If they are part of one of the main alliance units odds are they do receive some pay from the Alliance. They might also take some loot off of dead imperials, or from raids. If they are part of one of the guerrilla cells operating in Imperial territory than they are likely to have a day job that gives them some money.

If the PCs are a regular unit, such as the Rogue Squadron or Katarn's Commandos, they'll be paid in Alliance specie, which would be good for services on Alliance bases and worlds.

Let's not forget after Yavin the Alliance has several friendly or sympathetic planets such as Mon Calamari and Chandrilla where Alliance personel can spend money. It's not -many- planets, but it is TWO planets.

You can pretty much buy whatever you could imagine- guns, real estate, more food than you could eat, more booze than you can drink, a good education..anything any single person could realistically desire, considering he's going to probably die within the next year.

The galaxy might be big, but that's two whole planets where you could spend your money for what it's printed on, that's not nothing. Not even the US dollar has that kind of buying power.

If I can try and bring this back on topic, I still don't feel like I have an answer to my question. Everything so far has been really high level, conceptual ideas about how the Rebellion, as a socio-political organization, procures resources, not about how player character get credits to buy personal supplies and arms outside of what can be reasonably given for a mission or as a result of increasing duty.

How do player characters get credits? In EoE, they get them from robbing, looting, taking jobs and bounties, and any number of other "self employed" means. A team of rebels simply isn't going to have those options and isn't likely to be on the payroll. So how to they get stuff?

I answered you. They steal what they need. Every resistance in history has done that. That, or they barter things for goods and services. The side discussion was a distraction, a group that spent the first two movies hiding under a temple and then a glacier doesn't have the resources, time, or logistical infrastructure to distribute currency.

Except you, know for the rest of them spread throughout the galaxy and their fairly large spacefleet and a couple of planets under their control, like Mon Calamari...

Not in the first two movies, maybe in some post OT EU drivel, but not the first two movies.

Even the opening of the A New Hope Novelization refers to worlds and star systems rebelling against the Empire so claiming they didn't control any worlds until the post Return of the Jedi EU came out is ludicrous. As is claiming they had no infrastructure just because of where their hidden HQ was located in the first two films. Do you seriously think they didn't build any of the ships we saw them using in the movies? Because manufacturing starships and starfighters requires an infrastructure beyond what either of the bases we saw in the Original Trilogy was shown as having.

We didn't see a fleet until RotJ. If the rebels had a fleet in the first movie, why were they not evacuating yavin base when the death star showed up?

Y-wings were old ships, used in the clone wars. Many of the freighters are older models as well.

X-wings were, going by EU, stolen prototypes.

B-wings and A-wings were made after Dac, who had shipyards rebelled, just prior to RotJ.

A-wings were also hangar queens because of how they were manufactured.

I guess this conversation is going to boil down to which EU is canon, because officialy, it seems only what is on screen matters.

As to building of fighters, to go to another franchise, the new battlestar had chief tyrrol building a new fighter out of spare parts - much like how I imagine a-wings were made.

You can have a factory without having a galaxy spanning economy.

Back to the OP's question, I see much of the rebels doing the job because they believe in the cause, not for the pay. Much of the materials for war would be stolen, traded or bartered from black market sources or scant allies.

The average soldier probably cares more about food and shelter than a few credits. If I recall, the age of rebellion beta has a quartermaster specialty, so that can go a long way for getting some gear.

@ScooterinAB: You've been answered by quite a few of us. The answer boils down to "however you want." I don't see any reason you can't offer your players a paying job now and again. Credits help the Rebellion just the same as dead stormtroopers. I guarantee the core book, when it is released, will have further information on how to deal with the games economy.

2P51: If the EU is such drivel, and you refuse to believe that a Rebellion would concern itself with such premature economic issues, I hope you also believe that the Rebellion was put down hard by whatever organized force rose against it after the fall of the Empire.

TBS: I don't think anybody is claiming they established a galaxy spanning economy in Ep IV or Ep V. But it was vital that the roots be established so that when it was needed (immediately after Ep VI).

