A few fellows have asked of me, the Eternal GM of all of the friggen northeast US, apparently, to run a sweeping and compelling Force and Destiny game. I have tentatively agreed and am poised to run something maybe after the colleges let out for winter break (as I am running two congruent games as it is right now).

I have an opening, and maybe an elevator pitch. I was hoping you kind folk might assist me here, and this thread might become a public sounding board/steal everyone's ideas thread. Okay? Okay.

Elevator pitch now. Opening scene in the next post.

Oppression sweeps across the galaxy; the light of freedom dimming more with every passing day. As the grip of the EMPIRE tightens, citizens begin to make the necessary sacrifices in order to simply see another sunrise.

But as the severity of the grip scales exponentially, so too does the scope of the ever present restlessness felt by the downtrodden. As serene remembrances turn to rallying cries, turn to militariatic action, some older memories recount the tales of the fabled JEDI ORDER and their failed quests for peace.

Long since forgotten, the FORCE moves in mysterious ways, and aboard a maximum security prison ship, hope and fate would see to it that in one cell waits the unrealized potential of four beings who are soon to hear the call of their FORCE AND DESTINY.

Disclaimer. Firstly these are notes. Secondly, this is an alternate universe. I'm thinking the escape pod was shot down before entering Tattooine's atmosphere.

The party shares a cell on a prison ship. Passengers are escorted on and off periodically. No one is allowed to even speak or the cell is shocked. Some have been there days. Others? Maybe months. The guards where generic uniforms and hide their faces and don't speak around the cell blocks.

There is a violent rocking to the ship. Emergency lighting and the guards go into lock down. Eventually robbed figures dart down the halls faster than seems possible. The sounds of distant explosions, and finally... Stormtroopers. This is the first indication that this is the Empire.

Before long blaster bolts soar past. People in conflict... Then silence. Men and women armed and armored in special ops uniforms adorned with Rebel insignia appear at the cells. The man at the cage holding the PCs cuts the bars with a plasma cutter. Through an electronically masked voice, "You coming with me? Or did you want to stay longer?"

The ship lurches... Real gravity begins to fight the artificial gravity. You're crashing. "I think I have a better plan to get off this ship than anyone else right now. Come with me, let's get you into the light of day again."

A few skirmishes, a BBEG of an Inquisitor. A dead savoir, and a dramatic atmosphere shift and a rescue from a Rebel airspeeder later, and the groups is introduced to REBEL LEADER where they're told that everyone on that deck was Force Sensitive. They're given the choice to join up or be dropped off with some cash and clean clothes.

The game can go either way, but the plot revolves around the party struggling with being forced to face their new identities... Maybe they didn't even know they were different before.

I think it might play out like Indiana Jones meets X-Men.

Sounds like a solid first session, and depending on their choice at the end of it, you can either go a little more Age of Rebellion type game, or a Edge type game. Do you know what types of characters your players are planning on playing? Which group resource they're going to pick (if offered it)? Do you plan on them killing the Inquisitor or is he going to be more of a recurring bad guy?

You mention the escape pod getting shot down (assuming you mean C3PO and R2). What effect did this have on the Rebellion? Is Princess Leia still being held prisoner or was she executed?

You could even have an alternate rescue, if the players decide to join up, they are taken to Alderaan to meet with "High Command" i.e. Bail Organa, only to find the asteroid field and a new moon (cue the "That's no Moon" line). Rescuing the princess in addition to having to steal the Death Star plans all over again.

Or you could take a different route and instead of the "Battle of Yavin" have it be the "Rout of Yavin" during which several high level commanders of the Rebellion are killed while trying to escape the moon's destruction.

If your players choose not to join up, in my opinion, I would not change the canon of the movies that much then since you'd probably be running a more EotE style campaign at that point and Galactic Politics aren't likely to of much interest in a Force Sensitive trying to stay one step ahead of the Empire.

Yes, this is good.

I did mean the escape pod with R2 and 3P0, yes. I cannot imagine a bigger changing point in the whole trilogy than that, really.

I was asked, unanimously, to make it a heavy lore and Force game, so I'm probably going to put my foot down and tell them their careers have to come from FaD, but leave all specializations open from there. No idea what they'll play beyond a familiarity with the players (one will be a brute, one will be a "wizahd").

