I just ordered the rebellion rpg beginners set yesterday. I plan to be the GM but I have never GMed before. So I was wondering if I should dig out my old Star Wars miniatures and use them or will they not be needed? Also if anyone has any tips for a total noob I'm all ears. Thanks!

Minis are fine to use, not necessary, but in some instances they may help people with visualizing range bands and positioning.

My suggestions:

• If you haven't GM'd before, research the system you wish to play by watching/listening to the game being played by others. In this case check out some SW:EotE/AoR podcasts. Pay attention to how those GMs do it. Think about what you like and didn't like about their style.
• Know your players. Have you played with them before? What are their play styles? Do they prefer you describing a room with flourish or with highlights? Are they mostly about combat or deep role-playing?
• Try to give each player a little of what they want but don't side with one player's preferences over another. You have the power to give them all something to enjoy in the game.
• Always accept suggestions and feel free to give them but never take/give orders. Friendships can die quickly that way.
• This isn't a program, expect and accept alterations to your plans. Have back up plans to keep things moving but it never hurts to just wing it when necessary. Having GM Screens or self made tables of information help here.
• You are a story teller, but you aren't the only one. This is everyone's story to tell.
• Never be afraid to say "I don't know" when a player asks you a question about a game mechanic, story element, or Star Wars history/mythos/etc. Just make sure you follow that statement with either "Lets look it up" or "but I think it would probably be..?"
• Most importantly, this is a game. Everyone should be having fun, including you. If GMing doesn't make you happy, maybe you should find out if someone else is willing to try.

Well, that's my advice. As long as your players don't impale themselves on swords, your first GMing session will be better then mine. Good luck.

Where does one find these podcasts?

Thanks

Definitely use mini's if you have them. Sometimes you will find that you don't need to bother setting them up, but often they still help to relatively show where people are located, so combat doesn't become confusing or people don't have a different image of the battlefield in their heads.

Make a few rolls on your own, or run out a combat just by yourself before GM'ing. Get comfortable with the system.

If you can't figure out a rule after a minute or so, just make a ruling at the table and move on. Later you can look up the rule so you know what to do next time. Keeping the game flowing is more important than getting every rule exactly correct.

If you can't figure out a rule after a minute or so, just make a ruling at the table and move on. Later you can look up the rule so you know what to do next time. Keeping the game flowing is more important than getting every rule exactly correct.

You wrote that on this forum??!? Don't get a rule exactly right??!??...............Are you mad??

Where does one find these podcasts?

Thanks

Order 66 does a series of podcasts, I believe you tube has some that focus more on the Age of Rebellion Beta but I don't know if they've done any on the AoR Beginner box set yet.

Other podcasts include Dice Heroes which is on its 2nd season of Edge of the Empire actual play podcasts.

There are some Edge of the Empire actual play podcasts on You tube too try rpg podcasts you should find a couple of links to those two podcast sites there.

The Beginner Box comes with a sheet of circular pogs/tokens with character, NPC, and monster faces on them. So for the purpose of the beginner box, you don't need miniatures, they're already supplied for you.

I rarely use minis at my games. I did at first and ran into problems so I put them aside. After that I got used to running combat more abstractly and it worked great. Now I only break out my X-Wing miniatures when running space combat. Mostly because I love those figures and I like to get as much use out of them as I can.

I agree entirely with Kaosoe, EotE and AoR are at heart, narrative rpgs. Sure, there are rules and stats, but it is not a dungeon crawler.

Minis/tokens can be useful to help players visualize distances at first, but the game really encourages players to narrate actions as much as possible. The dice are telling a story,instead of simply indicating a success or failure.

I found the Dice Stormers YouTube video of them playing the EotE Beginner Box fairly helpful. They just opened the box and started playing, so they fumbled around a bit, but it was interesting to watch them. The adventure will be different than what you are playing, but the easing into the rules will be the same.