@ScooterinAB: You've been answered by quite a few of us. The answer boils down to "however you want." I don't see any reason you can't offer your players a paying job now and again. Credits help the Rebellion just the same as dead stormtroopers. I guarantee the core book, when it is released, will have further information on how to deal with the games economy.

2P51: If the EU is such drivel, and you refuse to believe that a Rebellion would concern itself with such premature economic issues, I hope you also believe that the Rebellion was put down hard by whatever organized force rose against it after the fall of the Empire.

TBS: I don't think anybody is claiming they established a galaxy spanning economy in Ep IV or Ep V. But it was vital that the roots be established so that when it was needed (immediately after Ep VI).

I know you directed it at 2P51, but since there is a new movie coming out in 2015 set 30 years after Return of the Jedi, I think that the future is not written (or at least filmed). But if you go by EU, it WAS put down by the Yhuzan Vong.

Now as to what was directed at me, I don't believe a new credit was worth it. The empire didn't create a new currency, they used what was in place. I see no reason to alienate and inconvienience the entire galaxy.

Also, as I mentioned, there is Nothing concrete about the future after Return of the Jedi.

Even the opening of the A New Hope Novelization refers to worlds and star systems rebelling against the Empire so claiming they didn't control any worlds until the post Return of the Jedi EU came out is ludicrous. As is claiming they had no infrastructure just because of where their hidden HQ was located in the first two films. Do you seriously think they didn't build any of the ships we saw them using in the movies? Because manufacturing starships and starfighters requires an infrastructure beyond what either of the bases we saw in the Original Trilogy was shown as having.

The novelization ain't the movie if you're asking what I consider canon. I think they stole the gear they were using. I think the movies and crawls at the beginning are quite clear, the Rebels are in hiding and on the run. The rest of this is pure EU and not film canon. I like some EU and use it, this notion of printing currency is silly.

I still don't comprehend why would it be considered silly when there are multiple examples of historical rebellions doing the same thing but we'll have to agree to disagree. Even the films make it clear there are a number of inhabited worlds not controlled by the Empire. (Cloud City pre Empire Strikes Back, and Ozzel mentions there being many uncharted systems so there is room for the Alliance to control worlds without the Empire's knowledge.

@ScooterinAB: You've been answered by quite a few of us. The answer boils down to "however you want." I don't see any reason you can't offer your players a paying job now and again. Credits help the Rebellion just the same as dead stormtroopers. I guarantee the core book, when it is released, will have further information on how to deal with the games economy.

2P51: If the EU is such drivel, and you refuse to believe that a Rebellion would concern itself with such premature economic issues, I hope you also believe that the Rebellion was put down hard by whatever organized force rose against it after the fall of the Empire.

TBS: I don't think anybody is claiming they established a galaxy spanning economy in Ep IV or Ep V. But it was vital that the roots be established so that when it was needed (immediately after Ep VI).

I know you directed it at 2P51, but since there is a new movie coming out in 2015 set 30 years after Return of the Jedi, I think that the future is not written (or at least filmed). But if you go by EU, it WAS put down by the Yhuzan Vong.

Now as to what was directed at me, I don't believe a new credit was worth it. The empire didn't create a new currency, they used what was in place. I see no reason to alienate and inconvienience the entire galaxy.

Also, as I mentioned, there is Nothing concrete about the future after Return of the Jedi.

I said whatever rose. So anything that rose should have taken them down. Instead, the New Republic had some 40 (? something like that) years of putting down resistances before the Vong. I'm certainly not claiming that economic preparation just prior to the Rebellion gaining power will guarantee a radically different government largely consisting of different leaders will hold power against foreign invaders. Instead I'm talking about civil war breeding civil war.

Earlier, I made the same comment as above, but included a specific reference to the Warlords (and was scoffed at because EU) and that's more or less what I meant this time, just avoiding the specifics of the EU. So, to rephrase my intent for you:

If the Rebellion was not willing to prepare themselves for government before the preparations were needed, the Warlords would have handily carved the galaxy up into pieces. Instead, they had economic preparations in place and were able to put down opportunists.

