeth, or was the
success so complete that all of the facility’s security First, each Triumph symbol also counts as one
systems, not just those governing the cell block, were Success, in every way Success & has previously been
quietly deactivated? These sorts of specific results of defined. This means that the Success generated by
character skill checks are determined by interpreting a Triumph symbol (£) could be canceled by a Failure
positive dice symbols.
symbol T generated during the same skill check.
Three positive symbols are found on the S ta r W ars
R oleplayinc Dice These symbols represent Success, Second, each Triumph symbol can be used to trigger
Advantage, and Triumph. incredibly potent effects. Two common uses are to trig
ger a Critical Injury upon a successful attack and to ac
SUCCESS & tivate a weapon’s special quality. Effects generated by
a weapon’s special quality usually require multiple Ad
Success symbols are critical for determining vantage symbols O to activate. Triumphs may activate
other potent effects as well, including effects above
whether a skill check succeeds or fails. Success is un and beyond those triggered by Advantage. These ef
fects may be set by the GM, or they may defined by
dermined by Failure. Mechanically, one Success sym the environment, a piece of equipment, or a special
character ability. See page 210 for more information
bol & is canceled by one Failure symbol T . Based on on using the Triumph symbol to trigger effects.
the core mechanic, if at least one Success remains in Players gain both effects with each Triumph symbol;
they don't have to choose between the Success and
the pool after all cancellations have been made, the the special effect trigger. Although the Success aspect
of the Triumph symbol can be canceled by a Failure
skill check succeeds. In Force and D estiny, Success symbol T , the second aspect of the (J) result cannot
be canceled. Multiple Triumph symbols are cumula
symbols & can also influence the magnitude of the tive: each Triumph adds one Success, and each can be
used to generate its own special effect.
outcome. For example, in combat, each net Success is
The Triumph symbol only appears on the O die.
added to the damage inflicted on the target. Generat
NEGATIVE RESULTS
ing four net Successes inflicts four additional damage.
While evading a squad of Imperial scouts aboard
Success symbols appear on ( } , Q and O dice. a stolen speeder bike, a character unsuccessfully
attempts to weave between two massive rock forma
ADVANTAGE C> tions. Is the failure severe, resulting in a terrible crash?
O r does it result in little more than a scratch on the
The Advantage symbol O indicates an opportunity speeder’s fuselage? Such details are provided by
for a positive consequence or side effect, regardless interpreting negative dice symbols.
of the task’s success or failure. Examples of these
positive side effects include slicing a computer in far
less time than anticipated, finding unexpected cover
during a firefight, or recovering from strain during a
stressful situation.
It’s possible for a task to fail while generating a num
ber of Advantage symbols, allowing something good to
come out of the failure. Likewise, Advantage can oc
cur alongside success, allowing for significantly positive
Three negative symbols are found on the task resolu of ammunition or energy cells. Despair may activate
tion dice. These results are Failure, Threat, and Despair. other potent effects as well, including effects above
and beyond those triggered by Threat. These effects
FAILURE T may be determined by the CM or defined by the en
vironment, an adversary, or a special character abil
Failure symbols T are critical for determining wheth ity. See page 211 for more information on using a
er a skill check succeeds or fails. Failure undermines Despair symbol ^ to trigger effects.
Success. Mechanically, one Failure symbol T cancels
one Success symbol & . Based on the core mechanic, Players suffer both effects of each Despair symbol;
if at least one Success symbol & remains in the pool they do not get to choose between the Failure and
after all cancellations have been made, the skill check the special effect trigger. The Failure aspect of the De
succeeds. Fortunately for characters, multiple net spair symbol can be canceled by a Success symbol
Failure symbols T do not influence the magnitude of
the failure. however, the second aspect of a Despair symbol
^ result cannot be canceled. Multiple Despair sym
Failure symbols appear on ■ , and # dice. bols ^ are cumulative; each Despair imposes one
Failure, and each can be used to generate its own
THREAT © special effect.
The Threat symbol © is fuel for negative consequences The Despair symbol only appears on the # die.
or side effects, regardless of the task’s success or fail
ure. Examples of these negative side effects include FORCE RESOURCES
taking far longer than expected to slice a computer
terminal, leaving an opening during a firefight that The final category of dice symbols represents re
allows an enemy to duck into cover, or suffering sources generated by the Force. There are two types
additional strain during a stressful situation.
of Force symbols: Light Side Force Points O and Dark
It’s possible for a task to succeed while generating
a number of Threat symbols, tainting or diminishing Side Force Points # The generic symbol for a Force
the impact of the success. Likewise, Threat can occur point, whether light side or dark side, is3-
alongside Failure, creating the possibility for some sig
nificantly dire outcomes. It’s important to remember O and # appear on Force dice O, which are used
that Threat symbols © don’t directly impact success
or failure, only their magnitudes or potential side ef frequently for characters who are Force users, strug
fects. Threat cancels Advantage. Each Threat symbol gling with the balance of the light and dark sides of
© cancels one Advantage symbol O the Force. Force-sensitive characters can use these
resources to help fuel special abilities such as teleki
The GM generally resolves Threat effects. There are nesis and precognitive combat awareness.
a wide variety of possible effects that Threat may trig
ger. If a skill check generates one or more net Threat Unlike the positive and negative dice used for task
symbols, the GM generally applies one or more spe resolution, Force dice generate resources that are
cial side effects. These could include being knocked spent to fuel a power’s effects, such as its magnitude,
prone, losing the advantage of cover, taking more time range, or duration. The Force die O and the mechan
than anticipated, suffering strain during a normally ics that govern it are very different from the core skill
routine action, or giving an enemy an opportunity to check mechanics of Force and Destiny. They are dis
perform a maneuver. The applications of Threat are cussed in greater detail in Chapter VIII: The Force
covered in more detail on page 211.
There are other uses for the Force dice besides
Threat symbols appear on ■ , ^ and # dice. employing Force powers. Another common applica
tion of Force dice in Force and Destiny is their use
DESPAIR ^ to determine a group's starting pool of Destiny
Points at the beginning of each session (see
page 35).
The Despair symbol ^ is a powerful result, indicat
ing a significant bane or detrimental outcome. Each
Despair symbol imposes two effects:
First, each Despair symbol ^ also counts as one
Failure T , in every way Failure T has previously been
defined. This means that the Failure represented by a
Despair symbol could be canceled by a Success sym
bol # generated during the same skill check.
Second, each Despair can be used to trigger po
tent negative effects. A Despair symbol ^ may be
used to indicate a weapon has jammed or run out
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!
D uring the course of a Force and Destiny adven its difficulty have been set, the player assembles a
ture, characters find themselves in countless situ pool of dice based on the different factors involved.
ations, attempting a variety of tasks. In everything The pool can be a combination of many types of
from seemingly mundane actions, such as repairing dice, which vary depending on the characters in
a damaged starship or negotiating the price of a volved and the specific situation.
crate of rations, to extraordinary feats, like balanc
ing on the edge of a skyscraper in a rainstorm while After the dice pool has been assembled, the play
fighting a deadly bounty hunter, characters will in er rolls all of the dice in the pool. The dice results are
evitably be put to the test. When the outcome of a evaluated to determine which symbols cancel each
PC’s attempt at a task is uncertain, the player usu other out and which ones are cumulative. Once all
ally needs to roll a skill check to determine the task’s evaluations have been made, the player and GM re
success or failure. These skill checks hinge upon a solve the skill check by determining the action’s suc
number of different character attributes, including cess or failure. The information obtained from the
skills, special talents, and inherent abilities. dice results is used to describe not only the outcome
of the check, but also any additional effects, compli
The GM decides which type of skill check is re cations, or surprises.
quired for a given task. Once the type of check and
THE BASIC DICE POOL
F orce and Destiny uses a concept known as a dice Ace character is big and hulking might elect to increase
pool, which is a collection of the dice needed to de the character’s Brawn, with an eye toward eventually
termine the outcome of any given situation in the game having the character become a Shii-Cho Knight as well.
(see The Dice on page 17). While advanced or com Likewise, a Shadow with a high Presence rating could
plex actions may require a large dice pool, the basic dice be just as deft with words as with stealth, opening up
pool is quite simple. It relies on three factors: the PC’s in the opportunity to perhaps become an Advisor.
herent ability, any specialized training the character has,
and the difficulty of the task being attempted. CHARACTERISTIC RATINGS
Following a more detailed look at these three fac Characteristic ratings for both PCs and NPCs generally
tors, this section describes how players assemble and range from 1 to 6. Some exceptions exist, especially in
resolve basic dice pools and rolls, discusses other powerful or unique cases. For example, a rancor likely
types of dice pools, and examines the kinds of checks has a Brawn rating much higher than that of a PC. NPCs
players might make during a game session. like Yoda, Flan Solo, Darth Vader, and other exceptional
individuals from the S ta r W ars universe likely have abil
CHARACTERISTICS ities well beyond the scope of a typical starting NPC.
In Force and Destiny, a character’s intrinsic abilities A typical humanoid has an average characteristic
are defined by six characteristics Agility, Brawn, rating of 2. A rating of 1 is weak and below average. A
Cunning, Intellect, Presence, and Willpower. characteristic rating of 3 or 4 is significantly above av
erage, while ratings of 5 and 6 represent exceptional
Brawn and Agility are measures of the character’s performance and ability. During character creation,
physical abilities: strength, flexibility, athletic prowess, no characteristic can be increased above 5. Once
skill with weapons, and general toughness. Intellect and play begins, PC characteristics are capped at 6. Each
Cunning are the character’s mental abilities, reflecting species has a default characteristic profile that re
the PC’s knowledge, analytical skill, cleverness, and de flects particular strengths and weaknesses. This pro
ductive reasoning. Willpower and Presence represent file is then augmented and improved during creation
the character’s personality and force of spirit, including by investing experience points.
such aspects as charisma, mental fortitude, and facility
in relating to and interacting with others. To find the default characteristic profiles of each
playable species, see Chapter II: Character Cre
A character’s species determines that character’s ation. The six characteristics are defined below.
starting characteristic ratings. After all, Mirialans tend
to be quick, while Twi’leks tend to be charming. Each AGILITY
player has the opportunity to increase these default
characteristics during character creation by invest The Agility characteristic measures a character’s man
ing a portion of the PC ’s starting experience points. ual dexterity, hand-eye coordination, and body con
It is important to note that after character creation, trol. Characters with a high Agility have flexibility, a
increasing characteristics is a significant in-game good sense of balance, and deft hands. Agility is used
investment and can only be done by purchasing a for a number of physical skills, such as Coordination,
specific and expensive talent—something that might and it is key to ranged combat skills such as Ranged
happen only a few times over the course of an entire (Light) and Ranged (Heavy).
