So my group gained the favor of a Black Sun Vigo. He put them in charge of his interests on a backwater shadowport space station. Upon arriving, they quickly find out a very recent rise in pirate attacks has caused the business on the station to maybe break even, if that. Skipping over some of the more plot oriented details, this is what I laid out for them. Black Sun controls (or mostly controls) 3 major businesses on the station: gambling, smuggling, weapon sales (which have been outlawed by local authorities, so it lacks any legitimate avenues). There is a small Hutt presence, which has control of the drug trade and could be looking to expand. The players owe a large percentage of their earnings to the Vigo regularly. I came up with all of this on the fly with an entirely improvised session.

So I am hoping to use the rules from the back of Far Horizons to help me flesh this out, but I'm not positive how at this point. I've read them over and they are pretty straight forward. While a bit bare bones, they leave a lot of room to work with.

So my first question is, has anyone used this section from Far Horizons? How did it work out for you? Anything you liked or did not like?

The investment vs. return seems to have quite the disparity. For 62,500 credit investment, each PC get's a monthly income of 600 credits. This doesn't even include any other upgrades aside from the ones that increase the profit. Did you use this amount? Did it seem low? High? Just right?

I think the toughest thing for me right now is wrapping my head around the story driven things that can happen with the homestead/business. I've been focusing on the mechanical aspect and failing to make that mental leap to the next step.

Also, neither the homestead upgrades or business upgrades feel like they fit exactly. The players don't outright own the space station, though their faction (for lack of a better term) definitely has the largest presence. I'm starting to think I might be using both. Homestead for their general set up on the station, and business for the individual areas of their interests.

Finally, if you have any story ideas for players "running" a space station, I would love to hear them. I have some ideas, and there is a larger plot at play, but I'll take inspiration from anywhere.

Thanks in advance for any wisdom shared.

So my first question is, has anyone used this section from Far Horizons? How did it work out for you? Anything you liked or did not like?

Our current campaign is centered around a bar on the outer rim, a San Francisco during the Gold Rush planet. How has it been? Awesome! It's a change of pace from usual Run-and-Gun rebel vs Empire or Smugglers vs Hutts type of game that we've run into the ground. The players have a vested interest in the planet and the NPCs, they're taking on responsibility and feeling very protective of their adopted world.

My strongest advice - flesh the hell out of the surroundings, the NPCs and the setting. You may not use it all, (although who knows what games spin out from the backstory later down the road), but the color will make it more real for the players and get them invested. Come up with a cast of oh - 10 or so colorful and memorable NPCs - cops, bartenders, employees, rival businessmen and so on. You may not have them show up every game, but the players knowing that they are there are enough.

I don't have it on my desktop, but I'll fire up my other computer after dinner and let you see my writeup.

Did you use this amount? Did it seem low? High? Just right?

We didn't have the initial buy-in for the establishment, that was the Party Resource instead of the ship (mind you, my character owes a huge chunk of change for the ship now - but that's a different story), so that may color your decision. But otherwise we use the numbers as-is. Of course my character is an entrepreneur, and she's a very good businessman, so the numbers get a bump every month from her talents.

If you haven't gone the Party Resource route, I'd probably just throw some obligation at the party for the bar instead of bogging them down with credit debt.

I think the toughest thing for me right now is wrapping my head around the story driven things that can happen with the homestead/business.

Lets see, so far we've done:

* The Adventure than landed them the bar in the first place.

* Employees get kidnapped by slavers. And we're VERY attached to our employees.

* Mob bosses moving into the area - "That's a nice bar. Pity if something happened to it"

* My politico runs for office.

* The players organize a crime watch trouble alert system for the neighborhood businesses.

* There's a Sith tomb on planet (a benign one) and a Sith temple (that was. . .less benign)

* Remodeling the establishment, plotting out advertising campaigns, planning where to expand the business - tons of just roll playing with no combat whatsoever.

* Pirates hijack the bar's new Wood Fired oven and they have to go get it back.

* A mine cave in nearby and resulting labor dispute - not directly related to the bar, but playing off the protectiveness of the players to the community.

. . . .and there's probably plenty more that I'm forgetting. That's just off the top of my head what I can remember. If you'd like I can post my Game Diary when I put the writeup up too. It's still a work in progress mind you, but it's a mostly readable state.