The Empire also didn't form a new government. Comparing the rise to power of the Empire with the rise to power of the Rebellion doesn't even share any superficial similarity, so I really can't see your point.

"I don't believe a new credit was worth it." I believe you're wrong. I feel like I (and others in this thread) have made cases for why it was the best idea, and many leaders of successful rebellions in our history also believed it was the best idea. Ultimately, if you don't like it, that's your choice to make for your game.

No, there is nothing concrete about the EU whatsoever. I know this. I am basing my argument on the EU as little as possible. My statement to 2P51 was a hypothetical I doubted he would agree to that presupposed there was nothing written after Return of the Jedi. So I'm really not sure what your point is.

2P51: If you don't feel it is in keeping with your vision of the Rebellion, so be it. It is your game to play, so play it your way. Instead you are arguing in a thread about the economics of the Rebellion in a game that is more than willing to embrace EU sources as fact saying that the EU is stupid and you know better than the leaders of many successful revolutions of the past. Establishing a currency makes sense. You just don't like it.

EDIT: And as this conversation really hasn't gone particularly well, and only promises to get worse, I think it best that I back down from it. So I think this'll be the last thing I post in this thread.

I still don't comprehend why would it be considered silly when there are multiple examples of historical rebellions doing the same thing but we'll have to agree to disagree. Even the films make it clear there are a number of inhabited worlds not controlled by the Empire. (Cloud City pre Empire Strikes Back, and Ozzel mentions there being many uncharted systems so there is room for the Alliance to control worlds without the Empire's knowledge.

Cloud city was small enough to 'escape notice', that's not the same thing.

There's room for all kinds of stuff but it wasn't in the film, so it isn't canon, period. It's EU and some of that is good and some is crummy, but aside from TCWs, it's not canon.

No, there is nothing concrete about the EU whatsoever. I know this. I am basing my argument on the EU as little as possible. My statement to 2P51 was a hypothetical I doubted he would agree to that presupposed there was nothing written after Return of the Jedi. So I'm really not sure what your point is.

2P51: If you don't feel it is in keeping with your vision of the Rebellion, so be it. It is your game to play, so play it your way. Instead you are arguing in a thread about the economics of the Rebellion in a game that is more than willing to embrace EU sources as fact saying that the EU is stupid and you know better than the leaders of many successful revolutions of the past. Establishing a currency makes sense. You just don't like it.

EDIT: And as this conversation really hasn't gone particularly well, and only promises to get worse, I think it best that I back down from it. So I think this'll be the last thing I post in this thread.

I'm not arguing, and I'm not taking any of this personally, so I'm not sure why you are. I've used no derogatory personal attacks or anything, in fact I'm not angry at all. I at no time said you aren't entitled to use whatever you want in your game. I just pointed out based on what is presented in the movies the EU created fiction implying the Rebel Alliance had the time, resources and logistics to manufacture and distribute currency is poopie. It's bad fiction written by an EU author. The movies clearly show the Alliance did not have those kinds of resources.

I still don't comprehend why would it be considered silly when there are multiple examples of historical rebellions doing the same thing but we'll have to agree to disagree. Even the films make it clear there are a number of inhabited worlds not controlled by the Empire. (Cloud City pre Empire Strikes Back, and Ozzel mentions there being many uncharted systems so there is room for the Alliance to control worlds without the Empire's knowledge.

It's silly because the first two movies clearly show a Rebel Alliance on the run and hiding using cobbled together jury rigged equipment and vehicles in ad hoc bases. Historical Rebellions aren't what we are talking about, we are talking about what was on the screen in the OT compared to a piece of fiction written by an EU author.

No, there is nothing concrete about the EU whatsoever. I know this. I am basing my argument on the EU as little as possible. My statement to 2P51 was a hypothetical I doubted he would agree to that presupposed there was nothing written after Return of the Jedi. So I'm really not sure what your point is.

2P51: If you don't feel it is in keeping with your vision of the Rebellion, so be it. It is your game to play, so play it your way. Instead you are arguing in a thread about the economics of the Rebellion in a game that is more than willing to embrace EU sources as fact saying that the EU is stupid and you know better than the leaders of many successful revolutions of the past. Establishing a currency makes sense. You just don't like it.