campaign Players need to think carefully about
their characteristic ratings, and should consider BRAWN
investing a significant portion of their starting ex
perience points in improving their characteristics A character’s Brawn represents a blend of brute pow
More on character creation is covered on page 42. er, strength, and overall toughness, as well as the abil
ity to apply those attributes as needed. Characters
Although it does make sense to focus on characteris with a high Brawn are physically fit and hardy, rarely
tics that improve the character’s core skills and talents get sick, and have strong constitutions. Brawn is used
(for instance, an Advisor character might invest in a high for a number of physical skills, such as Athletics and
Presence, or an Ataru Striker in a high Agility rating), Brawl. Brawn is also used to determine a character’s
the game system offers a great deal of flexibility. Both starting wound threshold.
going against stereotype and planning ahead in antici
pation of purchasing specializations in other careers CUNNING
over the course of a campaign are acceptable options
for characters. For example, a player whose Starfighter Cunning reflects how crafty, devious, clever, and cre
ative a character can be. Characters with a high Cun
ning are savvy, quickly pick up on vital social and
environmental clues, and can more readily come up the proper training or skill, a PC is far more effective
with short-term plans and tactics. Cunning is used for and capable if trained to perform the task at hand.
a number of mental skills, including Deception, Per
ception, and Survival. Skills, the second factor influencing a dice pool,
represent specific training, hands-on experience,
INTELLECT and focused knowledge in a certain area. Each skill is
linked to a specific characteristic, which is the default
The Intellect characteristic measures a character’s in ability a character uses when performing a task with
telligence, education, mental acuity, and ability to rea that skill. For example, the Athletics skill is based on
son and rationalize. Characters with a high Intellect can Brawn, Deception relies on Cunning, and Lore uses
extrapolate and interpolate data, can recall details and Intellect. Proper skill training can compensate for a
draw from previous experience, and can think of long character’s low characteristic rating. Flowever, the
term strategies and envision the ramifications of pres most proficient characters are those who have both
ent actions. Intellect is used for a number of mental the proper training and a strong linked characteristic.
skills, including Astrogation, Computers, and all of the
Knowledge skills, such as Lore and Xenology. A character’s career choice provides career skills.
Characters start out with training, or “ ranks,” in some
PRESENCE of their career skills. As time passes during a cam
paign, a character can learn and improve any skills
A character’s Presence characteristic is a measure of the player likes; however, improving career skills costs
moxie, charisma, confidence, and force of personality. fewer experience points than increasing skills outside
Characters with a high Presence make natural leaders, the PC ’s career.
draw attention when they enter a room, can easily
strike up a conversation with nearly anyone, and are For a more in-depth look at skills and their applica
quick to adapt to social situations. Presence is the key tions, see Chapter III: Skills
characteristic for interpersonal skills such as Charm
and Leadership. DIFFICULTY
WILLPOWER The third factor in composing a dice pool (in addition
to the relevant characteristic and related skill) is the
The Willpower characteristic reflects a character’s disci difficulty of the task being attempted. The character
pline, self-control, mental fortitude, and faith. Characters istic and skill ranks add positive dice to the dice pool.
with a high Willpower can withstand stress and fatigue, Difficulty adds negative dice, making success more
remain composed during chaotic situations, and exert challenging. In addition to dice that represent the
influence over the weaker-willed. Willpower is used for task’s inherent difficulty, other dice are added to re
skills such as Coercion and Vigilance. Willpower is also flect further complications based on the environment
used to determine a character’s starting strain threshold. or specific situation.
CHARACTERISTICS IN PLA Y While the characteristic and related skill are derived
from the character attempting the task, the difficulty of
Various careers and professions rely on certain char a task is set by the GM. There are six basic difficulty lev
acteristics more than others. Characteristics also els. Some modifiers and situations may warrant checks
influence skills, a wide variety of character abilities, higher than the sixth level, Formidable, subject to the
and some derived statistics. For example, in addi G M ’s discretion (see the Impossible Tasks sidebar on
tion to being used for Athletics and M elee combat page 27 for an optional seventh difficulty level).
skill checks, Brawn is used to determine a character's
starting wound threshold and forms the basis of a In addition to providing a general classification that
character's soak value. describes a task’s inherent challenge, the difficulty
level also indicates how many purple Difficulty dice ^
As mentioned previously, characteristics are one of are added to the dice pool when that particular task
the three factors that affect the composition of a dice is attempted. A task attempted against a set difficulty
pool for a check (the other factors being skill training level is referred to as a standard check.
and task difficulty).
SKILLS AND TRAINING D EFIN IN G TASK DIFFICULTY
While characteristics create the foundation of a char When used in a check to represent the challenge
acter’s abilities, skills and specialized training are posed by a task, the difficulty level is indicated with
what really make a PC stand out from the crowd. Skills one of the following labels: Simple, Easy, Average,
represent the character’s training and experience in Hard Daunting, or Formidable This label is fol
performing specific tasks and actions. Although a lowed in parentheses by the number of Difficulty dice
character can attempt almost anything even without ^ to be added to the dice pool. For example, a player
TABLE 1-3: DIFFICULTY LEVELS Example
Difficulty Level Dice
Routine, with the outcome rarely in question. Usually not rolled unless the CM
Simple wishes to know the magnitude of success, or unless Setback dice indicate the
possibility of complications.
Easy ♦
Average Picking a primitive lock, tending to minor cuts and bruises, finding food and
Hard 44 shelter on a lush planet, shooting a target at close range.
Daunting 444
| Formidable 4444 Picking a typical lock, stitching up a small wound, finding food and shelter on a
44444 temperate planet, shooting a target at medium range, trying to strike a target
while engaged.
Picking a complicated lock, setting broken bones or suturing large wounds,
finding food and shelter on a rugged planet, shooting a target at long range.
Picking an exceptionally sophisticated lock, performing surgery or grafting
implants, finding food and shelter on a barren desert planet, shooting a target
at extreme range.
Picking a lock with no comprehensible mechanism, cloning a new body, finding
1 food and shelter on a planet without breathable atmosphere.
might face an Easy Perception check or a Hard situation can expect to succeed at most of the Easy
tasks he attempts. Often, the magnitude or potential
(♦ ♦ ♦ ) Mechanics check. More detailed examples side effects are more uncertain than the success itself.
of each difficulty level are provided next to give play An Easy task adds one Difficulty die 4 ) to the skill
check’s dice pool.
ers a clear idea of what the different levels represent.
AVERAGE TASKS (4 4)
SIMPLE TASKS (-)
An Average task represents a routine action for which
A Simple task is something so basic and routine that success is common enough to be expected, but fail
the outcome is rarely in doubt. Success is assumed ure is not surprising. A typical character with the
for the majority of attempts at Simple tasks. If failure proper training, resources, and approach to the situa
is virtually impossible, the task won’t even require a tion might expect to succeed at Average tasks slightly
check: the CM may simply state that the proposed more often than he fails.
action succeeds. If circumstances make the outcome
uncertain, then a Simple task may require a roll. This An Average task adds two Difficulty dice ( 4 4 to
may be the case only if one or more ■ are intro the skill check’s dice pool.
duced—due to injuries, environmental factors, or op
position by foes, for example. HARD TASKS ( 4 4 4 )
A Simple task adds no Difficulty dice to the skill A Hard task is much more demanding of a character.
check’s dice pool. Success is certainly feasible, but failure is far from sur
prising. A typical character with the proper training,
EASY TASKS (+) resources, and tools for the situation should expect
failure at Hard tasks more often than success—espe
An Easy task poses little challenge to most characters, cially without Destiny or other advantages on his side.
but something could still go wrong, and failure is still
A Hard task adds
possible. A typical three Difficulty dice
character with the
proper training, : ♦ ♦ ♦ ) to the skill
resources, and check’s dice pool.
tools for a
DAUNTING TASKS (♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ) IMPOSSIBLE TASKS
A Daunting task taxes a character, pushing him to T here are some situations in which the
his limits. Success may be difficult to achieve, but it’s chance of success is impossibly low. In al
certainly possible. A typical character with the prop most all cases, the GM simply states that any
er training, resources, and tools for the situation will such check automatically fails without needing
likely experience failure more often than success at the player to assemble and roll a pool of dice.
Daunting tasks and may wish to look for some benefi
cial circumstances to aid him. However, the GM may decide to allow a PC to
attempt a check where success is extremely im
A Daunting task adds four Difficulty dice ( ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ) probable-throwing a grenade in hopes that it
to the skill check’s dice pool. puts out a fire; scaling a perfectly smooth wall;
or using reason to calm a rampaging rancor.
FORMIDABLE TASKS (♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ) Allowing PCs to attempt an impossible task
should be relegated to critical moments in a
Formidable tasks seem nigh impossible. In fact, if ca story’s arc or truly life-or-death situations only.
sually approached, a Formidable task is most likely
impossible. Flowever, with proper planning, a well- To prevent players from abusing these oppor
trained and well-equipped character has a chance at tunities, attempting an impossible task au
success. Typical characters almost always fail at For tomatically requires the player to spend one
midable tasks. Even trained veterans fail Formidable Destiny Point. The player gains no benefits
tasks more often than they succeed. Failure seems for doing so, beyond being able to attempt
inevitable unless the character can apply one or more the task in the first place. The player also may
advantages, such as Destiny Points or bonuses from not spend any additional Destiny Points on
specific equipment, talents, or assistance. the check. For simplicity, an impossible task
imposes the same number of Difficulty dice
A Form idable task adds five Difficulty dice
( ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ) to the skill check’s dice pool. as a Formidable (<0 0 0 0 0 ) task.
BUILDING A BASIC DICE POOL
ow that the three primary building blocks of a skill
A PPLYIN G SK ILLS A N Dcheck’s dice pool have been discussed, all that re
n C H A R A CTER ISTICSmains is to show how the dice pool is actually assembled.
W hen a character wants to attempt some sort of A character’s skill training and the associated charac
action that might have a chance of failure, the player teristic are equally important in building a dice pool.
makes a skill check. The skill check uses the charac W hen a task is attempted, the GM determines which
ter’s appropriate skill: Athletics for breaking down skill is most appropriate. The skill used determines
doors, Knowledge for recalling facts, or Charm for which characteristic is used. For example, if the char
convincing a guard to let the character enter, for acter is attempting to bypass a security terminal by
example. Each skill also has a linked characteristic: slicing its alarm system, the skill check would use the
Brawn for Athletics, Intellect for Knowledge, and Pres Computers skill, which is linked to the Intellect charac
ence for Charm, for instance. To make a skill check, teristic. The ratings for these two attributes determine
the character assembles a dice pool. the number of Ability and Proficiency dice that are
added to the dice pool.
