Copperbell asked this on another thread, wondering what the maps and general thrust would be for the final beginner game...

I admit I've found the two existing Beginner games to be excellent, for both my hardcore group and teaching beginners. The adventures themselves are pretty basic; but that's a good thing here, because they are meant as a tutorial and you don't really want a convoluted plot getting in the way of that.

The downloadable sequel adventures are much better in that regard, with meatier stories and player involvement for them to get their teeth into... 'Okay, now you have your ship/base, what are you going to do with it?'

The visual element is great too - the players really love the maps and plans for the ship and the base. The EoE group is still flying their ship, and have dumped much of their cash into its improvement. I allowed the players to build up Whisper Base using a modified version of the Homestead rules in Far Horizons, improving its defences and personnel as their infamy spreads.

So the Beginner games serve the Core game well in this regard, sort of as a backstory as to how they got their 'group resource'. In F&D, you can start with a ship, mentor or Holocron... Seeing as they already did the ship thing, I kind of doubt they'd do that again. I'm kind of wondering if this 'humble scholar' they're supposed to be rescuing ends up being their mentor? Or will they find a holocron or something? Some crystals and a 'My First Lightsaber' manual?

The mentor thing sounds the most reasonable, with the followup being the "here's your lightsaber" adventure.

Personally, I would love a map to an old Jedi temple. That could easily be reused.

Might need a backdrop similar to that given in Star Wars Rebels.

How do they access the shrine?

Is there some creepy discovery awaiting them within?

Will there be a link to the Clone Wars or like the Beta kept low key?

I wonder if my players will be too far advanced for the Beginner Game when it finally comes out. I had to dial up the numbers on the bad guys for the AoR set, and we're only at 330 points. Eh, I guess I can use it as a nugget of an idea and expand it into something bigger when the time comes. . . .

The beginner games are, of course, written for beginning players. Fortunately, it isn't hard to increase the difficulty of encounters. Increasing the number of minions, giving the minions a few more wounds, adding the Adversary talent to leaders, etc. I have been able to re-balance published encounters without too much trouble. I usually stick close to the original story line, although sometimes I vary a few things and sometimes I take some ideas for use in my own adventures.

I wonder if my players will be too far advanced for the Beginner Game when it finally comes out. I had to dial up the numbers on the bad guys for the AoR set, and we're only at 330 points. Eh, I guess I can use it as a nugget of an idea and expand it into something bigger when the time comes. . . .

I'd say that your PCs being too advanced for the Beginner Box adventure as it's written is probably a given.

More than likely, to make it viable for your group you'd have to seriously kick up the quality of opponents. Heck, a party of intelligently-built Knight Level PCs would probably be able to trounce any the Beginner Box adventures without too much trouble.

A Mountaintop Rescue?

That map looks like it depicts a shrine or temple!

This hasn't been released yet and they're already announcing the first adventure supplement!

Things seem to have gone into high gear now don't think they're worried about Lego Dimensions or a DI 3.0 trailer about to be announced?

Heck the Lego one looks and sounds too expensive the best DI can do is introduce a Star Wars Rebels intro and that still won't stop me picking up this beginner box set!

So what IS the hurry?

As for the announcement of the first adventure supplement, the same thing happened with AoR as well.

Only reason it didn't happen with EotE is because that Beginner Box was released several months before the core rulebook was out, something that likely caused problems and complaints for FFG as you had folks that loved the system, but were largely limited to a handful of pre-gens. The AoR and FaD Beginner Boxes are being released much closer to when the core rulebooks come out, with only a couple of months in between the box and book, with the first adventure generally being a GenCon release before stores get it some time in September.

Since FaD is the last of the core rulebook trilogy for this system, FFG wants to drum up interest for future products, and one critique they've gotten, particularly here on their own forums, is that sometimes they play things a little too close to the vest in terms of upcoming products, with some books not being announced until they're already on the boat. It looks like FFG is trying to correct this and let us know what new books are coming, if not exactly when. And on the "when" part, i can't fault them as overseas printing can be notorious for unexpected delays that the publisher has zero control over; it's generally why a lot of major RPG companies won't cite an exact release date until they have the actual physical product in the company warehouses.

I hope the beginner game has a major tempting to the Dark Side of the Force. Give them a taste of power early. Give in to your HATE!!

I really like the first two bigger boxes in the way they let the group actually earn a significant resource, a ship or a base.. both are incredibly useful to almost any group as well. I almost hope they go the way of the beta adventure with a resource that can be used for the creation of lightsabers but without outright giving them the lightsaber. They still have to do some work for that.. but I suspect that it will be a mentor. A holocron would be kind of cool but I expect a mentor as it opens up more opportunities.

Though, I suppose a holocron could then tie into this new adventure they've announced.

I really like the first two bigger boxes in the way they let the group actually earn a significant resource, a ship or a base.. both are incredibly useful to almost any group as well. I almost hope they go the way of the beta adventure with a resource that can be used for the creation of lightsabers but without outright giving them the lightsaber. They still have to do some work for that.. but I suspect that it will be a mentor. A holocron would be kind of cool but I expect a mentor as it opens up more opportunities.

Though, I suppose a holocron could then tie into this new adventure they've announced.

I'm hoping the beginner box gives you some parts to make a lightsaber and the followup takes you through the rest of the way.

Another thing I am hoping for is that they put out a quality follow-up adventure. I haven't looked at the AoR one but I loved the way the EotE downloadable adventure tied into the bigger game. I've not tried running it myself but it seems like it would really help make the players feel even more tied to the ship they just acquired. It gives even their ship a story and a history, and them a story of their struggles with making it theirs.

In terms of mechanics, I wouldn't expect anything too revolutionary in the Beginner Box. Much like the EotE and AoR Beginner Box sets, the FaD one is geared to get new players up to speed on the core mechanics of the system, though perhaps with a bit of focus on morality, conflict, and using Force powers.

Anything on lightsaber construction is probably going to be very basic, much like what's provided in the FaD Beta (Negotiation or Streetwise check to find the parts, no check needed to assemble). Heck, I'd be surprised if they included anything on modifying crystals, as gear modification is an "advanced" option and wasn't covered in either of the prior Beginner Box sets.

Looks like the focus of the game is " Gotta rescue a master from a snow covered. wind-swept mountaintop "!

So not only have their master been captured by someone other than an Inquisitor, but they've been warned and asked to rescue them!

So I'm assuming the Master contacted them via the force, the bad guy knows this so its an Akbar Special! (Be my guest and say his ROTJ line!)

So either their master has either been turned, the Empire is using him to capture the PCs, this is all part of a test as part of their training or... something else!

Not sure whether this will hold up, but is there any chance this is set earlier than the other core rulebooks?

I can see this ending with them barely escaping and the shrine being obliterated from orbit if they defeat the Inquisitor as I can't see any shrine being unknown to the Emperor and his many servants... what do you think?

While the free followup game might have the showdown with the Bad Guy Inquisitor, I doubt that we'll get anything like that in the box. So far the pattern seems to be:

1) Minor problem with a range of choices to overcome (showing the diversity of the skills)

2) Basic combat with minions

3) Some kind of social encounter

4) Bigger fight with better minions

5) Problem that can end in violence or the PCs being clever

6) Rival fight

7) Vehicle encounter

8) Lead in into the free download game

If I were a betting man, I'd say that we'll get something very similar here, too.