Also, neither the homestead upgrades or business upgrades feel like they fit exactly.

I see no reason you cant mix and match what suits your particular game the most.

if you have any story ideas for players "running" a space station, I would love to hear them.

Give me a bit and I'll think on it. In the meantime, post your characters (and their obligations) to give us some more grit for the mill. . . .

My group has 5 players, but only 2 of them make it nearly every time we play, 1 of it makes it most of the time, and the other 2 make it rarely.

Wookiee Colonist - Performer/Marshall. Was a slave in a brothel before being framed for the murder of a criminal boss that enjoyed her company and went on the run. Obligation is bounty for the aforementioned murder. The player just just grabbed the Marshall tree, as it fit the types of activities the character has been doing since getting involved with the Black Sun Vigo. Abhors slavery.

Chiss Smuggler - Scoundrel/Force Sensitive Exile. Comes from a prominent Chiss military family, but betrayed his family after they continually ostracized him. His betrayal resulted in the death of his father and critically injuring his brother, who will probably be seeking revenge, if he ever walks again. The Chiss lies his way out of everything and tends to keep himself before others. Recently discovered latent force powers.

Drall Colonist - Doctor. One of the best minds in the galaxy in regards to bio-medical engineering. He is currently contracted to AdasCorp. They own everything he does and expect research and progress updates regularly.

Droid Bounty Hunter - Assassin. Human Replicant Droid (like Guri, Prince Xizor's assassin) that recently had his mind wiped and didn't even realize he was a droid until we started playing. Before losing his memories, he betrayed his owner/employer, a man who would very much so like to have his droid back in his possession.

Droid Hired Gun - Heavy. A war droid from the era of Xim the Despot. As large as a load lifter droid, something the party uses as cover regularly when taking him out in public. He is obsessed with retaining his memories and staying in working condition now that he knows he survived the 20k years since he fought for Xim.

The two droid players rarely make it when we do play (we shoot for once a month).

Wookiee Colonist - Performer/Marshall. Was a slave in a brothel before being framed for the murder of a criminal boss that enjoyed her company and went on the run. Obligation is bounty for the aforementioned murder. The player just just grabbed the Marshall tree, as it fit the types of activities the character has been doing since getting involved with the Black Sun Vigo. Abhors slavery.

That's easy! There's a new Sheriff in town, and his name is Wookiee P. Coltrain (or whatever). The current Sheriff is up to his eyeballs in trouble, and give's the Wook a silver star to help out around town as needed (AKA, enough of a hook to give you game opportunities, but loose enough to let the players wander away from the station as necessary).

That whole murder thing? Give them some time to get to know each other, the Wook will be thinking "What happens when he reads the stack of wanted posters and sees my name!" - and meanwhile the sheriff, a good judge of cha5racter, susses out that the Wook is a good man and didn't do it. Big sigh of relief when this eventually comes to a head and nothing happens of it).

And the Abhors slavery? Kidnap beloved employees! If it works for me, it'll work for you!

The Chiss lies his way out of everything and tends to keep himself before others.

The Chiss totally needs an Artful Dodger streetrat! One who keeps pestering him and hanging around despite the non-stop "beat it kid!" until he eventually gets him a turn of heart on the "Looks out for number one" attitude when the kid is put in danger somehow.

One of the best minds in the galaxy in regards to bio-medical engineering.

Get him working at a free clinic? This big city doctor in the backwater worlds finds that helping people who can barely afford stim packs is rewarding?

Boy, the two droids - I got nothing for them off the top of my head. I'll think on them and see if the Muse strikes me.

Okay, as promised. . . .

* The Game Diary - like I said, it's not quite ready for public consumption, but it should guve you some ideas to draw upon.

* The NPC list - should give you an idea how much detail you'll need.

* The Planet - Again, another rough document.

Thanks a ton.

My group used the homestead rules from this supplement. A bar - Chalmun's Cantina, in fact! - was purchased with the group Obligation rather than a ship. You can find their adventures in this thread.

This thread is great. Glad to see you guys are having fun with the Homestead rules.

The only thing I'll address off the top of my head is the credit disparity. 62k for 600 a month.

600 a month per PC, times 5 PCs (the average) means 3,000 a month, or 36,000 a year, which means you've recouped your investment in 1 year and 9 months or so, and as stated, even faster if you're an Entrepreneur.