There are two sides to every basic dice pool: the
side to which the player contributes (in the form of A player can start building the dice pool once the
Ability dice <^>and Proficiency dice O ) and the side proper skill and characteristic are determined. To add
to which the CM contributes (in the form of Difficulty dice to the pool, the player compares the PC’s ranks
dice Challenge dice # , Boost dice Q and Setback of skill training to the linked characteristic’s rating.
dice ■ F Additional factors may modify the number
and type of dice for a check. W hen building a dice The higher of the two values determines how many
pool, every aspect of the player’s and C M ’s contribut Ability dice are added to the skill check’s dice pool.
ing dice should be explained and defined before the Then the player upgrades a number of those Ability
roll is made. The GM sets the difficulty level of the dice equal to the lower of the two values. If a charac
task once, prior to the roll. After creating the base ter is unskilled (possesses no ranks) in the necessary
dice pool, either side may have the opportunity to skill, then zero is autom atically the lower value, and
upgrade dice. the character will rely solely on the appropriate
characteristic. (This also applies if the character has The difficulty level of the task determines the number
a zero in the corresponding characteristic; however,
in practice, it’s almost impossible for a character to of Difficulty dice that the player must add to the pool.
have a zero in a characteristic.)
For example, an Average skill check means
EXAMPLE 1: SARENDA
the player adds two Difficulty dice to the dice pool.
Sarenda is attempting to jump over a bottomless
chasm as she navigates her way through a lost In some cases, the GM may upgrade one or more of
temple. This uses Sarenda’s Athletics skill and these Difficulty dice by removing them from the dice
Brawn characteristic. Sarenda has Athletics 2 pool and replacing them with an equal number of
and Brawn 3. Her Brawn is higher, so the player Challenge d ic e # . Difficulty dice are usually upgraded
begins by adding three Ability dice ( 0 0 0 ) to into Challenge dice when a character faces skilled op
the pool. Sarenda’s Athletics skill is lower, so the position or particularly challenging circumstances, or
player upgrades that many dice (two) to Profi when the GM invests Destiny Points to make a check
more challenging.
ciency dice (OO). To attempt the jump, Sarenda
starts out with three dice in her pool: <0O O After setting the difficulty level for the task, the GM
adds the corresponding number of Difficulty dice to
(one Ability die and two Proficiency dice). the task’s dice pool. If no other factors are deemed to
influence the outcome of the attempt, the basic dice
pool is now complete and can be rolled to determine
success or failure, as well as any potential side effects.
EXAMPLE 2: DAO JODH EXAMPLE: SETTING DIFFICULTY
Later, Dao must attempt to jump over the same Following the prior examples, the GM reviews
chasm. Dao, who constantly trains and condi
tions his body, has an Athletics skill of 3. How the table of difficulty levels. Deciding that this
ever, his Brawn is only 2. His Athletics skill is
higher, so the player begins by adding three Abil chasm is only a couple meters across and the
ity dice ( 0 0 0 ) to the pool. Dao’s Brawn rating
is lower, so the player upgrades that many dice edges are firm and covered with vines that could
(two) to Proficiency dice ( O O ) . To attempt this
action, Dao starts out with three dice in his pool: provide handholds, the GM assigns a difficulty
O O O (one Ability die and two Proficiency dice).
of Average to the task. Two Difficulty dice
Note that both Sarenda and Dao begin with the
same size and type of dice pool, despite the fact are added to the players’ dice pools when they
that their Brawn ratings and their ranks in the
Athletics skill are different. The system allows a attempt to jump across the chasm.
character to compensate for a lack of innate abil
ity by improving trained skills, and vice versa. MODIFYING A DICE POOL
EXAMPLE 3: TARAST VOON If there are no other influences or contributing fac
tors that may impact the outcome of a check, the
Finally, Tarast, the cunning Kel Dor Sentinel, tries dice pool may consist solely of dice representing the
to leap over the same chasm. He has Brawn 2 acting character’s skill and characteristic, along with
but no ranks of training in Athletics. His Brawn is the dice representing the difficulty level set by the
higher, so the player begins by adding two Ability GM. However, the S ta r W ars universe is a vast place
dice ( 0 0 ) to the pool. Since he has no ranks in where any number of environmental effects can im
Athletics, that value is considered to be zero, and pact the actions taken by the characters. Howling
no Ability dice are upgraded to Proficiency dice. gale-force winds caused by atmosphere escaping
To attempt the action, Tarast starts out with only through a breach in a starship hull can negatively
two dice in his dice pool: 0 0 (two Ability dice). impact any action, while a motionless space pirate
silhouetted by a bright light is a much easier target
APPLYING TASK DIFFICULTY to hit. If an action is important enough to assemble
and roll a dice pool, there’s a good chance other fac
After determining which skill and related character tors are involved.
istic the character uses to attempt the task, the GM
then chooses the level of difficulty for the task by con These other factors affect or modify the dice pool
sulting Table 1-3: Difficulty Levels, on page 26. in a number of ways. The most common ways are by
adding dice, upgrading/downgrading dice, and remov
ing dice. These modifications may be triggered by the
players or the GM, or they may simply make sense
given the environment and situation. Examples of fac
tors that warrant modification of the dice pool include
obstructing terrain, poor lighting, tactical advantages,
time constraints, superior equipment, special tal
ents, unlocked career abilities, investment of Destiny
INCREASE, UPGRADE, DR ADD? multiple Setback dice to the dice pool. It’s important
to note that while these dice are essentially mirror op
T here may come times when the CM is posites in their use, Boost dice and Setback dice do
unsure whether a situation should have not cancel each other out. If the situation warrants
the difficulty level increased or whether dice the addition of two Boost dice and one Setback die,
should be added or upgraded. The difficulty all three dice ( □ □ ■ ) are added to the dice pool.
should be set based on the task itself, not on
the circumstances surrounding that specific The use of Boost dice and Setback dice is a com
attempt at the task. In general, once set, the mon device all players can use to help reinforce im
difficulty level remains the same, regardless portant elements of the story. Players should describe
of who, what, when, or why that particular their characters’ actions in detail, pointing out both
task is attempted. advantages and disadvantages that may influence a
particular action.
Upgrading (or downgrading) dice is not usu
ally necessary unless a specific rule or ability Some equipment may add Boost dice □ to a pool
calls for it. These situations are defined by to reflect superior craftsmanship, while talents may
the individual abilities, and are generally not allow a player to add Boost dice □ to a pool to reflect
applied arbitrarily by the CM. special training or aptitudes that apply to the situa
tion. Maneuvers like aiming may also allow a player to
If the circumstances for a particular execution add Boost dice □ to a pool. Conversely, some effects
of a task are unique, then the GM may de may specifically impose Setback dice ■ . such as the
cide the task warrants the addition of Boost defined effects of a Critical Injury or a penalty for us
or Setback dice. Added dice should reflect the ing inferior tools for a delicate task.
elements that make this attempt distinct or
special. As a general rule, if the CM feels that While the players may suggest the addition of Boost or
a skill check has distinct factors that could Setback dice, the GM is the final arbiter, deciding which
modify the outcome, he should consider us and how many dice are added to the pool. The CM does
have access to helpful guidelines when making those
ing Boost and Setback dice. decisions and should use common sense depending on
the way the scene and action have been described. See
Points, and Critical Injuries. The following sections de the Positive Dice and Negative Dice sidebar on page
scribe these modifications in more detail. 17 for examples of the types of situations that may
warrant the addition of Boost or Setback dice.
It’s also important to note that when modifying a
dice pool, players perform the modifications in a spe UPG RA D IN G AND D O W N G RAD IN G DICE
cific order. First, players assemble the basic pool, and
then they add additional dice. Next, they upgrade dice. Game effects can improve dice, making a weaker die
Then they downgrade dice. Finally, they remove dice. stronger. Likewise, circumstances can turn a potent
die into a weaker one. Improving a die is called up
ADDING DICE grading, while weakening a die is called downgrading.
Beyond the upgrading based on a character’s ranks
One way to modify the basic dice pool is to add
dice to reflect environmental conditions or various UPGRADING AND DOWNGRADING
advantages and disadvantages. This is done primar ABILITY AND DIFFICULTY
ily through the use of Boost and Setback dice. As a
general rule, one Boost die □ is added to the dice C ertain rules may call for a player to upgrade
pool for each bonus that would help the character or downgrade the ability or difficulty of a
succeed, and one Setback die ■ is added for each dice pool. For example, the Dodge talent al
disadvantage impeding success. lows a character to upgrade the difficulty of a
combat check made against him by a certain
A single Boost die □ is often enough to represent the value. Upgrading or downgrading the ability
benefits provided by useful gear, ample time, superior of a pool refers to upgrading Ability dice <£>
position, or the element of surprise. If more than one into Proficiency dice # or downgrading Pro
of these advantages is applicable, the CM may allow ficiency dice # into Ability dice <^. Likewise,
multiple Boost dice to be added to the dice pool. upgrading or downgrading the difficulty of a
pool refers to upgrading Difficulty dice <^>into
Likewise, a single Setback die ■ is usually enough Challenge dice O or downgrading Challenge
to reflect the impact of detrimental or obstructing ef dice O into Difficulty dice {>.
fects like poor lighting, inferior supplies, harsh envi
ronments, or outside distractions. If more than one of
these disadvantages is applicable, the C M may add
in a skill or characteristic (see Applying Skills and UPGRADE VERSUS INCREASE
Characteristics, page 27), upgrading and down
grading dice most often occur when one of the partici Upgrading Difficulty dice <(> in a dice pool
pants invests a Destiny Point in a skill check. Certain is different than increasing a skill check’s
talents and special abilities also allow a character to difficulty. Increasing or decreasing difficulty
upgrade or downgrade dice. is simply a measure of how many Difficulty
dice 0 are added to the initial dice pool; this
UPGRADING DICE is covered in more detail on page 25. Up
grading Difficulty dice 0 into Challenge dice
Upgrading dice is a mechanic specific to Ability dice O is generally triggered by a special ability
and Difficulty dice, and these are the only two types or the investment of Destiny Points by one of
of dice that can be upgraded. When an Ability die ( ) the participants.
is upgraded, it is converted into a Proficiency die O .
When a Difficulty die ^ is upgraded, it is converted DOWNGRADING MORE DICE THAN AVAILABLE
into a Challenge die #
There may be situations in which a player needs to
When a special talent or effect calls for one or more downgrade more Proficiency dice O into Ability dice
dice to be upgraded, the player first determines how o or Challenge dice # into Difficulty dice ^ than
many dice are to be upgraded. Once this is deter are available. If all of the potential dice are already
mined, the player removes that number of Ability in their downgraded form, any further downgrades
dice { ) or Difficulty dice ^ from the pool and replaces are ignored.
them with an equal number of either Proficiency dice
UPGRADES AND DOWNGRADES IN
O or Challenge dice # When an effect requires a THE SAME POOL
player to upgrade dice, the rules always state whether Sometimes abilities will call for both upgrades and
Ability dice <0 or Difficulty dice ^ are being upgraded. downgrades in the same dice pool. When this occurs,
all upgrades are applied first. Then, any downgrades
UPGRADING MORE DICE THAN AVAILABLE are applied. This is important, since upgrading dice
could add more dice to the overall pool.