Good questions, too... I can't imagine them killing Leia. She knows too much, and would be too useful as a propaganda piece. If she dies, it'll be in a big public display. A disgrace.

I'm inclined to agree, too, that if the party declines to help the Rebellion, that they'll skirt the whole of these plans and I can let it play out in the background. But, if they join up, then I think I'd have the Death Star arrive at Yavin ready to destroy the Rebels.

A mad dash to evacuate the base before it's blown to smithereens. I think I like the notion of getting the princess out and stealing the plans all over again then.

Over time, regardless, I think the war has to take a back seat to the driving plot of rediscovering the Force and allowing each PC to determine what it means to them and to see who rises and who falls.

A little necromancy here.

I took some time off from running games. The players are in college, including my wife and they need the time for studies. So, I've been writing about this as ideas come and it's been slow but fun.

I don't think the savior will be dying in the escape. Might make him one of the last Antarian Rangers, and his experience with the Jedi makes him a mentor who can guide and teach, but cannot use the Force himself.

I also wrote a set piece on the prison ship where the team is traversing down a hall, but the ship is so far tilted that they have to climb and jump from platform to platform. Dodge explosions, debris, falling troopers, and blasting away at the BBEG following them. It ends with the hull being blasted open by a Rebel airspeeder or space transport, the villain getting launched out of the hole to fall to a probable demise, and the team escaping.

If they join the Rebellion or not the game will play out the same, I think, just with different trappings and color. Should they join, I'm going to have them be sent to Alderaan to extract Bail Organa in secret, but not long after they arrive it becomes obvious that the Imperial presence on the planet has diminished greatly, and then a massive spherical space station appears in the sky.

Escape from there, of course. And then fall into the sweeping lore and mysteries of the Force plot. Guided by the Ranger to places he knows to be touched by the Force and visions of their own, the team will uncover what it is to be Force Sensitive. They'll learn of the fabled Jedi, they will encounter the last vestiges of the horror of the Krath, and they will be confronted and guided by ghosts and monsters.

It will be up to each of them to find the tradition that speaks to them, or to start one from scratch. Some may fall to the dark side, some may be paragons of virtue, I just want them to be true to their characters motivations and find their story. They should be the ones people tell tales about eons later when it comes time to explain how Force use went from practically nothing to flourishing once more.

As for this being an alternate universe. The escape pod with R2 and 3P0 was blown up and Leia was held prisoner. Luke has no reason to seek out Ben Kenobi, and joins the Rebellion two years later as a pilot. He's an Ace, but no one ever reveals the truth to him.

Leia is broken and turned to the dark side after some torture for the location of the Rebel Base ended with her lashing out with the Force. She quickly becomes an Inquisitor, and then one of the Hand of the Emporer. Probably going to be the final threat.

You know, the funny thing? Our new campaign was a bunch of force potentials (and baby Jedi) on a prison ship that crashed. Mind you, we rolled right into Chroncials of the Gatekeeper as a followup, but yeah - the set up is crazy similar!

You know, the funny thing? Our new campaign was a bunch of force potentials (and baby Jedi) on a prison ship that crashed. Mind you, we rolled right into Chroncials of the Gatekeeper as a followup, but yeah - the set up is crazy similar!

But, no, that is a.lpretty wild thing have happen. How did you enjoy it for your group?

Well, we're only 4 or 5 weeks into the campaign, and only about half way done with Gatekeeper, so it's still too early to tell. The characters are still in the process of jelling and coming together. But we've got some great synergy and Secret Back Story that's yet to be revealed, and everyone is having fun - so I'd say it's a success so far. We're going to roll into the traditional Empire vs Rebel game eventually, and we've not done that in a very long time, so I'm looking forward to that too.

Your back story--escaping from an Imperial prison ship while it crashes--sounds very much like the West End module "Starfall." See if you can track it down for ideas.

Your back story--escaping from an Imperial prison ship while it crashes--sounds very much like the West End module "Starfall." See if you can track it down for ideas.

Not to brag, but I'm a bit too young for WEG. Only heard about it after this system came into my life. I will definitely check it out though, if I can find it online. Thanks for the suggestion.