I've recently purchased myself a nice copy of JoY, and I've come across the situation concerning Shreya Ordassa and Pos Podura. I'm a sucker for happy endings, and seeing such an opportunity available, I couldn't stand letting it go.

Of course, it's not very likely in any average group for the players to entirely care about the situation, if they even find out about it. So, anyone else been thinking about this? What are some conclusions you've come to on the situation?

P.S. I hope someone gets the title reference.

Alas, but it would appear I am alone in my endeavors!

'Cause this ain't the Princess Bride, either...

Or Cinderella...

Or any of that.

Alas, but it would appear I am alone in my endeavors!

'Cause this ain't the Princess Bride, either...

Or Cinderella...

Or any of that.

Sorry - I have no idea what you're talking about.

I'm just reading through it for the first time, just got to that info. Looks intriguing, like you I'm a sucker for that stuff. If I get to run this, I doubt Pos will get the gem, nor will Shreya, but maybe they can be re-introduced, and maybe some action on his part will make her sit up and take notice.

My main concern so far is I'm not sure how well my players will take to that level of planning.

I've been very impressed reading Jewel of Yavin. It provides a Star Wars adventure full of derring-do, but places the emphasis on character interaction and creative problem solving. I like a blaster shootout and explosions as much as the next Star Wars dork, don't get me wrong, but this is such a nice change of pace. I hope it runs as nicely as it reads!

Ah, it is as I assumed: nobody knows.

My plan was that the players would hopefully investigate the bidders, and I would have Pos Podura stick out. He's a well off, rich man with a mysterious-esque past. He never visits the same bar twice. Sounds very fishy.

Then when the players find out that he's just a love sick student, well... That's the main issue.

I know for a fact that it will look like excessive over planning that is insignificant to the players; I'm trying to find a way whee it's excessive over planning that IS significant to the players. Make them care without them even noticing it.

This can often times be the perfect trait in a GM for creating a perfect game (due to it being planned out), but I don't have it. I'm mostly afraid that the players will laugh at the humor of the situation, then pretend it never happened. It needs to come off as serious, and, most importantly, needs to seem beneficial to aid him.

In the end, helping him may be helpful to the players as well (for when they make the get away), but you can hardly tell them that. How else can you make it seem helpful? The act of revealing Pos in itself proves that he can't win the bid race, which is his main use as a bidder. What else is immediately apparent as an asset on his part? Is there something that can be fished out of his provided backstory, or do we need to get creative and make some new stuff?

Alas, but it would appear I am alone in my endeavors!'Cause this ain't the Princess Bride, either...Or Cinderella...Or any of that.

Sorry - I have no idea what you're talking about.

*walks off in sad shame*

In the end, helping him may be helpful to the players as well (for when they make the get away), but you can hardly tell them that. How else can you make it seem helpful? The act of revealing Pos in itself proves that he can't win the bid race, which is his main use as a bidder. What else is immediately apparent as an asset on his part? Is there something that can be fished out of his provided backstory, or do we need to get creative and make some new stuff?

Well, he does know the husband of the Shen woman helping the PCs (AFB at the moment, and I'm only on my first read through), so you might have him be able to provide a bit more info there, expecting a favour later of course. Shreya is an academic, and might have access to interesting technology for the PCs to leverage if they make her happy somehow. And he can always show up at a blaster fight to help his new "friends". If the PCs develop a "small-O" obligation to him then he might get a bit of leverage over them.

Ah, it is as I assumed: nobody knows.

Not necessarily. You're making an assumption based on a limited subset.

I would assume it is a Romeo & Juliet or an R&J satire reference given the context of your OP.

However, as I don't own JoY I have no idea as would most the GMs who likely glossed over this thread if they didn't own JoY and didn't see anything immediately usable in their own game to take away from the starter post.

The big thing to remember about Pos is that he's actually a red herring/tool for the PCs at the auction. Without sufficient exploration of his backstory, the players might be convinced he just needs a bit of encouragement to win the bid for the gem to get Mil Mikkir out of the way and win Shreya's heart.

The issue, of course, is that he has no money. The *problem* is that wouldn't stop him from "winning the auction," then being unable to pay - which would get him in trouble with Greyson, possibly with Vorse and Kaltho, and definitely with the PCs when the hack the bank to find 5-thousand credits there for them to split with Arend and Aris.

His other use, if his backstory is uncovered, is as a tool to get Mil Mikkir jealous. It's not impossible for the players to maneuver Pos toward Shreya and drive Mil *up the wall.* Great way to get him to start upping the bid on the jewel in significant chunks out of spite.

Pos *can* have a happy ending. The key is to get him to grow a spine and be forward with Shreya. She respects people with ambition - that's one of the reasons she dumped Mil, he's got no drive. Even him admitting that he faked his way into the auction as an excuse to see her could crack through her cool exterior.

I think it would be more fun to get the party to reunite Shreya and Mil, but how that would happen I have no conceivable idea.

I think it would be more fun to get the party to reunite Shreya and Mil, but how that would happen I have no conceivable idea.

I don't think that's impossible if the group are good roleplayers.

The main point of contention between Shreya and Mil was that things were said that can't be unsaid. Honest things. Shreya is proud of her position and worked hard to get there. Mil is lazy, cruising through life on his trust-fund and father's nepotism. During a fight, Shreya threw that in his face and he blew up and essentially called her a shrewish social climber - and the two have been angry at each other ever since.

But what attacted them to each other? Mil is charming, clever and a little dangerous. Shreya is gorgeous, sharp as a tack, and ambitious. They actually make a good pair, if they can move past their relationship ending spat - which some careful middlemanning could possibly manage.