The minis may come in handy. Just don't try to get a 'to scale' grid game going. This game is meant to be played mostly narratively. The figures would come in handy just to show approximations on where everyone is. Even the beginner box maps are not scaled to show grid combat like people used to Dungeons and Dragons are familiar with.

After the Beginner Box you may be better off getting a dry erase board to sketch things for your players and having them put their figures wherever they want. I don't think time spent digging around in a box of figures will be time well spent in this game.

I've just been using a tablet to show pictures of planets and aliens that the characters may not know. If I've not found links ahead of time, there are enough Star Wars visuals from a quick Google search for most things.

Where does one find these podcasts?

Thanks

Podcasts :

Order 66

http://start.d20radio.com/home/the-order-66-podcast

The Sabacc Table

http://www.forcecast.net/story/gaming/Sabacc_Table_1_Welcome_152955.asp

Begging for XP

http://beggingforxp.com/2013/live-play-podcast-star-wars-lost-sons-episode-1-part-1-2/

Youtube :

Dice Stormers

Prologue

R.G.G.

I agree entirely with Kaosoe, EotE and AoR are at heart, narrative rpgs. Sure, there are rules and stats, but it is not a dungeon crawler.

Minis/tokens can be useful to help players visualize distances at first, but the game really encourages players to narrate actions as much as possible. The dice are telling a story,instead of simply indicating a success or failure.

While I agree with the game being narrative above all markers to help show relative distances are extremely helpful. (Ok you are at medium range from that stormtrooper and that rancor. Are they engaged or on opposite sides of you? Or maybe even within short range of each other. Who knows! The minis know...)

Don't use minis unless you really need to. I typically show a photo "the place looks kinda like this" and just put the minis down to show relative distance.

Maps can work, and are needed occasionally, but you also end up with situations like I had just last weekend where a new player broke down when he saw his character at Medium range to the Stormtroopers and didn't have grid squares to show EXACTLY how far that was supposed to be.

One of the cool things about this game is that if you do use minis, you aren't constrained to only grid maps. I often toss out a picture from on of the films, or an enlarged panel from a comic or whatever. We then place minis as markers on the map so that everyone remembers where everyone is.

I find mini's extremely useful as markers for remembering how many enemies are left, where everyone is standing and at what range, who has cover or height or whatever, etc.

But then there are small confrontations where we don't use them at all.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I have the starter kit in hand now and I've read thru the books. I see both sides of the argument, I guess I'll just try a couple miniatures and see how it works w my friends. If it sucks then I'll stop using them.

I would recommend NOT using anything with a grid map wise, don't use rulers etc.

I would recommend NOT using anything with a grid map wise, don't use rulers etc.

Agreed. This is very much an "eyeball it" system.

I would recommend NOT using anything with a grid map wise, don't use rulers etc.

Agreed. This is very much an "eyeball it" system.

I concur, as well.

We used some Friday night but mostly just in being able to get some line of sight issues laid out. Not for range, the GM just rule of thumbed that.

If the Age of Rebellion Begginger's Game is like the Edge of the Empire's adventure, the module itself should lead you around by the hand well enough for you to run the adventure.

I would recommend NOT using anything with a grid map wise, don't use rulers etc.

I use minis and highly agree to not have anything near your table with a grid on it starting with session one. Beat into their heads early that the minis only are being used to show location, NOT exact distances for range, movement, etc. You don't want d20 range/movement ideas to creep into their heads or a new player may suddenly not "get" this system and begin to dislike it.

I would recommend NOT using anything with a grid map wise, don't use rulers etc.

I use minis and highly agree to not have anything near your table with a grid on it starting with session one. Beat into their heads early that the minis only are being used to show location, NOT exact distances for range, movement, etc. You don't want d20 range/movement ideas to creep into their heads or a new player may suddenly not "get" this system and begin to dislike it.

Whilst I get what you're saying, I think it depends on the group. My players like to see some sort of layout (I use a dry-wipe battle mat). Once I've laid everything out and placed the minis I can say "Ok, you're here, these guys are at medium, these guys are at long". I seems to work ok, with everyone just being able to ignore the grid.