EDIT: And as this conversation really hasn't gone particularly well, and only promises to get worse, I think it best that I back down from it. So I think this'll be the last thing I post in this thread.

I'm not arguing, and I'm not taking any of this personally, so I'm not sure why you are. I've used no derogatory personal attacks or anything, in fact I'm not angry at all. I at no time said you aren't entitled to use whatever you want in your game. I just pointed out based on what is presented in the movies the EU created fiction implying the Rebel Alliance had the time, resources and logistics to manufacture and distribute currency is poopie. It's bad fiction written by an EU author. The movies clearly show the Alliance did not have those kinds of resources.

I did not blame you for how the conversation has gone. In truth, I'm getting frustrated, and am the one changing the tone of the conversation for the worse. So I should leave it be, I think.

I do want to point out that we are still in the tiered canon system. There is no "this is canon and this is not." It is instead a system by which discrepancies are sorted out between different levels of authority. If you don't believe anything but G-Level (the movies and the word of George Lucas) and T-Level (The Clone Wars show) canon is authoritative, that's up to you. But all levels of canon are considered to have happened until an event is superseded by something written in a source with a higher level of canon. (Obviously excepting Infinities)

In the future, the way that canon is sorted will be changed, but we have no idea what the effects of that will be.

The canon ranking was tossed out by Disney, they have some itty bitty canon committee working on it. So some EU is going to be purged.

I still don't comprehend why would it be considered silly when there are multiple examples of historical rebellions doing the same thing but we'll have to agree to disagree. Even the films make it clear there are a number of inhabited worlds not controlled by the Empire. (Cloud City pre Empire Strikes Back, and Ozzel mentions there being many uncharted systems so there is room for the Alliance to control worlds without the Empire's knowledge.

It's silly because the first two movies clearly show a Rebel Alliance on the run and hiding using cobbled together jury rigged equipment and vehicles in ad hoc bases. Historical Rebellions aren't what we are talking about, we are talking about what was on the screen in the OT compared to a piece of fiction written by an EU author.

The thing is that the EU only clashes with the movie from your point of view. The movies don't have the time to give us a detailed schematic of the Alliance and what it can do, does do, and does not do. And I'm pretty sure that minting their own money takes a lot less infrastructure than making their own starfighters, and warships, or even maintaining fighters and capital ships..

The canon ranking was tossed out by Disney, they have some itty bitty canon committee working on it. So some EU is going to be purged.

Right but until the committee rules we have no idea what will be thrown out, and until the ruling is made the old system still stands. Personally I doubt this is the kind of thing they are going to bother throwing out. Unless there is a scene in the ST which states when the Alliance or New Republic first established its currency, or a scene in Rebels where rebel command is debating establishing a currency of their own and rejects doing so I see no real gain to the story to reject the idea of the Alliance printing money.

The canon ranking was tossed out by Disney, they have some itty bitty canon committee working on it. So some EU is going to be purged.

Yes. I said as much. But it hasn't happened yet, and until it does, everything goes on as is.

As far as canon goes, for my games Canon is what FFG publishes in the game books and what appears on screen. Everything else is apocrypha. I do not feel bound in any way by the EU in running my game. Parts of EU are good, parts are bad, and large parts I am completely unaware of.

As for the original question, I think that a lot of arms and equipment for a Rebel cell can come down the supply lines. At least if the cell is connected to the Alliance formal structure. For independent cells I would not be surprised if quite a bit of looting, as well as donations from sympathizers occurred. There may even be a payroll system of Rebel "regular" forces.

Right how about we discuss or suggest how we'd handle this situation?

For example before I stopped gaming with my old group I had planned a Star Wars game based around the Bodacious Pirates anime in that they were privateers who helped stabilise the sector of space they operated in and were tolerated (at least for now) by the Empire mostly because they wasn't perceived as a threat and of course the Empire was more focused on other matters.