Sometimes a player may need to upgrade Ability dice
into Proficiency dice but has no more Ability dice left in REM O VIN G DICE
the pool. In this case, the player performs the following
steps. First, he determines how many die upgrades re Just like some effects add Boost dice □ or Setback
main. Then, using one upgrade, he adds one additional dice B to a pool, some effects remove dice from the
Ability die <0 to the pool. If any upgrade opportunities pool before they are ever rolled. Most often, this is a
remain, he then upgrades the newly added Ability die result of character talents that allow the removal of
<0 into a Proficiency die O . This process is repeated Setback dice ■ to reflect a level of expertise in over
until all remaining upgrades have been applied. coming minor distractions or disadvantages that would
rattle a less experienced character. In a similar fashion,
Likewise, if a player needs to upgrade Difficulty dice a skilled enemy may have a talent that removes Boost
into Challenge dice but there are no more Difficulty dice □ from skill checks made against that enemy.
dice in the pool, the same process is followed. First,
one additional Difficulty die ^ is added; then, if any The individual talent or effect describes what cir
more upgrades remain, the Difficulty die ^ is upgrad
ed into a Challenge die # , and so on. cumstances warrant the removal of dice, as well as
DOWNGRADING DICE the number and type of dice to be removed. If an
Downgrading dice is also a specific mechanic, and it ability would remove more dice of a type than there
applies only to Proficiency dice and Challenge dice.
are in the dice pool, the maximum number of dice
When a Proficiency die O is downgraded, it becomes
available are removed, and any additional removals
an Ability die ( } . When a Challenge die # is down
graded, it becomes a Difficulty die ^ are ignored. ^
Special talents or effects may call for one or more Removing dice is done after
dice to be downgraded. The player first determines all other dice have been
how many dice are to be downgraded. Once this is added and all upgrades
determined, the player removes that number of Profi and downgrades have
been applied
ciency dice O or Challenge dice # from the pool and
replaces them with an equal number of either Ability
dice <0 or Difficulty dice ^ W hen an effect requires
a character to downgrade dice, the rules always state
whether Proficiency dice O or Challenge dice # are
being downgraded.
INTERPRETING THE POOL
A fter a dice pool is rolled, the players and CM evalu no additional effects. The positive and negative side
ate the results to resolve the outcomes. The first effects can occur regardless of whether the task suc
outcome to resolve is the success or failure of the skill ceeds or fails.
check. Then, the players can determine if any signifi
cant side effects—good, bad, or both—are triggered. Advantage O and Threat © can be used to fuel a
Whether the task is attempted amidst the chaos of a wide variety of side effects. The player rolling the skill
punishing planetary bombardment or in an Imperial in check generally chooses how to spend Advantage O .
terrogation room, nearly anything can happen. such as by triggering a w eapon’s special quality, per
forming an additional maneuver, or recovering some
SUCCESSES AND FAILURES strain. Various weapons, talents, and equipment may
have special uses for Advantage O
If the roll for a skill check results in both Success sym Threat © is generally spent by the CM to impose
bols # and Failure symbols T , the total number of some sort of complication, with more severe compli
each type of symbol is compared. Each Failure sym cations requiring more Threat © Threat © can re
bol T cancels one Success symbol & After the can sult in side effects such as suffering strain, providing
cellations due to Failure symbols Y have been made, an opportunity to an opponent, falling prone, being
a pool will have one or more Success symbols & or subjected to environmental effects, or a task taking
one or more Failure symbols Y remaining, or those longer to complete than expected. Various talents,
symbols will be evenly canceled out. environments, and opponents may have special uses
for Threat ©
During this step, it’s important to note that a Tri
umph symbol (£> contributes one Success # to the For more about using Advantage or suffering from
pool, in addition to any special effects it may trigger. Threat, see page 210 and 211.
Likewise, a Despair symbol ^ contributes one Failure
Y to the pool, in addition to its special effects. TRIUMPH AND DESPAIR
If all Successes # and Failures Y in the pool are Two symbols represent far more potent effects than
canceled out, or if there are any net Failures Y re the others. Triumph ($) and Despair ^ indicate special
maining, the skill check fails. If at least one Success # cases and operate slightly differently than the other
remains, the skill check succeeds. Remember, a dice symbols. Unlike Success and Failure ( & and Y ) or Ad
pool must have at least one Success symbol $■ vantage and Threat ( O and © ], Triumph and Despair
remaining for a skill check to succeed. ((& and do not completely cancel each other out.
Rather, they indicate an especially positive or unfor
ADVANTAGE AND THREAT tunately dire side effect.
It’s also likely for a skill check to result in Advantage Remember that it’s possible for a skill check to re
symbols O Threat symbols © , or both. The player sult in both ($) and ^ symbols. In this case, both re
adds up the total number of Threat symbols <§> and sults are interpreted separately As with Threat,
compares that number to the total number of A d it’s possible for a skill check to succeed but still im
vantage symbols O Each Threat symbol © cancels pose a Despair effect, or fail but still trigger a Triumph
one Advantage symbol O After all Threat symbols effect. For more about the specific applications of Tri
© have canceled Advantage symbols O , a pool will umph and Despair, see page 210 and 211.
have one or more Advantage symbols O or one or
more Threat symbols © remaining, or those symbols TRIUMPH ($
will be evenly canceled out.
A Triumph symbol has two effects. First, each Tri
FHaving one or more net Advantage symbols O umph symbol (J) counts as one Success symbol &
indicates a positive side effect or ben Second, a Triumph result indicates an unexpected
efit. Having one or more net Threat boon or significantly beneficial effect related to the
symbols © indicates a negative task. M any weapons and talents have side effects that
side effect or complication. can be triggered using a Triumph result. Otherwise,
If all the Advantage O the scenario or GM may present further options for
and Threat © sym using Triumph. It’s important to keep in mind that
bols cancel each while a Triumph symbol (£> does add a Success sym
other out, bol & to the pool, the presence of one or more Tri
there are umph symbols 0 does not automatically make the
skill check successful.
Triumph can be thought of as an enhanced, more cause an important piece of equipment to break,
powerful version of Advantage. For example, a single make a weapon jam or run out of ammo, or, when
Triumph symbol ($) can trigger any w eapon’s special coupled with failure, make a grenade explode in the
quality or inflict a Critical Injury, while without a Tri user’s hand.
umph, these effects require a certain number of A d
vantage symbols O Or, while Advantage may allow UNLIM ITED PO SSIB ILIT IES
a character to recover strain, in the right situation, a
Triumph (£) may allow him to heal a wound. With the opportunity for success or failure, as well as
the myriad side effects made possible through one
DESPAIR ^ or more Advantage, Threat, Triumph, or Despair sym
bols, no two skill checks are the same. Flundreds of
A Despair symbol ^ also has two effects. First, each outcomes are possible with almost every skill check.
Despair symbol ^ counts as one Failure symbol ▼ . A character may achieve a high-magnitude success
Second, a Despair result indicates an unfortunate with no other complications, a low-magnitude success
consequence, significant complication, or dire effect with Advantage, or a moderate success with Advan
related to the task. The opponent’s abilities, the envi tage that is tempered with Despair. Likewise, a failed
ronment, or the encounter description may offer dif check may have a silver lining if accompanied by Ad
ferent options for using Despair. Otherwise, the CM vantage or Triumph, or it may create a truly dire situ
adjudicates the results of Despair symbols ^ based ation when accompanied by both Threat and Despair.
on the situation. It is important to keep in mind that
while a Despair symbol ^ does add a Failure symbol The sheer number of possibilities provides opportuni
▼ to the pool, the presence of one or more Despair ties to narrate truly memorable action sequences and
symbols ^ does not automatically mean the skill scenes. Nearly anything can happen in the heat of the
check has failed. moment; even a single shot fired at an Imperial Star De
stroyer might hit some critical component that results in
Despair can be viewed as an upgraded, more po its destruction. Players and GMs alike are encouraged
tent form of Threat. For example, a single Despair to take these opportunities to think about how the sym
symbol ^ may trigger effects that would normally bols can help move the story along and add details and
require several Threat symbols <§> Despair may be special effects that create action-packed sessions.
significant enough to inflict wounds instead of strain,
OTHER TYPES OF CHECKS
T he standard skill check using a basic dice pool can
be used to resolve the vast majority of tasks in a
game session. However, there may be some
situations that require a slightly different
approach to properly resolve. Are the
characters involved in a high-stakes
negotiation, competing with multiple
factions for their goal? Or are they
racing to escape the clutches of Im
perial agents hot on their trail? In
addition to the standard skill check,
Force and Destiny uses opposed
checks, competitive checks, and
assisted checks.
Opposed checks are often used
when the success or failure of a task
is strongly influenced by an opponent.
Competitive checks can be used to
determine which character performs
better when two or more characters
are attempting the same task. As
sisted checks are simply variations of
other checks but with two or more char
acters workinp fopether
OPPOSED CHECKS For example, two characters engage in a friendly
arm-wrestling contest aboard their starship. Each one
An opposed check occurs when someone is actively has the same goal: to win the match by pinning the op
trying to prevent a character from succeeding, or ponent’s arm. The winner can be determined through
when one character is trying to overcome or get past a competitive check to see who outperforms the other.
another. For example, a Force-sensitive Sentinel lies to Additional examples include several pilots navigating
an Imperial governor, claiming to know nothing about an asteroid training course, or two politicians trying to
the ancient Jed i holocron that recently vanished from win over an undecided crowd during a council hearing.
the governor’s collection. The Sentinel’s Deception
check might be opposed by the governor’s Vigilance. For a competitive check, the GM assigns a difficulty
level for the task, and each character involved in the
Opposed checks are most often applicable when a competition makes a skill check based on that diffi
task involves directly opposing the task that another culty. When characters make a competitive check, it's
character is performing, or when a task involves try important to track how many total & they generate
ing to go unnoticed, undetected, or undiscovered by with their respective dice pools. The character with the
someone else. most total & “wins” the check. If none of the characters
succeed at the check, then none win, and the competi
Like standard checks, opposed checks add ^ and tive check results in a draw. If two or more characters
potentially # to the skill check’s dice pool. Flowever, generate the same number of the check goes to a
rather than simply being assigned by the GM, the dif tiebreaker to see if the draw can be resolved.
ficulty of an opposed check is determined by a quick
comparison of the opposing character’s relevant char Although O and (J) still provide their customary
acteristic and skill ranks. effects in these situations, they also provide one ad
ditional benefit. If the two characters tie with the num
Building the active character’s dice pool starts out fol ber of net & they generate, the character with the
lowing the same procedures as those for a basic dice greater number of ($) becomes the winner. If the char
pool. Based on the character’s relevant characteristic and acters are also tied for number of (^, the character
skill ranks, ( } are added, and some may be upgraded into with more total O i s declared the winner.