Also note that, as a GM, you don't need each adventure to take place the very day after the next adventure. There is nothing wrong with "fast-forwarding" 6 months for the next adventure. Then roll a D10 to see what percentage of their credits they spent/saved during the less adventurous period of time. And, of course, if the math doesn't work for you, just change it to something that feels right. However, I would caution against overloading PCs with credits. Most of the characters we meet in Star Wars, particularly in the Edge of the Empire setting, live a more hard-scrabble life. The only real exceptions are Jabba and some of the politicians.

Giving PCsa lot of credits means they'll start looking to solve their problems with the credits. The Homestead is meant to CAUSE problems for the PCs, and by problems, I mean create story potential.

Also note that these are PROFITS. Businesses cost a lot to maintain and run. Things break down, there's employee shrinkage, there's shifting inventory prices, etc. The profits are meant to just be the part off the top after all this day to day stuff is handled.

In any case, I'm so glad you guys are having fun with the rules, they were sort of a last minute idea I had for the book, and Sam was gracious enough to let me take a shot at putting something together. The playtesters, devs, proofreaders, and copyeditors did a great job reorganizing the tables and what have you so what I wrote was infinitely more understandable and legible. I'm glad people are digging these!

I was flushing out some story arcs for one of my campaigns a while back that involved the players gaining control of a space port. i'll through out a list of some of the story arcs I thought of for just getting things established.

Supply run: The players have established/ obtained a spaceport where do they get their spare parts, food, beverages etc.. They can negotiate with NPCs make supply runs, Hire someone to make supply runs etc.

Mechanic: The local mechanic has been Fired/ Shot/ Arrested/ Left and you need to recruit a new trust worthy mechanic to help run the business while you are away.

Imperial Patrols: your shadow port has attracted the attention of the local authorities. Should you try to hide? move? bribe them? fight?

Inspection: The Vigo isn't satisfied with his cut and sends an "efficiency expert" to find out what is going on at the shadow port. (are the PCs skimming the profits?)

I do not own far horizons so i had to create the upgrades for this base myself.

1) Improved landing bays. take the port form a dirt patch to improved landing pads. Can charge docking fees increases profits

2) Mechanic: have an on staff mechanic to perform services. Increase you profits

3) scrap yard: Makes it easier to fine materials to fix ships with

4) Cantina: Increases profits can be expanded to have gambling.

5) Manger: someone to keep an eye on things when the PCs aren't present.

6) hangars: hangers to store ships in and perform maintenance: Allows more ships to be docked at any given time.

None of these things needs to be permanent either. (I like to use despairs to have things go horribly wrong cutting into their profits)

if they obtain an NPC maybe that NPC got a better offer from your competition.

The scrap yard is out of scrap, time to make a supply run.

Imperial forces have shut down you base..... Hope you have some portable equipment.

anyways these are just some of the things I came up with, without having the far horizons book. Hope it helps.

Seemed like the Cartwright's always got into plenty of trouble on the Ponderosa...

For plot reasons, I did increase the profits (it is a group of 3), but 35%+ is owed to a Black Sun Vigo. Plus, plotwise right now, the business they inhereted isn't making any money and they need to figure out why. They have some leads. They also have a mad man trying to kill them regularly, so getting things in order will take some time.

The replicant:

What if he/she was shot and left for dead being assumed alive and was actually left mind wiped by the event so now they've recovered whoever shot them now discovers they're still alive?

Even if they realise they're suffering from amnesia how obvious is it that its a human replicant and how well known is this?

Could have a series of adventures regarding their previous life maybe even a suitor or two unaware of their true nature and maybe they were mind wiped because of something they did for the Vigo?

Their former owner might not even realise they were working for the Vigo when it was in their ownership or employ now what if the Vigo doesn't want that found out and someone is intent on discovering what else they've forgotten but might be recoverable?

The Other Droid: Formerly belonged to Xim the Despot?

How much does it remember and how much do people want to discover what it knows once some nefarious people/archaeologists discover they're linked to that figure and their ancient treasure laden cache?

Maybe its not the only survivor but someone needs something they might be carrying that will lead them to a long lost trove?

Always wondered what if someone went through the KOTOR MMO picked one of the droids mentioned there and had it appear in game...

My group has been thinking about using those rules for a business for a while now, but we haven't run it yet because nobody wants to be GM!