The idea was they were formed at the tail end of the Clone Wars and served as protection for merchant ships when travelling alone wasn't an option in those dangerous times and whilst the Empire could have replaced them they were far from ready nor inclined to do so.

My game would have revealed their organisation was attacked and only a small number of them escaped leading to them making contact with a rebel unit as part of an adventure that would have reintroduced the group's original Star Wars characters from a Dr Who crossover that I was going to resolve and in return replace my then character.

That character would have died at the start of that game (although not identified) and his obligations would play a part in their early adventures had I been able to get that far.

Anyway the resources they would have available would be related to their privateer occupation and would largely depend on them continuing their work protecting shipping in the area and would eventually involve them helping various Rebel contacts whilst keeping a low profile.

This would include them being able to get involved in their own Edge games as well as AoR games but would highlight their need to maintain their resources since some of their missions would entail keeping up their official identity as well as continue their search to discover who attacked them and why...

Would you leave it to your players to explain where their resources were coming from or how they maintained themselves?

The Alliance is frequently described as being "a benevolent dictatorship" run by Mon Mothma, on the promise that if they topple the Empire, they will restore a republican system of representative government (and there is no better way to lose a war than to let it be run by committee).

The Alliance is also an insurgency, often operating as guerrillas and organized into cells, such that one random cell being compromised won't give away Mon Mothma's present location. It's an all-volunteer army based on ideology, the ideology that the Empire is bad and needs to be violently overthrown.

So I really don't see Alliance military people being paid.

Instead I see the Alliance military as being run under something we might consider Communism: from each according to his ability, to each according to his need. At a major base, you get a cot, 3 square meals, medical care if needed, gear according to your job and mission. The Alliance can't afford to pay you to send money back home because they just can't afford it. Now maybe they issue their troops war bonds that they will be able to cash in if the Alliance wins and takes the reins of government, but that's still a risky bet. I could see that happening though.

Instead, the Alliance needs whatever money and capital it can raise for a variety of things: buying supplies, gear, replacement parts, things they can't just manufacture or expect to have donated by sympathizers (things that require dedicated industrial process and would be sold on a black market). They need to be able to pay non-aligned people like Han Solo to do some work (smuggling, info-running) for them, because they may lack volunteers with the right skill-sets, or contacts, or fast ships equipped with smuggling compartments.

But the Alliance can't afford for the bulk of its armed forces to be mercenary and joining the military primarily to draw a steady paycheck. In the same way, the Alliance depends on donations of ships and materiel, not purchasing them from the Mon Cal shipyards. They may buy some ships from private dealers but that's not going to be the bulk of the fleet; they don't have a taxation system to raise government income. They need people willing to fight and die for the cause itself, not because supporting the cause gets them paid. They're fortunate in that the Empire has given pretty much every species but one a reason to be at least a little out of compliance if not fully supporting the restoration of the Republic when there was much less racism-as-government-policy.

Has it ever been established whether the crates of cash that Han is loading onto the Falcon just before the Battle of Yavin came from Alliance coffers or Leia's personal funds? She is after all a princess and (former) Senator.

While it is possible, maybe even likely, that Alliance issues some form of scrip of its own, I expect that for most transactions with others they use Imperial credits, other hard currency, or valuable commodities in trade.

Take home pay is probably not common for Rebel soldiers. Alliance scrip would only be usable internally, and hard currency would be saved for use where needed outside the Rebellion.

Taking down an Imperial paymaster could be an interesting mission.

The EotE rulebook is based on the EU. If you want to use some other assumption, that's fine for you're games, but for purposes of discussion on these forums the EU is just as valid a source as the movies.

I have no problem with the game being based on sources including the EU. I just do not think it is reasonable to expect all players of the game to know everything that ever appeared in the EU. Thus canon for my game is what FFG publishes for the game.

Not to mention that the EU, the films, Lucas' production notes, etc are not internally constant. The canon is not without internal errors.

"Canon" in Star Wars only matters until George changes his mind again, or someone figures out a new way to make money off Star Wars. It has changed before and will change again. Just look at the different "official" versions of the films...some big changes there.