O. The opposition then introduces^ and # based on its If the characters are still tied after evaluating these
categories, the competitive check is a draw. In this
own relevant characteristic and skill ranks. The higher of case, the GM may simply appoint a winner, declare
the opposition’s characteristic and skill values determines that all tied parties have lost, resolve the draw with
how many ^ are added to the pool, while the lower value another competitive check, or find some other way to
indicates how many of those dice are upgraded into # settle the competition.
(see Upgrading Dice, on page 30).
EXAMPLE: OPPOSED CHECKS EXAMPLE: COMPETITIVE CHECKS
Kaveri Ra, a Togruta Seeker, is trying to sneak Belandi the Mirialan Consular and Pon the Nau-
up on a wild nexu without being detected. Ka tolan Warrior are each attempting to convince a
veri has Agility 4 and Stealth 2, building an ini local antiquities dealer that he should sell one
tial dice pool of four Ability dice, two of which of them a crystal that either could use in con
structing a lightsaber. The GM decides that mak
are upgraded to Proficiency dice ( O O O O i n ing their arguments will require a Hard +
total). The nexu has Cunning 2 and Perception Leadership check. Belandi has Presence 3
1. Therefore, the opposition adds two Difficulty and Leadership 2, while Pon has Presence 2 and
dice (^ ^ ) to the check, one of which is sub Leadership 1. Belandi generates & O O
sequently upgraded to a Challenge die (# ). If Despite his inferior Presence and Leadership,
there are no other factors, the skill check has six however, Pon manages to succeed, generating
dice: 0 0 O O 4 # . & ($) © <§> <§>. Pon wins the competitive check
based on the tiebreaker (since the also counts
COMPETITIVE CHECKS as a Success), convincing the dealer to tell him
where the dealer got the crystal in addition to
Competitive checks occur when several people are selling the crystal to him. However, Belandi also
trying to accomplish the same goal at the same time has O O to resolve, while Pon must contend
or are trying to determine who performs a task better with <o><§) <§}. Perhaps even though Pon won the
than another. When multiple characters are attempting argument, the dealer saw how desperate he was
the same task and the players need to determine who to get the crystal, and gouged him on the price.
accomplishes the task first or performs it better, or to Meanwhile, the dealer took a liking to Belandi
measure some other outcome, they are engaging in a and gave her a discount on anything else she
competitive check. wanted to purchase from his shop.
ASSISTED CHECKS EXAMPLE: UNSKILLED ASSISTANCE
Some tasks are important or challenging enough that Later, Kaveri finds herself needing to assist Be
help is required—or at the least appreciated. Fortu landi in tending to a comrade’s wounds. Belandi
nately, characters can—and should— provide assis has Intellect 4 and Medicine 2, while Kaveri has
tance to each other in performing a variety of tasks. Intellect 2 and no ranks in Medicine. Kaveri can
Over the course of normal narrative play, providing not provide skilled assistance, so Belandi gains
assistance is easy. A player explains how his character one Boost die on the skill check to reflect Ka
wants to help with the task. If the explanation is rea veri’s attempts to help, resulting in the following
sonable, the GM may allow that assistance. There are dice pool: 0 0 O O D
two types of assistance that can be provided: skilled
assistance and unskilled assistance. ASSISTANCE RESTRICTIONS
SKILLED ASSISTANCE The GM can require that certain conditions be met
in order for Player Characters or other parties to of
Assistance works best when the assisting party brings fer assistance. To assist in tending to an injury, the
additional insight or expertise to the task. W hen a assisting character might need to be next to the
character with a higher characteristic or skill rating patient, or to assist with translating an ancient ho-
provides assistance to another character, the dice locron, the assisting character might need to have
pool may use one character’s characteristic and the access to the holocron.
other character’s skill rating.
Generally, only one character can provide assis
EXAMPLE: SKILLED ASSISTANCE tance at a time. However, the GM may decide that
certain situations can accommodate more people. In
Belandi the Consular is assisting Kaveri the this case, only one assisting character can offer his
Seeker with an Astrogation check to set hyper characteristic or skill rating, and all other participating
drive coordinates. Kaveri has Intellect 2 and characters contribute □ to the check.
Astrogation 3, and Belandi has Intellect 4 and
Astrogation 0. Kaveri’s player chooses to use ASSISTANCE AND TIMING
Belandi’s Intellect 4 and Kaveri’s Astrogation 3
when making the skill check, resulting in the fol During combat or structured encounters, when initia
lowing dice pool: < 0 0 0 0 . tive and the order in which characters act is more im
portant, assistance can be accomplished by perform
UNSKILLED ASSISTANCE ing the assist maneuver. The assist maneuver allows
an engaged ally to benefit from assistance provided
If the assisting party does not have a higher charac by the acting character on the ally’s next skill check.
teristic or skill rating, so that using either rating would Assistance lasts only until the assisted character’s
provide no benefit to the other character, the GM may next activation.
add □ to the dice pool (representing the fact that the
additional assistance is still providing some benefit). For more on the assist maneuver, see Chapter VI:
Conflict and Combat
OTHER KEY ELEMENTS
E ven when things are at their worst, Player Charac TALENTS
ters are capable of rising above adversity to face
challenges head-on. W hether they are able to shrug Whereas skills represent what a Player Character
off wounds that would kill lesser folk, focus their will knows, his practiced disciplines, or the experience he
to manipulate the Force in some way, or call upon applies in a particular area, talents are a much broader
their experiences to fuel higher levels of proficiency, class of special ability. Talents represent various tricks,
Player Characters are a breed apart. This section techniques, and knacks PCs pick up over the course of
describes a number of these key elements, includ their careers, or reflect their sheer determination to get
ing character talents, Destiny Points, experience and things done. Each talent is a distinct special ability that
development, and derived attributes such as wound provides the PC with an edge in certain situations. Keep
and strain thresholds. ing a rickety old freighter together with a combination
of determination and baling wire, inspiring allies in the
The majority of talents are specific to a
PC’s given profession. Talent trees represent
the natural flow of learning and experience that a
Player Character gains throughout adventures. Talent
trees are divided into five tiers, with the higher tiers
representing remarkable abilities. Some talents may
appear across multiple specializations, but at differ
ent tiers or costs.
DESTINY POINTS
face Player Characters are cut from a
of a Force different cloth than most NPCs
storm summoned up by that populate the galaxy. Not only
a crazed dark side acolyte, and knowing do they have access to skills and spe
just where to hit a rampaging rancor in order to take it cial talents to help them succeed, but PCs
down are all examples of talents at work. are also intimately connected to destiny. Destiny
is that special spark that elevates heroes above
While characteristics and skills are fairly universal— commoners, imbuing an individual with enough
every PC has six characteristics, and everyone has ac significance in the galaxy’s events to be a Player
cess to all of the skills—talents are far more specific. Character. Over the course of the PCs’ adven
Each career is defined by a series of unique talents tures, destiny can intervene on their behalf
bundled together in a format called a talent tree. for good or ill. Destiny might manifest in a positive
These talent trees define specializations within each way and provide a temporary advantage or boost to a
career, helping to distinguish the ways in which Player PC ’s abilities. O r destiny might prove an ill omen and
Characters advance along separate career paths. impose additional hardships and complications.
Talents are divided into several categories and are The concept of destiny and the Player Characters’
either active or passive. Active talents typically require ability to tap into and influence this resource is repre
the player to state that his PC is using them. Some sented by Destiny Points. Destiny is interwoven with
active talents have a cost or requirement associated the Force, which pervades the galaxy with both light
with them, such as investing a Destiny Point, suffering energy and dark energy. Destiny is one way the Force
strain, or using the talent as part of an attack action. guides and surrounds the Player Characters.
Other talents are passive, meaning they are always “on”
and don’t need to be activated by the player. Passive Destiny Points are resources that can be invested
talents either constantly provide their benefit or are by the players and GM for a variety of different ef
automatically triggered under certain circumstances. fects. For example, Destiny Points may be used to
upgrade Ability dice or Difficulty dice, or to trigger
Some talents belong to a series of related talents. certain talents or special abilities.
These may comprise either lower-level talents and
their improved versions or identical talents taken mul THE POOL OF D ESTINY
tiple times for a cumulative effect. In the former case,
an improved version of a talent com pletely replaces Like the Force, destiny has both a light side and a
or upgrades the lower-level version. In the latter case, dark side. Light side Destiny Points favor the Player
the talent is measured with a series of ranks. The Characters and can be used to aid them in their ac
more times that talent is taken, the more ranks it has tions. Dark side Destiny Points impede the PCs and
and the greater the magnitude of its effects. are used by the GM to imperil and complicate their
actions. The light side and dark side are two sides of
the same coin, struggling for balance, each enduring
the effects of the other side’s strengths and exploit
ing the other side’s weaknesses. As the pool of light
side destiny ebbs, the dark side’s Destiny pool grows.
As dark side Destiny Points are consumed, light side
Destiny Points are replenished.
PREPARING THE DESTINY POOL
Each player with a PC rolls one Force die O (the GM
does not roll a O) to determine the current Destiny
pool before the start of each game session. The re-
suits of the Force dice are tallied to become the an N PC ’s dice pool. Additional information on upgrad
starting Destiny pool for that session. For example, a ing dice can be found on page 30.
player who rolls one light side symbol 0 ) adds one
light side Destiny Point to the session’s Destiny pool. RAISING THE STAKES
A player who rolls two dark side symbols ( # # ] adds
two dark side Destiny Points to the Destiny pool. Destiny can also be used to help keep characters out of
harm’s way. Characters can call on destiny to make an
Once set, the size of the Destiny pool does not opponent’s skill check more challenging. A single play
change for that session. Before the next session begins, er may spend one light side Destiny Point to upgrade
players roll to generate a new Destiny pool, which may the difficulty of any N PC ’s skill check by one. This refers
have a different number and composition of Destiny to upgrading a t into the more p o te n t# . The GM may
Points. While the Destiny pool size is fixed for a session, spend a dark side Destiny Point in this way to upgrade
the number of light side and dark side Destiny Points difficulty in a PC’s dice pool. Additional information on
available can change frequently as players and CM call upgrading dice can be found on page 30.
on destiny to influence their actions.
SPECIAL ABILITIES AND TALENTS
TRACKING DESTINY POINTS Many powerful talents allow characters to spend Des
tiny Points for various effects. For example, a savvy
Destiny Points are 'easily tracked using the Desti Am bassador can spend a Destiny Point to immedi
ny Point tokens found in the Star Wars R oleplayinc ately recover from strain equal to his Presence rating.
