EotE and AotR

By yoink101, in Game Masters

Hi All,

I'm not so much posting because I have questions, but just to say hello. My group almost started a game of EotE last year with the beta. We ended up getting distracted by some new shiny and have played a couple of games since then. I'm about to take up the gm chair and run EotE, or maybe the new Age of the Rebellion because I think we're all into fighting against the Empire. I think somebody will want to take a career out of one book, and the rest will want careers out of the others. I don't mind this at all.

I take back my first sentence: I do have a question!

Has anybody run a game using a mix of EotE and AotR? I think the biggest difference is just duty v obligation and the careers and talents. This doesn't strike me as a problem, what does anybody else think?

Thanks!

I dont believe you will have any issues using both. The rules are identical, and everything is compatible, even Obligation and Duty can be used together as they are different things using the same mechanic.

I plan on starting with EotE and then moving into AoR at some point, so I am allowing my players to choose species from either game, but not careers at this point.

Careers are very easy to move back and forth. The only thing you might find is that AoR characters often start with an edge in being trained in combat skills. But that's hardly game-breaking. On the flip side, Edge Careers are getting sourcebooks sooner, meaning more Specs, more Talents and the cool Signature Abilities.

There are rules in the last AoR Beta update PDF on how to use both Duty and Obligation on the same character.

I always just default to Star Wars. A Jedi Master (F&D) takes in a Fringer farmer (EoE), the two of them meet up with a pair of Smugglers (EoE) to hitch a ride and end up infiltrating an Imperial super weapon (AoR) to rescue a princess Ambassador (AoR) and go to the Rebel base in the end (AoR). Shouldn't be a problem mixing the books....

I like Leia as a Politico, personally.

Honestly Agitator is probably even better, did she ever Inspire? She did a lot of Tirades.....

When my group got our hands on the beta last fall, about half the group picked up a specialization out of AoR. Wasn't a problem. I think the only concern I had was a Merc Soldier/Sharpshooter eventually having four ranks of True Aim. That is ridiculous, but it never came up.

The games were designed with the intent of being aspects of a "total Star Wars gaming experience," so on a purely mechanical basis they'll mesh together quite well.

However, the AoR material (at least if the Beta is anything to go by) are a tad more proficient in combat, as just about every career gets Ranged (Light) as a career skill (Diplomat and Spy are the exceptions I think), and some folks feel the talent trees are set-up in such a way as to be marginally better, but that's largely subjective.

I'm playing in a game where the GM freely allowed us to mix and match elements of the two games, and while most PCs stuck with just EotE or just AoR, a couple of us did a bit of mix&match and there's been no issues so far in the half-dozen or so game sessions we've played.

I agree the differences are subjective. While overall there is more combat skill handed out in AoR, I still think BH/Gadgeteer and that center left column in its tree is the gold standard for combat goodness in the game imo.

Awesome! Thanks for the feedback!

Perhaps I should put this question in a new topic, but I'll give it a shot:

I'm a little confused when looking at some of the force power talent trees, specifically sense. When you commit a force die, does that mean you don't get access to it if you activate a force power that turn? or any turn that the ongoing power is activated?

Also, does it take an action to activate an ongoing force power?

Thanks again!

When you commit a Force die it is not in play as long as it is committed. I haven't read anything about using an Action or otherwise to commit a die, I believe it's an incidental to turn one off if I recall correctly.

Activating a Force Power does take an action. The control upgrade for that power that allows the character to commit a force die is just another way to activate Sense. Logically, committing that Force Die would take an action. If a GM thinks that an action for committing that Force Die is too much, then it's entirely within their power to make it an incidental or a maneuver.

Personally, I am fine with making it an action since it lasts until the die is no longer committed (which can be done as an incidental) and committing the Force Die can be done outside of combat.

Force Powers are among the most vague parts of this game line. That is great, but the abilities can be quite powerful and I hope Force and Destiny makes things more clear cut.