The most direct path would be to get Mil to face the fact that he could use a little whipping into shape and crawl back to Shreya for forgivenes. She's too proud to go back to him, but he might be willing to swallow his pride if he thinks he can win her back - and it might legitimately work. Shreya's a softy under her hard exterior, and she clearly still cares about him because otherwise he wouldn't pushing her buttons.

Holy crap, that could turn into the PC's favour, too, at the gala. With Mil and Shreya now back together, Mikkir might legitimately help her try to win the Jewel, rather than work to outbid her. That could make them drive up the price really high against rich, committed juggernauts like Vorse and Kaltho.

Actually, reuniting Mil and Shreya would be a coup, and I'd give my group a big XP boost for pulling it off.

The big question then is what happens to Pos Podura who becomes a jilted third wheel. He's already dangerously close to obssessed with Shreya - her hooking back up with Mil might make him do something regretful. At the very least, I could see him making a scene at the gala, causing a potential problem for the PCs.

I think it would be more fun to get the party to reunite Shreya and Mil, but how that would happen I have no conceivable idea.

I don't think that's impossible if the group are good roleplayers.

The main point of contention between Shreya and Mil was that things were said that can't be unsaid. Honest things. Shreya is proud of her position and worked hard to get there. Mil is lazy, cruising through life on his trust-fund and father's nepotism. During a fight, Shreya threw that in his face and he blew up and essentially called her a shrewish social climber - and the two have been angry at each other ever since.

But what attacted them to each other? Mil is charming, clever and a little dangerous. Shreya is gorgeous, sharp as a tack, and ambitious. They actually make a good pair, if they can move past their relationship ending spat - which some careful middlemanning could possibly manage.

The most direct path would be to get Mil to face the fact that he could use a little whipping into shape and crawl back to Shreya for forgivenes. She's too proud to go back to him, but he might be willing to swallow his pride if he thinks he can win her back - and it might legitimately work. Shreya's a softy under her hard exterior, and she clearly still cares about him because otherwise he wouldn't pushing her buttons.

Holy crap, that could turn into the PC's favour, too, at the gala. With Mil and Shreya now back together, Mikkir might legitimately help her try to win the Jewel, rather than work to outbid her. That could make them drive up the price really high against rich, committed juggernauts like Vorse and Kaltho.

Actually, reuniting Mil and Shreya would be a coup, and I'd give my group a big XP boost for pulling it off.

The big question then is what happens to Pos Podura who becomes a jilted third wheel. He's already dangerously close to obssessed with Shreya - her hooking back up with Mil might make him do something regretful. At the very least, I could see him making a scene at the gala, causing a potential problem for the PCs.

Or fumbling his way thought an attempt to steal the gem afterwards -- which could either be a terrible complication or a convenient distraction.

My PCs have learned about the situation, but they also learned that Pos Podura doesn't have enough money to pay for the Jewel if he wins the auction anyways, so they're going to make sure he doesn't win.

I don't have the adventure but this sounds like the perfect opportunity for your players to stumble across a datapad owned by the lovesick student that has a Shakespearean sonnet that you've rewritten with Star Wars references. Make sure to provide a physical handout and give some bonus xp for impassioned readings by players.

My PCs have learned about the situation, but they also learned that Pos Podura doesn't have enough money to pay for the Jewel if he wins the auction anyways, so they're going to make sure he doesn't win.

Your PCs have made the correct decision.

Pos is - in some ways - the most dangerous man in the auction. The bank-job is where the real payout lies for the PCs, whether they realize it or not. Pos needs to be talked down, removed from the equation, or thwarted - or he can seriously damage the PCs ability to make any money. Even Elaiza is only an obstacle to the Jewel itself (which is, in some ways, a bum prize.)

His:

Just throwing some crazee ideas to the wind (I certainly do not know how to implement these so that the PCs don't feel railroaded ):

How about taking the slice money & giving some of it (or all, if they are real suckers) to Pos, instead of the jewel, per se?

Either that, or buying him poison.

MTFBWY

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Either that, or buying him poison.

(Hopefully someone gets the reference)

Hiyas!

Further investigation of the module turned up a "love conquers all" option for the poor twi'lek & the togruta... It's in the party section, I believe.

MTFBWY

A

L

There will be no happy ending for Pos Podura in my game.

My PCs, being both dastardly and evil sort, were so concerned about Pos Podura accidentally getting the winning bid at the Gala that they assassinated him. After plying him with plenty of Rhyn's Reserve, they told the barkeep that they were bringing him home and proceeded to chuck him off the side of the Cloud City.

They've also taken his forged Credentials, and one of my PCs intends to masquerade as Pos Podura during the Gala.

There will be no happy ending for Pos Podura in my game.

My PCs, being both dastardly and evil sort, were so concerned about Pos Podura accidentally getting the winning bid at the Gala that they assassinated him. After plying him with plenty of Rhyn's Reserve, they told the barkeep that they were bringing him home and proceeded to chuck him off the side of the Cloud City.

They've also taken his forged Credentials, and one of my PCs intends to masquerade as Pos Podura during the Gala.

Don't you love it when your friends turn out to be violent psychopaths.

And when they make every effort to be different and think outside the box.

So, here's what ended up happening in my JoY run.

Pos and Shreya ended up winning the auction. How, you ask? Well, first, the clever PCs decided to help Pos out after meeting him, and they did so first by getting him money. The face of the group, the crew doctor, convinced Pos to bet all of his money on the PC race team. The team won, and Pos had quite a bit more money to throw around.

After the hutt started running away with the bid, the doctor convinced Pos to approach Shreya and offer to combine their bidding power in exchange for joining her research team. This, combined with a lack of being able to butter up anyone else to too great of a degree, resulted in Shreya and Pos winning the bid.

Things didn't go as planned for Pos after that, since Shreya liked the doctor quite a bit more... but still, there's some ideas for anyone who wants to help him out!