Dice pack. Players can also use gaming tokens, glass M any other uses exist as well—see the individual tal
beads, or any other convenient method. Two-sided ent descriptions for details.
tokens or chips work especially well. Ideally, one side
is colored or designated to represent light side Des LUCK AND DEUS EX MACHINA
tiny Points, and the other side to represent dark side
Destiny Points. Destiny can also be used by the players to introduce
“facts” and additional context directly into the narra
HOW D ESTIN Y PO INTS ARE USED tive. The GM already does this by managing and direct
ing the story, but this use of Destiny Points provides the
All players and the CM can tap into destiny by us players with a means to make contributions as well.
ing the Destiny Points in the pool. There are several
distinct ways players and GMs spend Destiny Points. Imagine the Player Characters land on a planet they
The players may only spend light side Destiny Points, expected to have a breathable atmosphere, only to find
and the GM may only spend dark side Destiny Points. that a leak at the gas mining facility has rendered the
air toxic. One of the players suggests spending a Des
W hen a player spends a light side Destiny Point, it’s tiny Point, saying, “Good thing you remembered to
converted into a dark side Destiny Point once the cur pack those rebreathers last time we were in dry dock,
rent action is resolved. When the GM spends a dark Arkhan.” While none of the players may have specifically
side Destiny Point, it’s then converted into a light side mentioned or listed rebreathers before, it’s a sensible
Destiny Point. Conversion takes place at the end of and creative addition to the game. If the GM agrees, the
the action during which the Destiny Point was used, Destiny Point is spent, and the player’s suggestion be
preventing players or GM s from immediately spend comes a true statement—there are rebreathers handy.
ing a just-converted Destiny Point. Destiny is a power
ful resource, but it’s limited. A player can spend only Similarly, a player may spend a Destiny Point in
one light side Destiny Point during a single action, and this manner to suggest finding a spare stimpack while
so should think carefully about how to use destiny be quickly scavenging through a medical facility, or to
fore doing so. The GM likewise is limited to spending propose introducing a terrain feature the Player Char
only one dark side point per action. acter can duck behind for cover.
The following section explains some of the ways in Using Destiny Points narratively is a great way to
which Destiny Points can be used. Unless noted oth keep all of the players involved and the story moving
erwise in an option’s description, both the players forward. Flowever, the GM has final say over what is
and the GM have access to that option. and is not acceptable. Players should not abuse this
use of Destiny Points; the more outrageous or unlikely
A HELPING HAND the suggestion, the more likely it is that the GM will
curtail Destiny Point use. Ultimately, narrative use of
All characters have the opportunity to call on destiny Destiny Points allows the players to feel empowered
to enhance any skill check they are about to attempt. as active participants in the game and story by re
A player may spend one Destiny Point to upgrade his warding their creativity and roleplaying. If a requested
starting dice pool by one. In other words, the player use of a Destiny Point would contribute toward this
may upgrade <^> into the superior O . The GM may goal, the GM should consider allowing it.
spend a dark side Destiny Point in this way to upgrade
DESTINY POINT THE LIM ITS OF LUCK
ECONOMY IN GAMEPLAY
Destiny is a powerful resource that must be used
All players and the GM are encouraged to use Destiny wisely—each player can invest only one Destiny Point
Points regularly, creating an ebb and flow of destiny in any single check. If a player chooses to invest a
over the course of a session. W hile the players could Destiny Point to upgrade an <)>into a O , for example,
theoretically “ lock” all the Destiny Points and simply that player cannot also invest a Destiny Point to trig
not spend any light side Destiny Points to prevent the ger one of his character’s talents. The GM may also
GM from using dark side Destiny Points against them, choose to invest one Destiny Point per skill check.
this works both against the spirit of the mechan This does introduce the possibility that both the play
ics and the setting. Players who horde their Destiny er and the GM invest destiny in the same skill check,
Points may find the GM using other methods of put resulting in no net difference to the overall Destiny
ting pressure on the group, forcing them to reconsider pool balance.
their plan. It’s perfectly acceptable for the GM to re
mind the players about using Destiny Points in play, The active player (the player or GM forming the
such as by suggesting the use of Destiny Points if they dice pool) always has the first chance to use a Destiny
are feeling overmatched by a tough enemy. Point. Once that player has decided whether or not
to use a Destiny Point, the other party involved in the
The Player Characters are wrapped up in the fate of check (the targeted player, or the GM in the case of
the galaxy, and through their adventures, destiny will an NPC) has the opportunity to respond and spend a
work both for and against them. W hen used wisely, Destiny Point as well. For example, if the GM declares
Destiny Points provide tension and excitement by he will spend a Destiny Point to upgrade an enem y’s
making routine checks more significant, adding an el Ability die into a Proficiency die for an attack against
ement of drama to the mundane, or helping provide a a PC, that PC ’s player has the opportunity to then use
boost when the Player Characters are overwhelmed. a Destiny Point, either to upgrade one of the pool’s ^
into a # . or perhaps to trigger one of the PC ’s talents.
EXPERIENCE AND DEVELOPMENT
A fter surviving everything the Empire and the dark side IMPROVING CHARACTERISTICS
of the Force has to throw at them, Player Characters
are liable to learn from their successes—and mistakes— Raising a characteristic during character creation
in order to better themselves in preparation for even costs ten times the value of the next highest rating.
greater challenges. Experience is the primary means by During character creation, no characteristic can be
which players customize their characters. Each PC starts increased to higher than 5. During the course of play,
with a beginning pool of experience points that can be no characteristic can be increased to higher than 6.
spent during character creation to train skills, improve Characteristics may only be purchased with experi
characteristics, or acquire talents. During each session ence points during character creation, not at any later
of a Force and Destiny campaign, Player Characters re time. During gameplay, characteristics can only be
ceive additional experience, which can also be spent to increased by acquiring specific high-tier talents. For
improve their skills, talents, and characteristics. more on raising characteristics, see page 102.
STARTIN G EX P E R IE N C E PO IN T S SKILL TRAINING
Player Characters begin with a number of experi Each skill has five ranks of training available. A Player
ence points (XP) based on their species. The experi Character may have already acquired several ranks of
ence points used during character creation are the skill training from his starting career and specializa
same “currency” as experience points received dur tion for free. PCs may train additional skills and gain
ing play. If a player chooses to spend fewer experi additional ranks during character creation. Regard
ence points than budgeted during character creation, less of any species or career bonuses, no skill can be
those points carry over into the game, and the PC has raised higher than rank 2 during character creation.
more experience points to spend once the adventures
begin. More information on spending starting experi The cost for training skills falls into one of two cat
ence points can be found in Chapter II: Character egories: career skills and non-career skills. Training a
Creation, on page 102. career skill costs five times the value of the next high
est rank. Training a non-career skill costs five times
the value of the next highest rank plus 5 additional
experience points. Players may purchase ranks in tier it occupies. Similar talents may have different
skills for their PCs during character creation or later costs for different PCs, based on their specializations.
during gameplay. Player Characters may purchase talents during char
acter creation or later during gameplay.
ACQUIRING TALENTS
Talents are acquired from a Player Character’s avail
able talent trees, generally provided by their special
ization choices. A PC can purchase any talents for
which he is eligible. An eligible talent is any talent in
the top row (which cost 5 experience points each), or
any talent that is directly connected to an already-
acquired talent. The cost of a talent
varies according to which
ACQUIRING NEW SPECIALIZATIONS bonus career skills as well. These skills now count
as career skills for the PC. Player Characters can
Each Player Character starts with a single specialization purchase specializations from any career. Purchas
within his chosen career. However, PCs may purchase ing an additional specialization within a P C s career
additional specializations in order to gain access to a costs ten times the total number of specializations
broader range of skills and talents. There is no limit on he would possess after adding this new specializa
the number of specializations a PC may possess. tion. Purchasing non-career specializations costs ten
times the total number of specializations he would
Acquiring a specialization allows a Player Charac possess after adding this new specialization, plus an
ter to spend experience points in the new specializa additional 10 experience.
tion’s talent tree, in addition to any he was able to
access before. M ost specializations have one or more
DERIVED ATTRIBUTES
Some character attributes are based on other choices ing do not increase the character’s strain threshold;
made during character creation or over the course strain threshold improvements are then acquired only
of a campaign. Some of these attributes may change by purchasing appropriate talents, such as Grit.
frequently over the course of play or may be modified
by talents, equipment, or various special abilities. DEFENSE
WOUND THRESHOLD Defense determines how difficult a character is to hit
in combat situations. Characters have both a ranged
A character’s wound threshold represents how much defense and a melee defense. A character’s default
physical damage he can withstand before he is value in both ranged defense and melee defense is
knocked out. Wounds can be serious and lead to a zero. If a character’s defense value is listed simply as
Critical Injury. They can be treated with the Medicine “ Defense” and not specifically defined by separate
skill, but it may take time to recover (droids use M e ranged and melee values, then the same value is ap
chanics to repair wounds). plied to both ranged and melee defense.
A character’s starting wound threshold is based on Defense is most commonly gained by wearing ar
species and Brawn rating. After this initial value is de mor or by adopting a defensive position in combat,
termined, increases to Brawn rating do not increase such as taking cover. Some special talents may also
a character’s wound threshold; wound threshold im increase one of a character’s defense ratings.
provements can then be acquired only by purchasing
the appropriate talent, such as Toughened. SOAK VALUE
STRAIN THRESHOLD A character’s soak value determines how much incom
ing damage the PC can shrug off before taking real
A character’s strain threshold represents how much damage. The soak value is subtracted from any incom
stress a character can withstand before becoming ing damage to the character. Any damage remaining
stunned, dazed, or otherwise incapacitated. Strain after subtracting the soak value becomes wounds ap
represents psychological or mental damage to the plied against the character's wound threshold.
character. Strain is more easily suffered than wounds,
and can even be used as a resource by players to trig A character’s default soak value is equal to his
ger certain character abilities. Thankfully, characters Brawn rating. After this initial value is determined, in
recover from strain more quickly than from wounds. creases to Brawn rating do increase the character's
soak value. Additional soak value bonuses are most
A character’s starting strain threshold is determined often gained by wearing armor. Some talents may
based upon species and Willpower rating. After this also increase a character’s innate soak value.
initial value is determined, increases to Willpower rat
CHARACTER
CREATION
"There is another."
-Yoda
F orce and D estiny recounts the dark days when CREATING A HERO
the evil Empire focused on destroying everyone
who dabbled with the Force. Those Force-sensitives Creating a character for Force and Destiny is done
who hoped to survive had no choice but to remain in just a few short steps (presented here), allowing
hidden. Thus, in play, while some characters may players to get involved in the action right away. To
attempt to recover lost information and embrace create a character, each player needs access to this
their connections to the Force, others may main rulebook, a character sheet (found at the end of this
tain that they have no such talents. Regardless of book), and a pencil. Players also need access to ten
their beliefs, the inherent abilities of Force-sensi sided (d 10) dice for rolling on certain charts. Finally,
tives can draw unwanted attention. Those who are a few sheets of note paper are not necessary, but
strong in the Force become drawn to oppose the might be helpful.
Galactic Empire—either out of a sense of convic
tion or a drive for survival. Character generation uses a point-buy system,
meaning each player has a budget of experience
Almost any living being in the galaxy can manifest points he can invest in different aspects of his char
affinity for the Force. Before beginning the process acter. Selecting a character’s species and career de
of generating the numbers and selecting the gear termines the character’s starting characteristics and
for each character, players and the Game Master skills, as well as the character’s starting experience
should discuss the core concept for the campaign points. After those initial choices, players invest
and consider what might bring together the group their experience points to improve starting charac
of Force-sensitive Player Characters. teristics, acquire training in key skills, learn special
talents, and even unlock additional talent trees.
CHARACTER CONCEPT mystical powers, or a deadly and feared warrior? B e
fore starting the game, the player should take a few
The section that follows provides a way for a player to minutes to think about the character he wants to
delineate a character via numbers and game mechan build and what he wants that character’s background
ics. The central core of the idea for the character, how to be. W here did the character come from, what in
ever, must come from the player. Each person partici spired him to leave his former life and pursue a life of
pating in the game needs to start out with the seed of a adventure, and when did he first realize he might have
concept for a character who can manipulate the Force a connection to the Force?
and travel throughout the S ta r W ars galaxy. Perhaps
the character is an old hermit, someone who was once Perhaps the character lived a quiet life of luxury as
a Jed i who fought in the defense of the galaxy, but has an heir to a fortune in the Core Worlds. Alternatively,
since gone into hiding and seen his skills dwindle with he could have been a struggling farm boy on the O ut
disuse. O r the character might be a naive youth grow er Rim. The circumstances of his childhood—as well
ing up on a homestead on the Outer Rim. He may not as the way he first encountered the Force—are certain
even realize the power that he can control, and the up to have colored his maturation process and his goals.
coming adventures will be a chance for him to grow
into a hero who might save the galaxy. More information on developing the character’s
background begins on page 45.
At the earliest stages of character creation, the
players and Came Master should have a detailed S T E P 2: D E T E R M IN E M O RA LITY
discussion about the types of characters to be cre
ated. If the GM has a specific campaign framework in W hen creating a character in Force and Destiny, de
mind, it could require the presence of specific types termining the character’s Morality is a key decision
of skills or even focus on a limited subset of species. made early in character creation. Force-sensitives
A campaign that takes place exclusively on the Core must carefully consider the implications of the choices
Worlds might have less need for the Survival skill, they make, particularly as they reflect the use of their
while one centered on the Galactic Civil W ar might Force abilities. Morality tracks how “good” and “evil”
focus more on combat skills than on skills related to a character is. A character’s starting Morality can af
diplomacy. Sometimes the GM might want to adjust fect other decisions a player makes during character
the campaign based on the players’ wishes, and the creation, such as the type of character to play, the
players are likely to appreciate the opportunity to overall moral compass of the group, and the charac
tweak their initial character ideas. Information shared ter’s starting skills, characteristics, and gear.
at this stage can help the players and Came Master
work together to create characters that complement Morality is presented in detail starting on page 48.
the types of stories envisioned for the campaign.
S T E P 3: SELEC T A S P E C IE S
While some character concepts can be a better
fit for a campaign, seldom is a concept truly wrong. The Force interacts with all living things, regardless
Roleplaying games often work best when everyone is of their world of origin. M any are drawn to travel the
willing to work in a collaborative fashion. Constructive breadth of the galaxy, interacting with other species
criticism as well as meaningful compromises during as they answer the Force’s call. Once players deter
character creation can lead to a more fulfilling game- mine their characters’ starting Morality, they choose
play experience. Group members should be open to what species their characters will be. A character’s
one another’s ideas at this stage. Working together to species establishes initial ratings in the characteris
bring out the most fun and entertaining aspects of dif tics of Brawn, Agility, Intellect, Cunning, Willpower,
ferent characters can be a great way for the players to and Presence. Secondary characteristics, including
establish a rapport that lasts throughout a campaign. wound and strain thresholds, are also determined by
species. Finally, species have unique intrinsic abilities
GENERATION STEPS that further set them apart. O f course, once chosen,
characters cannot change species.
To create a character, a player follows ten steps. Each
step is summarized here and then fully explained later More on the various species options for characters
in the chapter. in Force and Destiny can be found on page 54.
S T E P 1: D E T E R M IN E B A C K G R O U N D S T E P S 4 A N D 5: SELEC T A C A R EE R
AND SPECIALIZATION
Each character starts as an idea. Does a player want
to play a noble and aspiring knight working to save Steps 4 and 5 are handled together, but represent
the poor and oppressed, a backwater shaman with two distinct choices that shape a Player Character:
career and specializations.
CAREER During play, career skills are less expensive to train
and improve than non-career skills. As with species, play
After choosing a species, a player must next select the ers cannot change a character’s career during gameplay.
PC’s career, choosing one of the six options present
ed. The career chosen reflects the character’s philo The six careers in Force and D estiny begin on
sophical approach to overcoming challenges, and can page 63.
be thought of as a broad archetype of related skills
and abilities. Each career can be explored through a SPECIALIZATIONS
range of specializations that share a common set of
initial skills and focus on similar talents. If a career is the broad framework for a Player Char
acter’s construction, specializations can be viewed as
The choice of career establishes the central focus the materials added to the framework to fill it in and
of the character’s training, practices, and even pro give it detail and distinction. As their name implies,
fessional experience. While not intended to limit a specializations are specific areas of focus within a ca
character, the choice of career does establish what reer. While linked by the career’s common philosophy,
kinds of skills and talents are going to be most readily each specialization takes a different, more focused
available, as well as the roles the PC is likely to excel approach to a particular aspect of the career. For ex
at within a group. Players should think of their char ample, while the Warrior career focuses on combat,
acter’s career as an archetype that forms the initial the W arrior’s Starfighter Ace specialization emphasiz
framework for constructing their PC. es space combat, while the Shii-Cho Knight specializa
tion allows a character to focus on lightsaber fighting.
Each career has six associated career skills. These
skills should be marked on the character sheet to in Each specialization within a career possesses a
dicate that they are career skills. During this step of unique talent tree, available only to those who have
character creation, the player may choose three of the chosen that specialization. The specialization also gives
six starting career skills and have his character gain one players access to certain career skills, allowing ranks
rank in each of the selected skills free (experience points in these skills to be purchased for fewer experience
are not spent to gain these ranks). The player may not points. Each character gains access to one special
choose the same skill more than once. Each career also ization without spending experience at character
gives the player character Force rating 1. creation. That specialization must be one of the
specializations within the
chosen career.
Specializations grant the character access to four around them. In some instances, a character’s prima
additional career skills, which should be marked on ry Motivation is an overarching philosophical belief.
the character’s sheet as career skills if they are not Other characters focus on more concrete objectives,
already marked. During this step of character cre often associated with the desire to aid family or close
ation, the player may choose two of the four addi allies. A few choose a specific cause that they hope
tional career skills from his character’s first special to achieve within their lifetime, possibly moving on to
ization (and only his first) and gain one rank in each another one should they ever achieve it.
without spending experience. The same skill may not
be chosen more than once. Remember, even if the There are three general categories of Motivation:
player purchases additional specializations during Ambition, Cause, and Faith. Each of these Motivations
Step 6, only the specialization selected during this has a list of specific manifestations. Alternatively, a
step counts as the character’s “first” specialization. player may obtain the Came M aster’s permission and
Therefore, this is the only specialization that will grant create a different Motivation and its specific details.
the PC a free rank in two of its career skills.
Motivation has an important role to play in a char
Specific specializations are presented within the acter’s progression. If a character acts true to M otiva
context of their associated career, beginning on page tion, that PC may earn additional experience points
67. A full list and descriptions of each talent in this at the end of a game session.
book can be found starting on page 136.
Different Motivations are presented on page 105.
S T E P 6: IN V E S T E X P E R IE N C E P O IN T S S T E P 9: C HO O SE G E A R A N D A P P E A R A N C E
The species a player selects for his character also es Once a player has defined his character’s species,
tablishes an initial pool of experience points (XP). These background, career, specialization, and any other
experience points can be spent to improve certain as important attributes, he can begin determining the
pects of the character: to increase characteristics, pur descriptive details of his character. Height, weight,
chase additional ranks in skills, acquire talents, learn eye color, hair color and style (or tentacle or horn
new specializations, or even gain new Force powers. color), skin color, build, distinguishing features such
Players may spend their points in any combination of as scars and tattoos, and choice of clothing are all
these areas, meaning that two Player Characters with descriptive details that can be determined narrative
the same species, career, and specialization still may ly. This information can and often should be linked
end up very different from one another. During game- to the previous choices made for the PC; a charac
play, characters will earn additional experience points ter with a high Brawn may be more muscular, for in
based on their achievements and successes. Those stance, while a character raised on a desert planet
points can also be spent to purchase new skill ranks, may have skin that’s weathered and darkened by the
specializations, Force powers, and talents. punishing sun.
Information about spending experience points be Each PC also starts the game with 500 credits’
gins on page 102. worth of personal gear and weaponry. At this stage,
the PC may select this gear.
S T E P 7: D E T E R M IN E D ER IV ED A T T R IB U T ES
Equipment selection is presented on page 107.
This step must be taken only after the player com S T E P 10: D E T E R M IN E G R O U P RESO U RC E
pletes the previous steps. Several attributes can
only be determined after a player fully establishes a At the conclusion of the Clone Wars, the Jed i were
character’s starting characteristics and talents. The eliminated from the galaxy. In the years that followed,
derived attributes are wound threshold, strain thresh Force practitioners needed to conceal their abilities
old, defense, and soak value. or face extreme consequences. Information about
the Force, particularly as encrypted in holocrons, rep
Full information on calculating these attribute val resents a critical learning tool to any individual who
ues can be found on page 104. wishes to learn the ways of the Jedi. Alternatively, the
group may start with a ship, or even a mentor. This re
S T E P 8: D E T E R M IN E M O TIVATIO N source, shared among the group, is one of the things
that has brought them together.
A character’s Motivation is his primary call to take ac
tion and experience adventures. For Force-sensitives, Information about starting resources begins on
the Force is often linked to their calling, as it guides page 109.
and motivates them just as it shapes the galaxy
STEP 1: DETERMINE BACKGROUND
T he Force fills the galaxy, from the most cosmopoli COM FORTABLE W ITH TECH
tan Core World to the farthest outpost in the Outer
Rim. Those who can hear the call of the Cosmic Force Many of the worlds and cultures across the galaxy have
may come from anywhere; they hail from wildly diverse a high level of technological sophistication. Droids and
walks of life. When It comes to choosing a character’s the FloloNet are tools that many sentients use on a
background, a player’s options are limitless. daily basis. Starships and repulsorlift craft are a com
mon sight on many worlds, and characters are likely
A significant portion of a Force initiate’s attitudes comfortable using these fantastic devices. Most adult
can be based on the philosophy and background of individuals from these sorts of worlds enjoyed an edu
his youth. Characters who enjoyed a comprehensive cation that included a solid grounding in engineering
education while interacting with people of other cul and the hard sciences. This level of technological fa
tures and worlds are likely to be more open-minded miliarity is considered the norm for the civilized galaxy.
than those raised in a single culture. Individuals from
primitive worlds, where each d ay’s food depended on Most of the planets from the Core Worlds to the
a successful hunt, likely see the world differently than Outer Rim fall into this category. Even frontier and co
those raised in a high-tech environment. lonial worlds tend to have denizens familiar with stan
dard galactic technologies, even if said technologies
If the Force was considered a key part of the char are rare or unavailable. These planets are typically a
acter’s culture, there may have been a great deal of part of wider galactic society. Citizens of these worlds
reverence and respect toward teachings associated who wish to avoid technology must make a deliberate
with it. Other cultures may have treated the Force as effort to do so.
nothing more than an old myth. Every character must
come from somewhere, and the story of that origin is PRIM ITIVE BACKWATER
likely to have repercussions that affect career choice
as well as Morality and Motivation. Within the Outer Rim and the Unknown Regions,
there remain worlds and civilizations isolated from
A character’s game statistics need not all directly the greater galaxy. Even among those that are aware
reflect his background. Instead, the background is of other worlds and cultures, many have only limited
meant to provide depth to the character, offering in access to technologies. Some cultures— regardless
sights on personality and mindset that are not evident of their location within the galaxy—choose to avoid
in skills, talents, and Force abilities. Knowing a char technology or interaction with other worlds. Many
acter’s origin can often provide a useful framework for of these hold a particular reverence for the natural
determining what goals the PC might have as well as world. Others simply feel that an overdependence on
the paths he might pursue to achieve those goals. any but the most rudimentary of tools can be a cor
rupting influence.
CULTURAL BACKGROUND
A character from a primitive world often lacks a full
Characters’ cultural backgrounds frame many of the understanding of the scope of technology. Some may
decisions they make. Backgrounds can determine the routinely expect a device to be able to do virtually
types of skills characters possess at the beginning anything. Others may have little appreciation for a
of play as well as the types of solutions they bring tool’s abilities, preferring to perform tasks manually.
to challenges. If they are accustomed to living in the Often, the attitude the character feels for devices is
natural world, they may not be as quick to look for proportionate to his loyalty toward his homeworld. If
technological solutions. Similarly, if every resource he holds it in reverence, he may be reluctant to learn
was precious during their youth, their attitude toward about tools and techniques from other places.
wealth and conservation is certainly different than
that of characters who came from privilege. THE PRIVILEGED FEW
If a character came from the homeworld of his spe Even on affluent worlds, there are individuals who
cies, some of these answers may be determined at enjoy lives of greater privilege than most. On worlds
the same time the species is chosen. Flowever, most where basic necessities are precious, there exist some
worlds have some variation in culture types and lev members of society who never want for those essen
els, particularly between different population centers. tials. For children, a life of privilege is most often a
Alternatively, a character might have come from a quirk of birth. Generally, their family somehow earned
colony world or could even have grown up on a world the rank and lifestyle, and they benefit immensely
completely different from his homeworld, surrounded from being born into it.
by an alien culture.
Characters with this background have had oppor major blessing to display or a horrible secret to con
tunities that most have not enjoyed. This typically in ceal. These early attitudes often play a major factor
cludes a thorough education and can also encompass in determining the types of Force talents a character
other life opportunities, such as travel and cultural in might have studied, as well as the amount of effort
teractions. This background colors the character’s at put into developing them.
titude toward wealth and material possessions. Some
who choose to abandon these comforts look down AN ANCIENT RELIGION
upon others who continue to enjoy them.
More than twenty years ago, then-Supreme Chancel
THE POOR AND HUNGRY lor Palpatine wiped out the Jedi. Before he did so, the
Jed i were figures of whom many people had heard, but
On some worlds, resources are so scarce that every with whom few had ever interacted. To most, they were
one must constantly scramble to obtain the basic a tiny and aloof band of warriors and peacekeepers,
necessities of life. From early childhood, individu not people one interacted with on a daily basis.
als are expected to contribute in a meaningful way
to increase their family’s odds of survival. On worlds After the purge, those few who had formerly had
where resources are more readily available, there still the most opportunity to interact with the Jed i, the
exist subcultures where families live in desperation, people engaged in the work of galactic governance,
constantly in search of their next meal. worked directly for the man responsible for wiping
out those same Jedi. Some dismissed the Jedi as a
Individuals who live in constant want may be able dangerous cult that had almost overthrown the ga
to accept this situation as the norm, readily learning lactic government. Some figured the best way to sur
to make do with the assets that are available and liv vive in the growing Galactic Empire was to forget the
ing this way for the rest of their lives. Alternatively, Jed i had ever existed. Some refused either of these
some become obsessed with material possessions, paths, only to vanish quietly as they drew the atten
spending all of their time focused on obtaining more. tion of the Imperial Security Bureau. M any beings in
Characters with either outlook often work carefully the rest of the galaxy had never even seen a Jed i or
to plan and manage their resources. W hen someone experienced the Force. For them, it was all too easy to
isn’t sure where the next meal may be coming from, it believe the Force was a hoax, and the Jed i were gone.
helps encourage them to be cautious in their actions.
Of course, some characters with this background may Now, the Galactic Empire works tirelessly to stamp
be exceptionally cavalier in their endeavors, secure in out the last rumors and legends of the Je d i’s exis
the knowledge that they have nothing to lose. tence. M any who live under the Em pire’s dominion
EXPERIENCING believe the Force is little more than an outdated
THE FORCE legend. Citizens who have the potential to use
the Force almost never come to recognize
The environment and circumstance of a their inborn talents. Instead, they simply
character’s youth can play a major fac attribute any signs of their ability to luck,
tor in how that character interacts spiritual favor, or some other natural
with the world and can inform ability. Most vigorously deny any con
the player’s selection of nection to the Force, insisting that their
skills. A society’s attitude skills and abilities are not enhanced by
toward the Force frames its influence. Learning to embrace the
the lives of those who Force as well as to use his abilities de
are sensitive to its pres liberately could be a central part of a
ence. Depending on character’s initial development.
their culture, charac
ters’ sensitivity to the THE DUTY TO TRADITION
Force could be a
Even at the height of the Em pire’s
power, the Force still plays a major
cultural role on some worlds. In
less sophisticated cultures,
Force-sensitives may
occupy leadership roles as shamans or spiritual advi who would have reason to be familiar with the Jed i and
sors. Individuals could be inducted into an order dur their knowledge. A former Republic soldier or sympa
ing their early childhood, so that they could engage in thetic Senator, an old friend of the Jedi, or even an ally
a rigorous course of study. Such trainees are seldom who worked with the Jed i but was not Force-sensitive
given any other option but to embrace their educa may have escaped the Emperor’s purges and passed
tion. The ability to manipulate the Force provides on what he has learned. It may be that the character
them with a moral obligation to use it for the better is one of those individuals, and as he has aged, he has
ment of their culture and the greater galaxy beyond realized that he too can tap into the power of the Force.
it. The character may be selfless in making decisions
to help others and may face the consequences which HEEDING THE CALL
come from intuitive self-sacrifice.
W hatever the character’s background or understand
PRAGMATIC P O W E R ing of the mysterious powers he can wield, eventually
something occurred to inspire him to leave his former
Characters who recognize their Force potential do not life behind and seek a life of adventure in the wider
always readily acknowledge its spiritual associations. galaxy. The options for this turning point are limitless;
Some see their powers and talents as tools they can below are a few possibilities.
use to advance their lives or accomplish their goals.
This may help them to be more successful in their ca FLEEING THE E M PIR E
reer of choice, enabling them to transform the world in
a way that fits with their personal philosophies. The Empire hunts down Force users diligently and en
thusiastically. The character may have betrayed his af
Many deny the fundamental goodness or evil of the finity to the Force in some way, perhaps by anticipat
Force, insisting that consequences for success and fail ing someone’s thoughts or saving someone’s life by
ure are far more important than any spiritual elements. stopping a crashing speeder with his mind. W hatever
Such characters are no more or less likely to make the cause, the character is now hunted by Imperial
choices or perform actions that could be classified as agents and must flee his former life or be destroyed.
“good” than those that could be classified as “evil.”
Flowever, in their minds, their preference for a certain D ESIR E FOR UNDERSTANDING
moral choice is independent of the powers they wield.
This can prove problematic if, for example, a character Flaving realized he has some untapped power at his
believes his righteous anger is a reasonable motivator disposal, the character now wishes to know what this
for his actions. Such a character may constantly flirt power is. Simple research on his home planet or via
with the dark side of the Force and never realize it. the FloloNet has yielded nothing, so he must set out
into the wider galaxy to see what he can learn about
Learning or denying Force philosophies and his his odd abilities.
tories invariably plays into the stories of characters
from this background. Eventually, the character likely W ITH GREAT PO W ER...
learns of the truth of the Force. W hether he embraces
this knowledge or denies it and continues on his cho Some individuals cannot stand idly by while watching
sen path can prove to be a very interesting opportu the evils the Empire inflicts on the galaxy. The charac
nity for character development. ter knows he’s been given a gift that few others have.
To squander it while innocents suffer would be the
ONE W ITH THE FORCE height of irresponsibility.
Some adepts are so deeply grounded in the Force ULTIMATE A B IL IT IE S
that it influences their every action. These characters
constantly perceive the world through its lens, and it Some characters see their strange abilities as a sign
decides their every thought. Often, their education that they are destined for greatness. They can do
has included a thorough grounding in Force philoso things that others around them cannot. Clearly, this
phies, so that they choose to act with deliberate devo means they are a cut above the general population.
tion to the light (or dark) side of the Force. To leave their life behind is merely the first step in a
journey that may see them rise to become the ulti
Such knowledge is deliberately suppressed in the mate power in the universe. W hether or not they use
Empire and thus incredibly hard to come by. Flow that power for good—or for evil— remains to be seen.
ever, it is not impossible. A character with this back
ground may have been raised by one of the last Jed i
to escape the purges, who, before dying, passed on a
measure of knowledge of the Force to the character.
Alternatively, the character may have known someone
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